What is the difficulty in philosophy?

Answer 1

There is nothing difficult about philosophy since it is based on an individuals thoughts and understanding.

The only difficulty comes from trying to adopt someone else's logic and way of thinking. In doing so we limit our self.

Answer 2

There is no answer to a philosophical question, nothing could be considered right or wrong. Philosophy itself is rhetoric. There can be no answer, no response to philosophy, no definite or indefinite, no realistic approach or non-realistic approach. Everything is a question with philosophy, even a statement is a question. But within the free-will of philosophy, the difficulty is creating one with no loop-holes or ways to get around it. They have to be solid, a philosophy has to explain all aspects of it's subject so that it's air tight to all obvious objections, and complex enough to allow more room for addition.

Answer 3

I remember the old Monty Python lament: "My brain hurts!" This gives us some idea of why philosophy (as opposed to studying about philosophy) is so difficult.

Most people, when thinking about things seriously, stop when they find an answer that satisfies them. If they have to subject that idea to serious critical scrutiny, they quickly find out that they are going in directions where they are not confortable. They discover that their deeply-held beliefs are vulnerable, and if they think too far along that line, they will find themselves the object of ridicule and rejection by their friends who hold the same views.

Thinking and studying ABOUT philosophy are not so difficult. It is not hard to learn the details of Hume's or Marx's or Kierkegaard's arguments, motivated perhaps by a strong admiration for Hume or Marx or Kierkegaard. This is not really that difficult; it is not that different from studying history, sociology or government. But actually DOING philosphy is quite hard.

Answer 4

Philosophy is based on theories and not definite knowledge such as other sciences. That's basically the problem. "The Problems of Philosophy", a great short book by Bertrand Russell, discusses your question in detail.

Answer 5

It consist in finding it pragmatic counterpart, meaningless til them. Anybody knows it is a lot easier to have a philosophy than to live by it, ask any republican. Philosophy should be view as a blue print, an empty rhetoric without it.

Answer 6

i'm not sure what this question means. philosophy deals with reasoning and it's not always easy to do that when we are not only rational beings, but instinctual too.

i took an ethical philosophy class once and it was one of the harder classes i've taken in my life. it's a lot of breaking down thoughts and getting to the root of issues, and when issues are usually deeply covererd in sh!t, it's hard to dig it out.

Answer 7

The difficulty is the people who ask why it's so difficult.

Philosophy is as abstract as each individuals mind. Be more open to ideas and opinions and one might find there is more a joy in exploration than a burden in analyzing it...

~jaz~

Answer 8

An open mind. Philosophy is limitless in answers and ideas.

Answer 9

The difficult in philosophy is that is proscribed as a means to accomplish happiness, contentment or enlightenment by using the very techniques that are counter-productive to these states.

We could say then that there is a philosophy of philosophy.

Answer 10

Realzing every particle, every grain of salt, is never just that. That it takes on multiple roles and has multiple faucets and that only when all of those grains are collected (which is an infinitismally large number) do we have even a fragment of life.