The
great philosopher William James once posited the question: Why think at all?
The answer he arrived at is that thinking was useful; that only through
thinking could we attempt to grasp our environment, understand our existence.
Now if Philosophy is the study of thought, or the love of wisdom, if we follow
James it can't be anything else but useful.
Thus immediately we arrive at a position where we understand the value of philosophy. So long decried as the province of the the lazy, the cloud dwellers, philosophy can fight back. Philosophy can say that if thinking is useful, then thinking about thinking must be equally as useful. For it is only at this point that we can attempt to make justified decisions about anything. Philosophy and its strength lies in its refinement of thought, and how can this not be practical?
Against Philosophy many will cite science and its results. Yet let me ask you the following question: What is science? Science is a method, and that method is philosophical. It was a philosophical decision that thinkers would start to use evidence collected from the senses. This may seem an obvious victory or progression now, yet it was not always the case. For it does not take long to revert to a tyranny of superstition. Superstition reigns when people refuse, or are unable to question. Its lifeblood lies in ignorance. You can only defend science and its results philosophically, there is no other way.
Philosophy is also immensely useful as it can alter our states of mind. By this I mean that it can gives us the opportunity to see things in different ways. This is the starting point of the democracy that most of us cherish. For we can only be democratic if we do not become violent once we understand peoples ideas may differ from our own, and agree that they have the right to hold an opinion that does not match ours.
Thus immediately we arrive at a position where we understand the value of philosophy. So long decried as the province of the the lazy, the cloud dwellers, philosophy can fight back. Philosophy can say that if thinking is useful, then thinking about thinking must be equally as useful. For it is only at this point that we can attempt to make justified decisions about anything. Philosophy and its strength lies in its refinement of thought, and how can this not be practical?
Against Philosophy many will cite science and its results. Yet let me ask you the following question: What is science? Science is a method, and that method is philosophical. It was a philosophical decision that thinkers would start to use evidence collected from the senses. This may seem an obvious victory or progression now, yet it was not always the case. For it does not take long to revert to a tyranny of superstition. Superstition reigns when people refuse, or are unable to question. Its lifeblood lies in ignorance. You can only defend science and its results philosophically, there is no other way.
Philosophy is also immensely useful as it can alter our states of mind. By this I mean that it can gives us the opportunity to see things in different ways. This is the starting point of the democracy that most of us cherish. For we can only be democratic if we do not become violent once we understand peoples ideas may differ from our own, and agree that they have the right to hold an opinion that does not match ours.
Philosophy
teaches us this. It shows us the different ways that thinkers have approached
the same problem. The best way I can learn these alternating approaches is by
being taught by those that understand those individual thinkers and their ideas
best.
In regards to the closure of Humanities courses in universities, I have this to say. The closing of any department on the pretence that it is not practical, is to decry all thinking. For it is only through Philosophy that we attempt to gain a foothold on thinking. If you agree that thinking is useful, then you must agree that getting the best, most reasoned thoughts is also highly useful. That is what philosophy attempts to do (the best of philosophy in any case). It refines thought from its native, chaotic state into something useful, something that affects our everyday lives. A parallel is this: Pure thinking is like the materials needed for the building of a house, it is the bricks, it is the glass for the windows, yet it is Philosophy that orders these raw materials and moulds it into something we can use.
Scientists, you may think that philosophy is always picking apart your fine work, this may annoy and frustrate you. Yet it is only philosophers who can defend you, for it is after all philosophy that gave birth to your method. Just like any parent we may at times annoy you, yet you are also one of our finest accomplishments. To defend philosophy is to defend thought; it is to say I am not happy to be left at the level of superstition, that I am not happy at not being able to understand others ways of thinking. So to shut down any Philosophy department is to disagree with James. Thus to those who are arguing that thought is useless, if you have reached this conclusion you must really question what kind of University you're running.
Lloyd Duddridge
In regards to the closure of Humanities courses in universities, I have this to say. The closing of any department on the pretence that it is not practical, is to decry all thinking. For it is only through Philosophy that we attempt to gain a foothold on thinking. If you agree that thinking is useful, then you must agree that getting the best, most reasoned thoughts is also highly useful. That is what philosophy attempts to do (the best of philosophy in any case). It refines thought from its native, chaotic state into something useful, something that affects our everyday lives. A parallel is this: Pure thinking is like the materials needed for the building of a house, it is the bricks, it is the glass for the windows, yet it is Philosophy that orders these raw materials and moulds it into something we can use.
Scientists, you may think that philosophy is always picking apart your fine work, this may annoy and frustrate you. Yet it is only philosophers who can defend you, for it is after all philosophy that gave birth to your method. Just like any parent we may at times annoy you, yet you are also one of our finest accomplishments. To defend philosophy is to defend thought; it is to say I am not happy to be left at the level of superstition, that I am not happy at not being able to understand others ways of thinking. So to shut down any Philosophy department is to disagree with James. Thus to those who are arguing that thought is useless, if you have reached this conclusion you must really question what kind of University you're running.
Lloyd Duddridge
