Is philosophy important?

For philosophical reflections on the COVID-19 pandemic. How can philosophy help us to understand it, to combat it and to survive it?

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Nick_A
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Re: Is philosophy important?

Post by Nick_A »

bahman wrote: Sun Jan 24, 2021 9:26 pm What we lose if we forget it. Life keeps going. I think it is very important to know philosophy too. It is as important as science and art.
From Jacob Needleman's book: "The Heart of Philosophy"

Chapter 1

Introduction

Man cannot live without philosophy. This is not a figure of speech but a literal fact that will be demonstrated in this book. There is a yearning in the heart that is nourished only by real philosophy and without this nourishment man dies as surely as if he were deprived of food and air. But this part of the human psyche is not known or honored in our culture. When it does breakthrough to our awareness it is either ignored or treated as something else. It is given wrong names; it is not cared for; it is crushed. And eventually, it may withdraw altogether, never again to appear. When this happens man becomes a thing. No matter what he accomplishes or experiences, no matter what happiness he experiences or what service he performs, he has in fact lost his real possibility. He is dead.

……………………….The function of philosophy in human life is to help Man remember. It has no other task. And anything that calls itself philosophywhich does not serve this function is simply not philosophy……………………………….
Can Man live without philosophy or will our species become a dying animal if it is abandoned?
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Terrapin Station
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Re: Is philosophy important?

Post by Terrapin Station »

Nick_A wrote: Mon Jan 25, 2021 6:43 pm
bahman wrote: Sun Jan 24, 2021 9:26 pm What we lose if we forget it. Life keeps going. I think it is very important to know philosophy too. It is as important as science and art.
From Jacob Needleman's book: "The Heart of Philosophy"

Chapter 1

Introduction

Man cannot live without philosophy. This is not a figure of speech but a literal fact that will be demonstrated in this book. There is a yearning in the heart that is nourished only by real philosophy and without this nourishment man dies as surely as if he were deprived of food and air. But this part of the human psyche is not known or honored in our culture. When it does breakthrough to our awareness it is either ignored or treated as something else. It is given wrong names; it is not cared for; it is crushed. And eventually, it may withdraw altogether, never again to appear. When this happens man becomes a thing. No matter what he accomplishes or experiences, no matter what happiness he experiences or what service he performs, he has in fact lost his real possibility. He is dead.

……………………….The function of philosophy in human life is to help Man remember. It has no other task. And anything that calls itself philosophywhich does not serve this function is simply not philosophy……………………………….
Can Man live without philosophy or will our species become a dying animal if it is abandoned?
Particular individuals can certainly live without philosophy in my view. Again, I have many among friends and family who couldn't care less about philosophy.
Nick_A
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Re: Is philosophy important?

Post by Nick_A »

Terrapin Station wrote: Mon Jan 25, 2021 7:39 pm
Nick_A wrote: Mon Jan 25, 2021 6:43 pm
bahman wrote: Sun Jan 24, 2021 9:26 pm What we lose if we forget it. Life keeps going. I think it is very important to know philosophy too. It is as important as science and art.
From Jacob Needleman's book: "The Heart of Philosophy"

Chapter 1

Introduction

Man cannot live without philosophy. This is not a figure of speech but a literal fact that will be demonstrated in this book. There is a yearning in the heart that is nourished only by real philosophy and without this nourishment man dies as surely as if he were deprived of food and air. But this part of the human psyche is not known or honored in our culture. When it does breakthrough to our awareness it is either ignored or treated as something else. It is given wrong names; it is not cared for; it is crushed. And eventually, it may withdraw altogether, never again to appear. When this happens man becomes a thing. No matter what he accomplishes or experiences, no matter what happiness he experiences or what service he performs, he has in fact lost his real possibility. He is dead.

……………………….The function of philosophy in human life is to help Man remember. It has no other task. And anything that calls itself philosophywhich does not serve this function is simply not philosophy……………………………….
Can Man live without philosophy or will our species become a dying animal if it is abandoned?
Particular individuals can certainly live without philosophy in my view. Again, I have many among friends and family who couldn't care less about philosophy.
Jesus said to let the dead bury their own dead. This raises the question of what it means to be alive and what it means to be dead. Philosophy worthy of the name serves the purpose of life in a world encouraging death.
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bahman
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Re: Is philosophy important?

Post by bahman »

Veritas Aequitas wrote: Mon Jan 25, 2021 5:54 am Philosophy comprised of two perspectives, i.e.
1. in the narrower [philosophy as a subject] and
2. wider sense [philosophy-proper].

In the past, whatever [higher knowledge, wisdom and skills] human relied upon to enable humanity to survive and progress was in a way philosophy.
Then where knowledge is identified as specific, they are separated from philosophy, e.g. mathematics, morality, physics, geometry and others.

Whatever higher knowledge, wisdom and skills humans are still practicing and not categorized as a specific subject is thus philosophy-proper.

In this sense Philosopher-proper is very important because to be ignorant and to discard whatever is philosophy-proper would hinder humanity to maintain rationality and progress at the finer levels.

Here is one of the purpose of philosophy-proper which is not covered within any specific subject;
Bertrand Russell wrote:Thus, to sum up our discussion of the value of philosophy;
Philosophy is to be studied, not for the sake of any definite answers to its questions since no definite answers can, as a rule, be known to be true,
but rather for the sake of the questions themselves;
because these questions enlarge our conception of what is possible, enrich our intellectual imagination and diminish the dogmatic assurance which closes the mind against speculation;


There are other purposes of philosophy-proper besides the above.
I agree.
Frawing
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Re: Is philosophy important?

Post by Frawing »

I think philosophy is important because it helps people understand themselves, other people, and life itself.
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bahman
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Re: Is philosophy important?

Post by bahman »

Frawing wrote: Tue Apr 27, 2021 8:18 pm I think philosophy is important because it helps people understand themselves, other people, and life itself.
What is life for? What are you?
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