department of that branch which it aids.'
"But many things aid us and yet are not parts of ourselves. No, if they were, they would not aid us. Food is an aid to the body, but is not a part of it. We get some help from the service which mathematics renders; and mathematics is as indispensable to philosophy as the carpenter is to the mathematician. But carpentering is not a part of mathematics, nor is mathematics a part of philosophy.
"Moreover, each has its own limits; for the wise man investigates and learns the causes of natural phenomena, while the mathematician follows up and computes their numbers and their measurements.
"The wise man knows the laws by which the heavenly bodies persist, what powers belong to them, and what attributes; the astronomer merely notes their comings and goings, the rules which govern their settings and their risings, and the occasional periods during which they seem to stand still, although as a matter of fact no heavenly body can stand still.
"The wise man will know what causes the reflection in a mirror; but, the mathematician can merely tell you how far the body should be from the reflection, and what shape of mirror will produce a given reflection.
"The philosopher will demonstrate that the sun is a large body, while the astronomer will compute just how large, progressing in knowledge by his method of trial and experiment; but in order to progress, he must summon to his aid certain principles. No art, however, is sufficient unto itself, if the foundation upon which it rests depends upon mere favor.
"Now philosophy asks no favors from any other source; it builds everything on its own soil; but the science of numbers is, so to speak, a structure built on another man's land – it builds on everything on alien soil; It accepts first principles, and by their favor arrives at further conclusions. If it could march unassisted to the truth, if it were able to understand the nature of the universe, I should say that it would offer much assistance to our minds; for the mind grows by contact with things heavenly and draws into itself something from on high.
"There is but one thing that brings the soul to perfection – the unalterable knowledge of good and evil. But there is no other art which investigates good and evil.". . .
--Seneca the Younger, Moral Letters to Lucilius, 88 (tr Gummere)
All the arts and sciences are aids to us in our thinking and in our living. That does not mean that they are the measure of our living. By all means, let us use mathematics to measure space, and the measure of space to help us in construction, and construction in order to build a house. Now I have a physical space to live in. I have, however, still not arrived at how I should go about living in that house. It will only be a true liberal study, a free study, that will in turn aid me in being philosophical, and can order the manner in which I live.
Observe how much time and effort we expend in learning how to count, speak, write, or build. By the later years in our education, we've apparently become quite adept at those things. We learn calculus, accounting, how to write a legal brief, business proposal, or scholarly article, how to construct a bridge or manufacture a widget. Most of all, we have become adept at impressing others and making money.
Now how much time have we spent in thinking through the things that matter the most? I'm the first to say that three or six credit hours in a vague 'Introduction to Philosophy' or 'Business Ethics' won't quite cut it. I have taught courses like that for years, and they are usually an exercise in writing clever papers and doing well on exams. It's just another hoop, and hardly an important one at that.
True liberal thinking, the tool that can lead us to true philosophy, is hardly about obscure concepts or abstract musings. It will certainly make use of the other arts and sciences, like the skill of language we learn from reading and writing, the measure of quantity and quality we learn from mathematics, or the understanding of the physical world we learn from the natural sciences. But philosophy in no way depends upon these arts and sciences, because it arises from the clear and firm first principles of our existence.
'Who am I?' will not be answered by measuring my height or weight, or counting my chromosomes, or balancing my checkbook. I will only answer that most fundamental question by reflecting upon this most obvious, yet sadly overlooked, fact: I am a being who thinks and decides. Now how I go about thinking and deciding, according to the nature evident to my senses and to my reason, will make all of the difference.
I know, people will kick and scream, will protest with all their might, when they are confronted with this reality. And I understand that, and I sympathize, but what it really means in the end is that the only thing that really matters, after all the degrees, and all the promotions, and all the money and the honors, is whether or not we practice wisdom. Whether or not we are actually philosophers in our daily living.
Seneca understood that even the strutting and posturing that goes along with the practice of the 'liberal arts' isn't what makes us human. These, too, are merely tools, however high and noble, and will only serve as much as we use them to discover the true, the good, and the beautiful.
Only philosophy will answer the only question that matters. How am I to distinguish good from evil? Other arts and sciences may aid us in this endeavor, but our answer depends upon nothing other than an understanding of our nature.
I have spent most of my life in love with philosophy, and I don't think a day has passed when I haven't been scolded for having my head in the clouds. I had a wonderful teacher years ago who would simply say that yes, his head was indeed in the free and open air, right where it belonged, and not shoved down a hole.
Written 1/2010
No comments:
Post a Comment