Would you really know what philosophy offers to humanity? Philosophy offers counsel. Death calls away one man, and poverty chafes another; a third is worried either by his neighbor’s wealth or by his own. So-and-so is afraid of bad luck; another desires to get away from his own good fortune. Some are ill-treated by men, others by the gods.
Why, then, do you frame for me such games as these? It is no occasion for jest; you are retained as counsel for unhappy mankind. You have promised to help those in peril by sea, those in captivity, the sick and the needy, and those whose heads are under the poised axe. Whither are you straying? What are you doing?
This friend, in whose company you are jesting, is in fear. Help him, and take the noose from about his neck. Men are stretching out imploring hands to you on all sides; lives ruined and in danger of ruin are begging for some assistance; men's hopes, men's resources, depend upon you. They ask that you deliver them from all their restlessness, that you reveal to them, scattered and wandering as they are, the clear light of truth.
Tell them what Nature has made necessary, and what superfluous; tell them how simple are the laws that she has laid down, how pleasant and unimpeded life is for those who follow these laws, but how bitter and perplexed it is for those who have put their trust in opinion rather than in Nature.
Why, then, do you frame for me such games as these? It is no occasion for jest; you are retained as counsel for unhappy mankind. You have promised to help those in peril by sea, those in captivity, the sick and the needy, and those whose heads are under the poised axe. Whither are you straying? What are you doing?
This friend, in whose company you are jesting, is in fear. Help him, and take the noose from about his neck. Men are stretching out imploring hands to you on all sides; lives ruined and in danger of ruin are begging for some assistance; men's hopes, men's resources, depend upon you. They ask that you deliver them from all their restlessness, that you reveal to them, scattered and wandering as they are, the clear light of truth.
Tell them what Nature has made necessary, and what superfluous; tell them how simple are the laws that she has laid down, how pleasant and unimpeded life is for those who follow these laws, but how bitter and perplexed it is for those who have put their trust in opinion rather than in Nature.
—from Seneca, Moral Letters 48
I know some people who like to write down a list of “pros” and “cons” when they are making a decision, and while there is a danger of muddying our standards, it can serve as a useful tool for contrasting different points of view. As long as I am keeping an eye on my moral compass, it is critical to get a lay of the land.
Now if I ask myself about the “pros” and “cons” of philosophy, I’m sure my answers will be very different from the usual perceptions. In fact, I imagine most people will list many drawbacks, and be hard-pressed to come up with a single benefit.
Can you blame them? How does philosophy appear to the man on the street, and how does the philosopher usually come across? There’s a reason philosophy majors are the butt of so many jokes.
Philosophy is taken to be obscure, convoluted, and impractical, while the philosopher seems to be a snobbish daydreamer. Yet far from being some idle luxury, philosophy is actually an absolute necessity in life, providing the very measure by which all other things are recognized as being good or bad. If we just blindly assume certain rules, we will find ourselves in a world of hurt.
The problem isn’t philosophy at all, but rather the way we abuse its purpose, dragging its dignity in the dirt. What the philosophers ought to be doing is helping people discover the meaning and value to all their endeavors, when what they are actually doing is showing off to one another. They play crafty games with words, and then they wonder why no one wants to be around them.
How am I to face my mortality? What can I do to endure hardship? Why am I so jealous of other people? When my luck runs out, where can I turn for peace of mind? Everyone needs to answer such questions, while the faux philosopher is busy dabbling in office politics to win tenure.
We are so frustrated with these philosophical imposters, that we turn to psychology for comfort, and yet most of what passes for therapy these days is already working from dubious premises, taking it for granted that happiness is about gratification, and that reason should be a slave to the passions.
They give you a song and dance about feeling good, and hidden somewhere in the corner is the true thinker, who whispers the truth about doing good. Don’t blame philosophy—blame the demagogues and the charlatans for given her a bad name.
As the everyman reaches out for help, the expert admires himself in the mirror, pleased as Punch with his latest card tricks. If only we could learn from the gentleman who follows Nature, instead of being enamored of the rascal who manipulates impressions.
I know some people who like to write down a list of “pros” and “cons” when they are making a decision, and while there is a danger of muddying our standards, it can serve as a useful tool for contrasting different points of view. As long as I am keeping an eye on my moral compass, it is critical to get a lay of the land.
Now if I ask myself about the “pros” and “cons” of philosophy, I’m sure my answers will be very different from the usual perceptions. In fact, I imagine most people will list many drawbacks, and be hard-pressed to come up with a single benefit.
Can you blame them? How does philosophy appear to the man on the street, and how does the philosopher usually come across? There’s a reason philosophy majors are the butt of so many jokes.
Philosophy is taken to be obscure, convoluted, and impractical, while the philosopher seems to be a snobbish daydreamer. Yet far from being some idle luxury, philosophy is actually an absolute necessity in life, providing the very measure by which all other things are recognized as being good or bad. If we just blindly assume certain rules, we will find ourselves in a world of hurt.
The problem isn’t philosophy at all, but rather the way we abuse its purpose, dragging its dignity in the dirt. What the philosophers ought to be doing is helping people discover the meaning and value to all their endeavors, when what they are actually doing is showing off to one another. They play crafty games with words, and then they wonder why no one wants to be around them.
How am I to face my mortality? What can I do to endure hardship? Why am I so jealous of other people? When my luck runs out, where can I turn for peace of mind? Everyone needs to answer such questions, while the faux philosopher is busy dabbling in office politics to win tenure.
We are so frustrated with these philosophical imposters, that we turn to psychology for comfort, and yet most of what passes for therapy these days is already working from dubious premises, taking it for granted that happiness is about gratification, and that reason should be a slave to the passions.
They give you a song and dance about feeling good, and hidden somewhere in the corner is the true thinker, who whispers the truth about doing good. Don’t blame philosophy—blame the demagogues and the charlatans for given her a bad name.
As the everyman reaches out for help, the expert admires himself in the mirror, pleased as Punch with his latest card tricks. If only we could learn from the gentleman who follows Nature, instead of being enamored of the rascal who manipulates impressions.
—Reflection written in 3/2013
IMAGE: Pietro Bellotti, The Old Philosopher (c. 1670)
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