Philosophy

philosophy is a mind opener to me personally, thats is talking in respect as subject in school. but i would like to know if their reasons why other people think this subject is foolish?, please be sincere

Comments

Interesting! I think to answer your question one would need to distinguish philosophy as an institution (recognized professors and associations designated as philosophical) and the practice of philosophy at large. In terms of the latter, I suggest "philosophy" is inescapable, so even those who think "philosophy" is foolish only do so because what they think of as philosophy is pointless from the standpoint of their own philosophy. In this sense, having a philosophy is simply to have a view of the world and values. But in terms of the institutional life of what is considered philosophy, there have been some able critics. Marx complained that philosophers only talk about the world, whereas he (and other activists) try to change the world. The poet William Blake thought that much of philosophy involves vanity and some of those who are considered great philosophers like Wittgenstein have condemned much of the history of philosophy as a matter of self-inflicted be-whichment. In all this, however, you might keep in mind that the root meaning of "philosophy" (from the Greek "philo" or love and "sophia" wisdom) is the love of wisdom, not the love of folly of foolishness. Some philosophers have been persecuted and killed (like Socrates) because of the perception that they (or we) are trouble-makers and, in a sense, fools, but if you take the long view the kinds of questions and ideas philosophers raise that are condemned in their time have a life of their own and sometimes turn out to be part of the very human (that thus imperfect, but still to be valued) effort to love wisdom to the best of our ability.

I applaud Charles Taliaferro's answer but might add that many people have the sense that there is no progress with philosophical questions. As CT noted, the brilliant philosopher Wittgenstein held that many philosophical questions are pseudo-questions. Grammatically they seem like questions but that is just mirage. Also, as CT hinted there is a feeling that philosophers are all talk and no action. Like Marx but from a Christian perspective, Kierkegaard certainly expressed this view.

You asked for sincerity in your question and I will admit that there have been times when I felt as though philosophy profs (which is not necessarily to say, philosophers)were like a bunch of adolescent stamp collectors who just liked sitting in their office or rooms and playing around with puzzles that had nothing to do with wisdom or life.

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