What does Philosophy teach us?

May seem like a silly question but I've been searching around on the internet and a lot of different answers have come up.

Reply 1

lucas13

that you can always answer a question with another question

Reply 2

pacni

How to think. Essentially.

Reply 3

Muppet Science

That instead of answering the question directly, you can deflect with another question whilst scratching your chin...

(Actually, it allows an insight into things we take for granted, e.g. what is thought? Seems quite obvious but when you get into the meat of the question it can get quite in-depth)

Reply 4

Will_to_power

Intelligence, method of thinking, which are more important than the answer

Reply 5

Martyn*

Thinking is just one of the faculties that requires us to philosophise. We shouldn't confuse method with goal and purpose. The purpose of philosophy, however, has been for us to arrive at some form of truth, to sort what is true from what is false. Although that is an important component in philosophy, the purpose of philosophy itself (perhaps even the ultimate purpose) is to transfigure us, to heighten life and support the feeling of being alive. This is also a philosophy of metaphysics and of becoming, a lebensphilosophie. The philosophy of being, some think, is the end of metaphysics, but it cannot be grasped conceptually or in a meaningful way: we just existence.

Reply 6

Plainview

to not be satisfied with the easy and appealing answer

Reply 7

eeeeeh

to question everything and take nothing as an accepted truth

Reply 8

~MiserableLogic~

Original post by Elm Tree

May seem like a silly question but I've been searching around on the internet and a lot of different answers have come up.

There are no definite answers to any questions - alas, we must pursue the truth and not fail to question concepts and widely-held beliefs.

Reply 9

denfrantington

Critical thinking.

And the ability to reason issues and concepts.

Reply 10

Melancholy

It helps you to understand the world. When people use the word "good" or "truth", and when they use other features of language, I have a better understanding of what is going on.

Reply 11

Marco1

Original post by Elm Tree

May seem like a silly question but I've been searching around on the internet and a lot of different answers have come up.

It's an important question and I'm glad you raised it. Philosophy teaches us to think openly and teaches us how to scrutinise a topic with some necessary objectivity. It enables us to stand back from it and see it more clearly.

It trains one to think in an effective and organised way, to give due consideration to all sides of an argument before deciding our own view on the matter, with the material at hand.

It is the Mother of all subjects and knows no bounds. It is the honest and fearless search for Truth. It will undoubtedly make you question some of your long established beliefs. It is not the science of persuasion but the earnest search for knowledge.

In a nutshell, it is brings us to the knowledge of our own limitations, i.e. how little we can really know as human beings. It is the highest of all academic subjects yet it makes us humble not arrogant. The wisest among us, philosophy has taught us, are those who know they know little. Socrates no less, exemplified that.

However painful it might be at times, the search for Truth is revered in Philosophy and deemed the worthiest way to live. The courage to examine one's existence, one's relation to the world around us, is an arduous journey but one that grants us the inner joy of becoming better acquainted with who we really are. To those of us with an enquiring mind, a philosophical nature, to study philosophy is to feel fully alive and awake.

(edited 11 years ago)

Reply 12

teenqueen

It helps us to question things around us and get us thinking about life in general. We learn new things, we question, we answer, we debate

Reply 13

Marco1

It is the path to knowledge and self-realization. It leads us eventually to know that what can ever know by logic and academic argument, is useful but limited. From that epistemological platform we may then move on to find that we are fulfilled only by focusing on developing an inner spiritual life.

It is interesting and perhaps not irrelevant that the Oxford University motto acknowledges that all knowledge ultimately comes not from one's own striving alone, but from God.

Dominus Illuminatio Mea - The Lord is my light.

Thus I propose that the fruit of true learning is both wisdom and humility.

(edited 10 years ago)

Reply 14

The_Last_Melon

Clear and precise thought processes.

Reply 15

swan stardust

...

(edited 9 years ago)

Reply 16

Melancholy

Original post by Elm Tree

May seem like a silly question but I've been searching around on the internet and a lot of different answers have come up.

I think philosophy has helped me to achieve some sort of mastery over the world in which I live and, consequently, makes me a calmer, more relaxed, more tolerant, more honest and more self-assured person. When somebody uses phrases like "that's wrong!" and "I know X because of Y", I know what they're doing and meaning. I appreciate the complexity involved in thinking and communicating about how science, values, and the wider world works. I wouldn't study it by itself though.

Reply 17

Aleandcynicism

Philosophy's without a doubt helped me improve my critical thinking skills and to generally be more aware of a lot more things.

It's also incredibly useful. Philosophy can handle topics like meaning, ethics and even the nature of reality where other fields cannot. Philosophy's provided us with so many contributions to logic and even the understanding of reasoning itself, an enterprise shared by mathematics and computer science. And loads of other cool stuff.