every philosopher you study in a philosophy class made a name for him/herself through a critical appraisal of what was being taught around them. It has very little to do with regurgitating other’s information. You can’t think for yourself until you know what is out there to think about. And stupid people will be stupid whether they’re reading Twilight of the Idols or Gray’s Anatomy.
While the etymology of philosophy is the “study of truth,” I think a better definition may be “the study of the human project”. Any survey of philosophy class (ie, not specialized) worth its salt should have you read Darwin and Newton just as you read Plato and Sartre.
Merlin: The etymology of philosophy is “love of wisdom.” Philo Sophy.
I would hardly call Philosophy pointless. It is especially helpful for lawyers, since (good) Philosophy classes are at least partially about establishing solid arguments and being able to defend them.
If there’s any class at college that will actually “make you get smarter,” it’s philosophy. Intelligence is largely a matter of knowing various ways to structure reality in your mind. Natural science classes will teach you one way to structure reality in great detail, social science classes will teach a few in less detail, but if you pursue philosophy you’ll learn dozens. It’s the ability to take diverse approaches to understand things, the ability to creatively apply pre-learned forms to new information, that constitutes genius.
If you have a choice between different types of philosophy classes, take the historical approach: learn about actual philosophers from their own mouths. The philosophy textbook tends to be watered-down gruel that’s lost whatever flavor and substance the philosophers themselves had. The textbook often interprets away the mysteries and paradoxes that originally made the philosophy interesting. This is particularly the case with philosophers who had real stylistic ability, like Plato or Nietzsche, whom no one <i>really</i> figures out.
You don’t get that in a class, Wing, you get that in the real world outside.
And if you go model reality in a dozen ways with philosophy, I can only see it ending with a dozen people each with a shallow theory. And this use for philosophy really has no practical use.
I love learning about reality, and that’s why I’m so keen on physics. I think it’s a better approach to this matter (no pun intended).
I agree, insofar as the “real world” is the interpretive thinking you do outside (or inside) of class. The modes of thought to which you’re introduced in class <i>do</i> serve as bases for future thinking. The question is whether you extend off of models from grade school, like most people, or continue to develop new models throughout college and into adult life.
And if you go model reality in a dozen ways with philosophy, I can only see it ending with a dozen people each with a shallow theory. And this use for philosophy really has no practical use.
A philosophy is like a giant metaphor that tries to explain why things happen as they do (such as Plato’s Cave, or Nietzsche’s Apollonian vs. Dionysian). The more diverse metaphors you possess, the better. A philosopher becomes great because his “metaphor” is unusually insightful.
I love learning about reality, and that’s why I’m so keen on physics. I think it’s a better approach to this matter (no pun intended).
Physics is a philosophy in its way, just rather superficial (in the sense that it deals entirely with appearances). It can predict outward events, but it has nothing to say to people who are trying to understand the world from an inward, emotional perspective. Physics can’t teach you to live your life better, which is what I value most in philosophy.
But you’re hardly taught these things. They might very well tell you that the purpose is to learn to have a criticial mind on things that you’re told and taught, but there’s quite a difference from what you’re told and what you’re really taught and what is really encouraged and that is to absorb information and regurgitate it at the best and first evaluation. You’re not supposed to voice your own opinion and comment on it: you’re supposed to put the thoughts of other thinkers up against the thoughts of another thinker, not your thoughts and your opinion.
One thing I’ll grant you though. Philosophy does give you something to argue about.