Most people I’ve gotten to know, and I believe most people in the United States, are either apathetic or contemptuous towards philosophy. A lot of people seem to find it pointless or boring. So, what is the point? Obviously, I can’t answer this question for every topic in philosophy; however, I’ll give it a try with respect to the discipline as a whole.
Before we proceed, we must know what philosophy is. American philosopher Alvin Plantinga has defined it most simply and accurately to my knowledge: philosophy is “thinking hard” about something. We might throw in “about the so-called ‘big questions'” at the end for good measure, but Plantinga’s answer is sufficient. One might object that this definition is too broad, as it encompasses every other field of study. This is a feature and not a bug of the definition, since philosophy technically does include all other fields. Science, for example, is more or less “thinking hard” about the natural world, with the help of certain rules and restrictions. In its earlier stages, science used to be called “natural philosophy”.
Still, it’s useful to identify that part of philosophy which is distinct and separate from other fields, what one might call philosophy proper. Here are its three most important characteristics:
- Philosophy (properly so-called) attempts to answer the “big questions”. Traditionally, philosophy is divided into four subdisciplines: logic (the study of reasoning), epistemology (the study of knowledge), metaphysics (the study of fundamental reality), and value theory (the study of value, moral and aesthetic).
- Philosophy is the only discipline with an unrestricted universe of discourse. It can even include other disciplines.
- Philosophy is the only discipline that can question its own assumptions.
Philosophy proper, hereafter “philosophy”, is what so many people find pointless or boring and what the rest of this article is about.
Now that I’ve explained what philosophy is, what’s the point of it? Why should we engage in it? First of all, it makes you think better, which helps you accept truth and eschew falsehood. Philosophy gives you conceptual and linguistic clarity and improves your thinking skills. This carries over into every other intellectual endeavor in life from science to engineering to theology to literature to conversations with your friends. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen people try to think through a difficult issue and muddle together things which should be separated, or solemnly propose a view with laughable implications, or fall into the same traps people have fallen into for centuries, or–worst of all–give up thinking about the issue at all, even declaring it impossible for anyone else to profitably think about either! Becoming a good philosopher can save you from these errors.
Second, unless you’re an exceedingly incurious, shallow person, philosophy is something you engage in already, whether you realize it or not. The question is not, will you be a philosopher? The only question is, will you be a good philosopher or a poor one? If you’ve ever thought about what the world is like, what you are, why you’re here, whether there’s a God, or what he’s like, if he exists, then you’re a philosopher–congratulations Plato.
Third, philosophy will change your life. Philosophy is the perfect tool with which to craft a well-grounded worldview, and your worldview influences how you live. If you think someone who believes he’s an automaton with no free will, no moral agency, no meaning, no value, no purpose, and who is doomed to anihilation upon death will live the same as an Orthodox Jew, you’re gravely mistaken.
Fourth, philosophy is interesting. All truth is God’s truth, and it’s fun to discover the truths he’s brought about. Because philosophy is so interesting, studying it will make you a more interesting person.
I’ve heard three common criticisms of philosophy. The first boils down to there being a lack of agreement among philosophers. In science and mathematics, for example, one finds consensus on a wide variety of topics. In philosophy, by contrast, there is widespread agreement on almost nothing, and nearly every view imaginable, it seems–including ones that are bizarre or absurd to the regular person–is vigorously and expertly defended. This poses a big problem of not knowing who and what to read for those trying to get into the discipline on their own. Granted. That problem aside, however, while it would be nice for more people to agree, it’s not required for you to come to believe or know things, or to become a good philosopher.
The second criticism is that philsophy isn’t practical. I think people base this criticism on their being unable see specifically how to apply this or that philosophical insight in their life. For example, say you’ve become convinced through philosophical inquiry that properties don’t exist. What does this information do for you? Wanting to know specifically how each philosophical discovery impacts one’s life is understandable but mistaken. Some philosophical discoveries are more like tools that improve your thinking ability itself and can find uses later on, often in ways you can’t predict–because the world is complicated, the most complicated thing there is, in fact. Other insights are more like small parts of an enormous puzzle representing your overall picture of reality. Who knows what they will lead to? As someone who’s been interested in philosophy for more than a decade now, I can tell you that many discoveries which initially seem pointless later end up having amazing applications in the most unexpected ways. For example, the view that properties don’t exist turns out to have major implications for God’s greatness!
The third criticism is that philosophy is boring. To some extent, this is a matter of personal preference; and who am I to tell people what to like? However, I also submit that some questions are so fundamental there comes a point where lack of interest turns into personal defect.
In conclusion, I think it’s valid to criticize philosophy for being hard to enter on one’s own both from a practical standpoint, given the volume and diversity of reading material, and from a motivational standpoint, given the hard-to-enumerate benefits, up front, at any rate. Philosophy is hard. It’s an adventure. However, if you study it with discipline, it will be worth your while.
