Philosophy is a complex term that most people are familiar with; however, many of us might not truly know exactly what philosophy fundamentally concerns. What many of us understand as ‘our own philosophies,’ is quite different than what philosophy actually represents.
Philosophy can be simply understood as the “pursuit of wisdom’ (Merriam-Webster 930). That pursuit most importantly consists of seeking “answers independently, following reason rather than religious authority and it tries to fit its answers into a rationally systematic whole” (Molloy 19). Philosophers aim to avoid being fooled by their own traditions and emotions as they examine human existence. They aspire to understand ethics and reality while addressing matters such as the “the existence of God, the nature of the mind, human freedom, the limits of knowledge, and the truth about ethics” (Rachels x).
Early philosophers, such as Socrates provided lectures about the impact of persuasion, which was aimed to make us uncertain of the ‘truth’ that we have been persuaded to trust or in other words, taught to believe. For instance, Socrates criticized democracy because he felt that it appoints only those who have the ability to influence large audiences with “empty rhetoric” (Rachels 2) instead of selecting the most honest and qualified individuals. Therefore, philosophy clearly addresses many of the issues which concern human existence through reasoning rather than by observing.
Experience, personal beliefs, and cultural conditioning are some of the main elements that have led many people into constructing or adopting their own personal philosophies, which signifies something much different than ‘true’ philosophy because they are based on personal matters, and not so much on scrutiny. Personal philosophies are more like mottos—short rules to live by which tend to be founded on preconceptions, or inspired by personal beliefs and observations. For instance, most people in the United States are familiar with or have recited the motto: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” It’s not a bad rule of thumb to live by; however, this motto (personal philosophy) is religiously inspired because it can be found in the Bible. Not only that, but because it is in the Bible it might also be politically inspired in order to effectively persuade citizens to uphold the law and to maintain order. If ‘true’ philosophy is the pursuit of wisdom, than ‘personal’ philosophies are just simple moral guidelines that are general assumptions based on situations in life that have affected us.
Although many personal philosophies make sense and sometimes inspire people to address problems or to do certain things, they are not carefully examined and they fail to be reliable in many situations. For instance, when we treat people the way we hope to be treated, does that ensure that we will be treated with generosity and respect in return? Should a person that is getting treated badly continue to put up with it and to show generosity and respect just because they hope that someday they will get respected in return, which will probably never happen? When a person expresses the motto “No pain, no gain,” did that person ever care to explore whether that was justified or not? As an example, if we are exercising and happen to injure ourselves, are we truly gaining something positive from the pain?
Clearly, personal philosophies are careless because they are heavily based on generalizations, which cannot manage to be effective guidelines as a general rule for everyone and all situations. Many of these types of philosophies have never truly been explored by the people who value them as true wisdom. Also, many personal philosophies are unreliable because they have been taught to us; therefore, we have failed to examine the reasoning of them, especially without allowing our spiritual, political, and cultural practices inspire our understanding. If two people were to look at a certain object through the same exact lens, they would end up making different observations because they would notice dissimilar aspects of the object. For instance, when two people are the parents of the same child, each parent would have distinct perceptions of the child because they interact differently with them. Perhaps a mother would see her son as a sensitive caregiver because he is emotionally touchy around her, yet also likes to help her around the house. Suppose the father believes his son to be a robust intimidator because they often play sports together. This is a perfect example of why it is essential to understand the faults in our personally philosophy, because so many different personal aspects inspire our mottos, which completely violates the fundamentals of actual philosophy.
The true meaning of philosophy is the “search for a general understanding of values and reality by chiefly speculative rather than observational means” (Merriam-Webster 930). Also, “philosophy tries to avoid emotions… and is carried on without ritual” (Molloy 19). However, personal philosophies are quite different because they are based on such things as personal opinions, observations, or spiritual, political, and cultural values and experiences.
Works Cited
Molloy, Michael. Experiencing the World’s Religions: Tradition, Challenge, and Change. 5th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2010. Print.
“Philosophy.” Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary. 11th ed. 2007. Print.
Rachels, James, and Stuart Rachels. Problems from Philosophy. 3rd ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2012. Print.
Philosophy can be simply understood as the “pursuit of wisdom’ (Merriam-Webster 930). That pursuit most importantly consists of seeking “answers independently, following reason rather than religious authority and it tries to fit its answers into a rationally systematic whole” (Molloy 19). Philosophers aim to avoid being fooled by their own traditions and emotions as they examine human existence. They aspire to understand ethics and reality while addressing matters such as the “the existence of God, the nature of the mind, human freedom, the limits of knowledge, and the truth about ethics” (Rachels x).
Early philosophers, such as Socrates provided lectures about the impact of persuasion, which was aimed to make us uncertain of the ‘truth’ that we have been persuaded to trust or in other words, taught to believe. For instance, Socrates criticized democracy because he felt that it appoints only those who have the ability to influence large audiences with “empty rhetoric” (Rachels 2) instead of selecting the most honest and qualified individuals. Therefore, philosophy clearly addresses many of the issues which concern human existence through reasoning rather than by observing.
Experience, personal beliefs, and cultural conditioning are some of the main elements that have led many people into constructing or adopting their own personal philosophies, which signifies something much different than ‘true’ philosophy because they are based on personal matters, and not so much on scrutiny. Personal philosophies are more like mottos—short rules to live by which tend to be founded on preconceptions, or inspired by personal beliefs and observations. For instance, most people in the United States are familiar with or have recited the motto: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” It’s not a bad rule of thumb to live by; however, this motto (personal philosophy) is religiously inspired because it can be found in the Bible. Not only that, but because it is in the Bible it might also be politically inspired in order to effectively persuade citizens to uphold the law and to maintain order. If ‘true’ philosophy is the pursuit of wisdom, than ‘personal’ philosophies are just simple moral guidelines that are general assumptions based on situations in life that have affected us.
Although many personal philosophies make sense and sometimes inspire people to address problems or to do certain things, they are not carefully examined and they fail to be reliable in many situations. For instance, when we treat people the way we hope to be treated, does that ensure that we will be treated with generosity and respect in return? Should a person that is getting treated badly continue to put up with it and to show generosity and respect just because they hope that someday they will get respected in return, which will probably never happen? When a person expresses the motto “No pain, no gain,” did that person ever care to explore whether that was justified or not? As an example, if we are exercising and happen to injure ourselves, are we truly gaining something positive from the pain?
Clearly, personal philosophies are careless because they are heavily based on generalizations, which cannot manage to be effective guidelines as a general rule for everyone and all situations. Many of these types of philosophies have never truly been explored by the people who value them as true wisdom. Also, many personal philosophies are unreliable because they have been taught to us; therefore, we have failed to examine the reasoning of them, especially without allowing our spiritual, political, and cultural practices inspire our understanding. If two people were to look at a certain object through the same exact lens, they would end up making different observations because they would notice dissimilar aspects of the object. For instance, when two people are the parents of the same child, each parent would have distinct perceptions of the child because they interact differently with them. Perhaps a mother would see her son as a sensitive caregiver because he is emotionally touchy around her, yet also likes to help her around the house. Suppose the father believes his son to be a robust intimidator because they often play sports together. This is a perfect example of why it is essential to understand the faults in our personally philosophy, because so many different personal aspects inspire our mottos, which completely violates the fundamentals of actual philosophy.
The true meaning of philosophy is the “search for a general understanding of values and reality by chiefly speculative rather than observational means” (Merriam-Webster 930). Also, “philosophy tries to avoid emotions… and is carried on without ritual” (Molloy 19). However, personal philosophies are quite different because they are based on such things as personal opinions, observations, or spiritual, political, and cultural values and experiences.
Works Cited
Molloy, Michael. Experiencing the World’s Religions: Tradition, Challenge, and Change. 5th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2010. Print.
“Philosophy.” Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary. 11th ed. 2007. Print.
Rachels, James, and Stuart Rachels. Problems from Philosophy. 3rd ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2012. Print.