Understanding Philosophy: A Journey of Inquiry
Many people do not understand philosophy or see its value. This may be because philosophy is not emphasized today, or perhaps because I do not yet fully grasp its true meaning. Even I am unsure of what it is and its usefulness.
If we use the standard definition of philosophy, we would say that philosophy is “the love of wisdom.” But what is wisdom? What is love? Again, we would enter into more questions than answers.
Applying philosophy requires an entity, a practitioner, usually called a philosopher. What does it mean to be a philosopher? Can we call someone who is happy to learn, never weary, and aware of what is useful a philosopher (Republic 475C)? Or are philosophers those who love the spectacle of truth (Republic 475)?
In trying to understand philosophy, we cannot ignore Plato, perhaps the most important philosopher in Greek history and, arguably, the world. He was the engine that drove Greece to extend philosophy, politics, and democracy, among other things, to the world. Plato, a disciple of Socrates, through his dialogues, brought us closer to philosophy and the legacy he left Greece.
In Plato’s dialogues, we see that philosophy deals with complex issues and common themes, such as our feelings or our minds, or, if you prefer, both spiritual and rational aspects. For example: love, mercy, justice, education, or values, etc. There are many issues that philosophy seeks to clarify, yet the search itself prevents any definitive conclusion.
Plato, in his dialogues, searches for certain answers, but after much analysis, he does not reach anything concrete regarding the topics covered. Perhaps, through these incomplete responses, Plato, knowing in advance that there can be no definitive answer, wants to show us that philosophy is not about what is spoken, or that philosophy tries to surprise us to deflect the issue with unqualified statements. That is why Plato, in his dialogues, starts talking about one subject and concludes with another, e.g., the Symposium, which begins with the mythic and concludes with the search for love. If so, it’s best to think like children, to rave about everything and every one of the things we can think.
Then, is the real sense we can give to philosophy simply to think and meditate? Could it be that the subjects of which philosophy is concerned are very large, and therefore cannot be answered? Maybe philosophy is complicated and difficult. Or is it simply that we are ignorant and know nothing, and so we can never truly know what philosophy is? And if so, would it not be better to implement the method of discarding everything that we know, to start with solid fundamentals and not get carried away with what we know and what they really know?
In conclusion, if we want to be closer to philosophy, we must be in constant amazement, thinking outside the usual, and asking questions that are unusual but simple.
Perhaps philosophy is the teaching of the soul (Laches 185D), or maybe it is not necessary to define it or seek it. Instead, it is better to give an explanation of our own being, to look to ourselves (Laches 187 e – Laches 188) because we cannot know anything if we do not know ourselves. As Socrates said, if we know something whose presence makes better what they show, and we are also able to make your presentation, it is clear that we know such a thing, and that we can get close to it as advisors mode of acquiring it easier and better. (Laches 189 e)
But what we know is that a good hunter must take the pursuit and not let go (philosopher hunter – the truth is pursued (Laches 194b))