One of the texts of Bertrand Russell for PAEU Activities: For BC2: Study on "The Revolt of the Masses," Ortega Bibliography, Study What is philosophy?
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The value of philosophy
Having reached the end of our brief summary of the Problems of Philosophy,
good will consider, in conclusion, what is the value of philosophy and why it should be
studied. It is therefore necessary to consider this issue, given the fact that
many under the influence of science or business studies, are inclined to
doubt that philosophy is something more than an innocent occupation, but frivolous and useless,
with distinctions that are subtle and clean break from disputes Matter that
knowledge is impossible.
This view of philosophy appears to result, in part, of a false
conception of the end of life, and partly on a false conception of the species
goods which philosophy strives to achieve. The physical sciences through its
inventions are useful to many people who totally ignore: so the
study physical sciences is not only or mainly recommended for its effect
on the study, but rather by its effect on men in general.
This utility does not belong to philosophy. If the study of philosophy has any value
for those who are not dedicated to it, is only an indirect effect through its effect on
the lives of those who study it. Consequently, these effects should be sought
primarily value of philosophy, if indeed it does.
But above all, lest we fail in our efforts, we must release
our minds from the prejudices of what is mistakenly called "man
practical '. Man 'practical' in the current use of the word, is the only
recognizes material needs, who realizes that the man needs food
the body, but forget need to ensure food spirit. If all
men live well, if poverty and disease had been reduced to
minimum, there would still be much to do to produce a society
estimable, and even in today's world the goods of the spirit are at least as
important as the body. The value of philosophy must be exclusively
the assets of the spirit, and only those who are not indifferent to these goods can
reach the conviction that studying philosophy is not wasting time.
Philosophy, like all other studies, aims primarily to
knowledge. The knowledge that sucks is that kind of knowledge that we
gives the unit and the body's system of science, and that is the critical review
the basis of our convictions prejudices and beliefs. But you can not
hold
that philosophy has won a really big success in its attempt to
provide a concrete answer to these questions. If you ask a
mathematician, a mineralogist, a historian, or any other scientist,
truths which set of concrete has been established by his science, his answer
last as long as we are willing to listen. But if we do the same
ask a philosopher, and this is sincere have to confess that his study has not
reached positive results comparable to those of other sciences. Truth is that
this is explained partly by the fact that, from the moment you do
possible a precise knowledge of any matter, this stuff stops be
called philosophy and becomes a separate science. All sky survey,
that now belongs to astronomy, was once included in philosophy; the great
Newton's work called Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy.
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Similarly, the study of the human spirit, which was recently still, a
part of philosophy, has spread and now it has become the
psychological science. Thus, the uncertainty of philosophy is, to a large extent, more
apparent than real, the problems that are susceptible to a precise answer is
been placed in the sciences, while only those who do not currently agree
are forming the residue we call philosophy.
However, this is only part of the truth in regard to
uncertainty of philosophy. There are many problems, and among those with a
deeper interest to our spiritual life, which, within the limits of what
podemos ver, permanecerán necesariamente insolubles para el intelecto humano,
salvo si su poder llega a ser de un orden totalmente diferente de lo que es hoy. ¿Tiene
el Universo una unidad de plan o designio, o es una fortuita conjunción de átomos?
¿Es la conciencia una parte del Universo que da la esperanza de un crecimiento
indefinido de la sabiduría, o es un accidente transitorio en un pequeño planeta en el
cual la vida acabará to be impossible? "Good and evil are of some importance
the Universe, or only for men? The philosophy raises this
gender, and the various philosophers answer them in different ways. But it seems
that whether or not unable to find an answer on the other hand, that proposed by the
philosophy can not be proven as true. However, very weak
that is the hope of finding an answer is part of the task of philosophy
continue consideration of these problems, making us aware of their
importance, considering everything that approaches them, and keeping alive this
speculative interest in the universe that we might very likely to kill if we limited ourselves
knowledge of what can be established by a definitive knowledge.
is true that many philosophers have claimed that philosophy could
establish the truth of certain answers to these problems
fundamental. Have assumed that the most important of religious beliefs could
be proven true by a strict demonstration. To judge
these attempts is necessary to make an examination of human knowledge and training
opinions about its methods and limitations. It would be unwise to rule
dogmatically on these materials, but if the investigations of our
previous chapters we have not been lost, we are forced to give up
hope of finding a philosophical proof of religious beliefs. Therefore, no
can claim as proof of the value of philosophy is a series of responses to
these issues. Again, the value of philosophy can not rely on a
supposed body safe and accurate knowledge they can acquire the que
la estudian.
De hecho, el valor de la filosofía debe ser buscado en una, larga medida en
su real incertidumbre. El hombre que no tiene ningún barniz de filosofía, va por la vida
prisionero de los prejuicios que derivan del sentido común, de las creencias habituales
en su tiempo y en su país, y de las que se han desarrollado en su espíritu sin la
cooperación ni el consentimiento deliberate reason. For this man the world
tends to be precise, definite, obvious, common objects not raise
problems, and unfamiliar possibilities are contemptuously rejected.
From the moment we begin to philosophize, we find, however, as
we saw in our opening chapters, that even the most ordinary objects
lead to problems which we can only very incomplete answers.
Philosophy, though unable to say with certainty what the real answer to
the doubts it raises, is able to suggest various options that extend
our thoughts and free us from the tyranny of custom. Thus, the decrease
our feeling of certainty about what things are highly increases
our knowledge of what may be, rejects the somewhat arrogant dogmatism of
who have not ever introduced in the region of liberating doubt, and keep lively
our sense of wonder, presenting familiar objects in a matter not
family.
Besides this utility show unsuspected possibilities, philosophy
has a value, perhaps its greatest value, for the greatness of the objects
contemplates and the release of petty and personal interests arising from
that contemplation. Instinctive life of man is enclosed in the circle
of his private interests: family and friends can be included in it, but the rest
the world into account, whereas except as may help or hinder the
which is part of the circle of instinctive wishes. This life is somewhat hectic and
limited. Compared with it, the philosopher's life is serene and free. The world
private, instinctive interest is small in the middle of a big world and
powerful that must sooner or later ruin our peculiar world. Unless
thereby widen our interests to include in them the world
whole, remain as a garrison in a beleaguered fortress, knowing that
enemy escape and that prevents us from the final surrender is inevitable. This kind of life
knows no peace, but a constant war between the insistence of desire and
importance of love. If our life is to be great and free, we must escape,
one way or another, in this prison and this war.
One way to escape it is the philosophical contemplation. Contemplation
philosophical, their prospects are very broad, not divide the universe into two
hostile camps: friends and foes, helpful and bad, right and bad;
includes the whole of an impartial manner. Philosophical contemplation, when pure,
not trying to prove that the rest of the universe is akin to man. Any acquisition of
knowledge is an extension of me, but this extension is achieved when no
directly intended. Is acquired when the desire to know acting alone,
from a study which did not previously want to have such objects or
that character, but that suits me the characters found in the objects. This
I expansion is obtained when, starting from the ego as it is, try to
show that the world is so similar to this myself, that their knowledge is possible without
need to admit anything that appears to be of alien. The desire to test this is a
form of self-assertion, and like all forms of selfishness, is an obstacle to
growth
of self that is desired and for which you know the self that is capable of. Selfishness in
philosophical speculation as elsewhere, sees the world as a means
for their own purposes, so, unless the world takes care of me, and I sets limits
to the greatness of their own property. In contemplation, on the contrary, we start from no
me, and through its greatness are widened the boundaries of the self, for the infinite
universe, the spirit que lo contempla participa un poco del infinito.
Por esta razón, la grandeza del alma no es favorecida por esos filósofos que
asimilan el Universo al hombre. El conocimiento es una forma de la unión del yo con
el no yo; como a toda unión, el espíritu de dominación la altera y, por consiguiente,
toda tentativa de forzar el Universo a conformarse con lo que hallamos en nosotros
mismos. Es una tendencia filosófica muy extendida la que considera man as
the measure of all things, truth made for man, space and time,
properties and universal as the spirit, and that if there something that has not been
created by the spirit, is unknowable and that counts for us. This
view, if correct our earlier discussions, it is false, but besides being
false, has the effect of depriving the philosophical contemplation of all that gives value
chains since contemplation of self. What it calls knowledge is not
a union with the self, but a series of prejudices, habits and desires that weave a veil
impenetrable between us and the outside world. The man who finds pleasure in
growth cone theory is like that leaves the domestic circle by
fear that his word is not law.
The true philosophic contemplation, for On the contrary, finds its satisfaction
in any expansion of non-self, all that magnifies the object referred to, and
the subject that it covers. In contemplation, all personal or private, all
which depends on the habit of self-interest or disturb the object of desire, and,
therefore seeking union intellect. By building a barrier between the subject
and object, these personal and private things become a prison for
intellect. The free spirit will, as God might see, not here and now, without
hope or fear-out of networks of common beliefs and prejudices
traditional -serena , dispassionately, and with no other desire than the
knowledge, knowledge about impersonal, as purely contemplative as
will be met for the man. For this reason also the free intellect
appreciate more abstract and universal knowledge, which do not enter the
particular accidents of history that the knowledge gained from the senses, and
dependent, as Forced on this knowledge, the unique perspective
and staff, and a body whose sense-organs distort rather than reveal.
The spirit used to the freedom and impartiality of contemplation
philosophical save some of this freedom and fairness, in the world of
action and emotion. Considered. their projects and desires as part of
a whole, with no insistence that it is to see that they are fragments
infinitesimal in a world which remains indifferent to the actions of
men. Fairness in contemplation is the pure desire for truth, is
the same quality of mind that the action is called justice, and the emotion
is this universal love that can be given to everyone, not just those who judge
useful or admirable. Thus contemplation not only large objects of our
thought, but also the objects of our actions and affections
us
citizens of the universe, not just a walled city in war with everything
others. In this citizenship of the universe is true freedom of man, and
release of servitude of the hopes and fears limited.
To summarize our discussion of the value of philosophy: philosophy must be
studied, not concrete answers to the problems, since
usually no precise answer can be known as true, but
rather by the value of the problems themselves, because these problems extends
our conception possible, enrich our intellectual imagination and
decrease dogmatic certainty that closes the mind to the investigation, but before
all because of the greatness of the universe which philosophy contemplates , the spirit
turn makes large, and becomes capable of union with the universe which is
your highest good.
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