Thoughts on Philosophy

This was the first weekly reflection for my Philosophy class. We were responding to some of the dialogs of Socrates.

Reading: Plato, Euthyphro, Apology, Crito

When I think of philosophy, I think of asking questions, probing for information, searching for truth. I think of philosophy as the search for and interrogation of knowledge. There doesn’t have to be a particular reason to search; the act of searching has value in and of itself.

The dialogues we read this week fit my concept of philosophy in a lot of ways. Socrates was committed to testing and probing knowledge, to digging beneath the appearance of wisdom to the substance (or lack of) underneath. Socrates was also committed to living (and dying) according to what he considered righteous and just.

In many ways, this examination of knowledge, this search for substance and meaning, really appeals to me. I like the idea of philosophy. Even though (as we discussed in class) anyone can engage in this kind of thought, I’m also glad that there are actual philosophers, people that think about the big questions for a living. I think it’s good to have people, like Socrates, that encourage us to examine our assumptions and ideas, that push us to really examine our lives.

Having said that I enjoy and value the quest for knowledge, I also have to admit that I’m comfortable with the fact that the Truth (with the capital T) is unknowable, and that it’s almost impossible to really Prove anything (capital P). No matter how much we interrogate subjects, there’s almost always a point where we simply have to accept or reject an idea, based on whatever evidence we have.

For example, I believe that it’s a good idea for me not to kill or hurt people to benefit myself. I believe that people deserve a certain base level of human rights. I believe that education is valuable. I believe that it’s better to try and do good in the world than to do bad. I can offer reasons for these values, and I can explore them, take them apart, find exceptions and inconsistencies (certainly people have been hurt producing things that I benefit from, even if I never meant them to; what do good and bad mean?, What are rights?). It’s worthwhile for me to examine these values, to think aboutthem , to explore their ramifications, what they mean for my work, my relationships, my lifestyle, my purchases, etc. But I know that I could never Prove that these values are right. All I can say is that, after considering them carefully, based on my experiences and evidence, they seem right to me.

In fact, I would go beyond that; not only do I think these are values I should live by, I also think that they are values that society, in general, should adhere to. So I support laws that I think uphold those values, I vote for politicians who claim to share the same values. I support organizations that promote those values. In the workplace I try to create a culture that is consistent with those values. I encourage others in my life to adhere to those values.

I do all of this, and I can’t Prove that that those values are True. All I can say is that, after careful thought and consideration, weighing the evidence I have, they’re values I support.

I have no doubt that Socrates could shoot holes through my values, could easily point out contradictions, inconsistencies and imperfections with my values and how I act on them; I struggle with concerns about them myself! Hopefully I would listen carefully to Socrates and learn from the conversation; hopefully I will always look for ways to be more thoughtful and better informed, to reflect on my beliefs and what they mean. In fact my values have changed and developed as I’ve gone through life. But ultimately, on a day-to-day, year-to-year basis I have to decide what values I want to live by, even if I can never completely Prove them to be True. At a certain point we have to act on the knowledge and feelings we have, knowing that they are neither perfect nor sacrosanct, but they are the best we have in the moment.