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I have to admit, my first attempt at trying to understand philosophy was a disaster. I’ve always been a critical thinking person, keen to understand where popular perceptions originate from. Just because some views are popular and promoted by respected individuals throughout history doesn’t necessarily mean that they are right. So eventually you find yourself looking at philosophy.
A while back a friend of mine asked me to help her to prepare for an exam that looked at different statements made by Immanuel Kant and asked the student to explain the meanings and opinions each entailed. I read the first one, scratched my head and tried the next one only to shake my head and starting to question the quality of my education. I simply didn’t grasp what this man was on about.
Now you can choose to give up and feel intimidated by it all or you look for alternative ways to approach the subject. Guess what, I chose the second option and here are my suggestions:
1. Nowadays, there is plenty of good and relatively easy to understand literature on philosophy around that can ignite your interest and make you want to explore the subject further. I can recommend: Sophie’s World by Jostein Gaardner and various books by Alain de Botton, e.g. Status Anxiety.
2. Next try to find readings that relate to your own experiences and interests. This will make the entry into more specific areas of philosophy more appealing.
3. Be aware that some philosophers, although great thinkers, were poor writers. So if you don’t always get what they write you can be sure you are not alone with this problem. Find others to discuss the particular statement with and find out what their thoughts are.
4. Don’t shy away from disagreeing with a philosopher. I tell you, if Aristotle was still around I sure would like to give him a good kicking for his opinions of women.
5. Never ever allow yourself to be intimidated by popular opinions or authoritative figures. Rather, try to come up with your own values/opinions and evaluate them with an open mind. Constructive criticism can offer an opportunity to refine your arguments and point of view.
6. Although forming well considered opinions and values can be exhausting and time consuming, defining various subjects that are important to you will be rewarding and give you a feeling of satisfaction. Enjoy it and remember that your values are important and are a part of who you are.
7. Continue to build up on your philosophical knowledge base. Write your own blog (let me know), sketch cartoons (send me a copy) or sign up for a class.
8. Should you come across someone that tries to belittle you or make you feel inferior remember that even the most impressive thinker started small and studied his/her way up to a satisfactory explanation on various subjects. It’s not the professional title that makes someone an “expert” or a particularly knowledgeable person.
9. There will always be people that don’t agree with you and that is perfectly alright. Don’t forget to be tolerant and respectful when entering into a discussion. There is always the option to agree to disagree.
10. Remember: NOBODY knows everything.
Read also:
CRITICAL THINKING – THE SOCRATIC METHOD
HOW TO SUCCESSFULLY LISTEN TO CRITICISM
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Technorati Tags: philosophy of life, philosophy, critical thinking
April 8, 2008 at 6:10 am
Excellent! I love your approach to philosophy. I agree there is so much ‘high brow’ involved and yet philosophical awareness is a basic requirement to get along succesfully in life. I’m presently researching for a doctrorate and it is preceisley this lack of philosophical capability that underpins so much ‘managerial’ nonsense pumped out of business schools. Bookmarking your blog now!