January 12, 2015

When Does Philosophy Begin?

Philosophy begins when one learns to doubt - particularly to doubt one's cherished beliefs, one's dogmas and one's axioms.
--- Will Durant (The Story of Philosophy)

7 comments:

  1. I agree.
    That's why I collide so much with people. I like to think for myself and I doubt what others want to force feed on me. By the same token, I "believe"that others can feel differently and think differently. Open mindedness. It is hard to find these days.

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    1. Me too. It's impossible for an honest mind not to collide with majority because they live lies.

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  2. I agree with Will Durant’s quote. To doubt or question cherished beliefs is healthy and necessary, and that’s when philosophy begins.

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  3. That's one way to look at philosophy. yunyi. The way of Socrates. Another is as a search for the good life, peace, tranquility, happiness. The way of Epicurus and the Stoics.

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    1. You are right, Marty.
      I think Epicurus believed in happiness but not Stoics. And I suppose that Durant means Socrates kind of philosophy, the kind that questions life other than just enjoy life (I forgot exact context but I seem to remember he said this when he was writing about Socrates).

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    2. And there is an importance in the attitude of doubt: if no one does that, we would be doomed to repeat our mistakes, thus there's no chance for happiness. I think China is a perfect example.

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