From chaos to clarity, why we need philosophy
So why do we need philosophy? Well, have you ever gotten home and just thought, 'What am I doing with my life?' My life sucks; I have to do this, go here, pay this bill. I'm not happy; I hate my life or I'm angry at my partner who never does the dishes or helps with the kids. If you have felt this way, so have a billion other people, not to mention all the people throughout history. For me, I wanted to control my thoughts and feelings; I wanted to have autonomy over my brain and all its monkey mind tendencies, like desire, envy, lust, and ego. Well, philosophy can help you with all that and more.
The essence of philosophy
But first, what is philosophy anyway? Well, the dictionary says it's the study of knowledge, reality, and existence. Something the dictionary doesn't touch on is that philosophy helps guide you in understanding yourself, finding morals, a way to approach life, how to live, think, and understand the world, ourselves, and everything in it. It's kind of like religion but without the dogma, temples, and punishments.
Charting your philosophical course
So where does one start? YouTube has an amazing number of video essays on different philosophies. There are podcasts, blogs. But the best way to absorb it is from the philosophers themselves, through the books they have written. Yep, there are a plethora of ways to learn about philosophy. Now comes the fun part: Learning about all the different philosophies, paths, teachings, and finding one that resonates with you. Here's a simple guide to just a few philosophies and their core teachings.
Western:
Plato's Idealism: Plato's belief in a world of eternal, unchanging Forms as the true reality, with the physical world being a mere reflection.
Epicureanism: Epicurus' philosophy promoting pleasure as the highest good and advocating for a simple, moderate life to achieve happiness.
Stoicism: A Hellenistic philosophy, particularly associated with Zeno of Citium, focusing on virtue, reason, and accepting events beyond one's control with equanimity.
Enlightenment Philosophy: An intellectual movement of the 18th century promoting reason, science, and individual rights, with key figures including Voltaire, Montesquieu, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau.
Existentialism: A 20th-century movement focusing on individual existence, freedom, and responsibility, with figures like Jean-Paul Sartre and Albert Camus.
Pragmatism: A philosophical approach emphasizing practical consequences and experience, with key figures including Charles Sanders Peirce, William James, and John Dewey.
Eastern:
Confucianism: A Chinese ethical and social philosophy attributed to Confucius, emphasizing moral virtues, social harmony, and filial piety.
Taoism (Daoism): A Chinese philosophy attributed to Laozi, advocating living in harmony with the Tao (the Way), embracing simplicity, and spontaneous action.
Buddhism: Founded by Siddhartha Gautama, it emphasizes the Four Noble Truths, the Eightfold Path, and the pursuit of Nirvana to overcome suffering and achieve enlightenment.
Zen Buddhism: A school of Mahayana Buddhism known for its emphasis on meditation (zazen), direct experience, and the use of paradoxical language to provoke insight.
Hinduism: A diverse set of religious, cultural, and philosophical traditions in India, emphasizing concepts like dharma, karma, and moksha.
Jainism: Founded by Mahavira, it emphasizes non-violence (ahimsa), truth, and ascetic practices as means of spiritual liberation.
Creating your melody of enlightenment
This is only scratching the surface of all the philosophies out there. Myself, I'm definitely into Existentialism, Essentialism, Buddhism, Taoism with a sprinkle of Stoicism. This is the wonderful thing about philosophy; you can pick and choose and combine as many as you want together to help you understand yourself, others, and to guide your thoughts and emotions in the world. For example, if I'm annoyed at someone I love for not cleaning up after themselves, or forgetting an event or saying something that hurt me, I just think about Lao Tzu, the Taoism philosopher.
Do you have the patience to wait? Till your mud settles and the water is clear? - Lao Tzu
In other words, do you have the patience to not react with emotion and wait for your anger to settle before reacting? To have autonomy and control over your emotions, your actions, and yourself. This is true power, removing the animal instincts and the ego. Taking a step back and viewing it from a different angle or waiting to reflect on why you are annoyed before instantly reacting to how you feel in the moment. All are positive and stop you from regretting your instinctual actions formed from emotions. And this is just one quote from one type of philosophy.
Bridging past and present in human experience
Civilization has been around for so long; I dare not count the years. And people haven't changed much in that time. Our thoughts, emotions, and insecurities are timeless. People have experienced the joy of love, smelling a fresh flower, eating a ripe orange, feeling lost. All those people before us, some have written it down and contemplated a way to reflect, understand, and live civilized lives with one another. And those timeless writings can guide us today. This is why we need philosophy in our lives, and this wonderful guide is all around us, in videos, podcasts, lectures, and wonderfully rich timeless books.
