"Philosophical thinking strives to go beyond the common place to see what is not readily apparent, to think seriously about what most people unquestioningly accept, to conceive of possibilities and alternatives to what is thought obvious." (Barry, 4) Philosophical thinking, as Barry suggests, goes beyond just serious, deep, intense, or contemplative thought. (Barry, 1) Philosophy, as defined, is a “love for wisdom,” and yields wonder and pondering on the deep questions of life.
But why is philosophical thinking so often ignored? As Barry defines philosophical thinking, it is seeking understanding of what most just accept without question. In our busy lifestyles, we often accept “what is” just for being “what is.” We do not often further investigate and seek the whole truth, and like Ivan Ilyich, we just let our busy lives manipulate our thoughts and actions instead of taking control and discovering the ”important” things in life.
As the Introduction to Ten Theories of Human Nature states, a "philosophy of life" is an understanding of human nature that gives some guidance for how we should live." (Ten Theories, 1) Our ordinary, bogged down thinking about life is often "vague" and “naïve." (Barry, 5) Thinking philosophically gives us the opportunity to discover “why we are here” and our purpose in life, so that we can move beyond life’s monotony to discover a deeper meaning, and ultimately, so that at our life’s end, we will feel truly accomplished, unlike Ivan Ilyich, who realized how purposeless his life had been when it was too late.
Though philosophical thinking may be difficult, as there are no solid answers to these lofty questions of life, it is definitely worth discovering. With there being no one true, empirically-proven answer to life’s many questions, may you discover your own “philosophy of life” so that you can live life more abundantly.
As outlined in the introductions to Stevenson’s work and Barry’s work, philosophical thinking is more or less rationally arguing concerning problems or deep matter. Usually centering on issues that are controversial or simply not commonly discussed, philosophical thought involves critical thought. Philosophical thinking takes into consideration the “what ifs” that people in everyday often dismiss as “too much to worry about.” The alternative possibilities cross the minds of philosophical thinkers, in order to propose ideals and thoughts that may have otherwise never surfaced. As it applies to the context of this course, philosophical thinking on death and the dying process will undoubtedly bring into light the controversial practices and processes surrounding death, specifically concerning ethical value, as well as, will simply force us as students to comprehend and ponder the inevitable at an early age, despite discomfort and apprehensiveness. Philosophical thinking is valuable because it provides guidelines on rational thoughts for human beings. While it may be convenient to simply “take it for what it is” when approaching an issue or topic, philosophical thinking challenges such beliefs and outlines contributing factors in order for deep understanding of initially fruitless topics. Philosophical thinking, as shown by Kant, Marx, and healthcare professionals across the United States, is upheld during decision making, providing a reference for people who deal with everyday issues, namely death and dying. As Karlie stated above, philosophical thinking is nearly ignored in today’s day and age-especially with college students-because people do not have the time or energy to dedicate to deep thought and critical analysis of noteworthy topics. I hope this class continues to convince me of the worth of philosophical thinking, as it has so far. Having established the value of such thinking, there is no denying the difficulty that surrounds it. Philosophical is difficult, primarily, because common thought expels philosophy. Deep thinking rarely occurs in the hustle and bustle of everyday society, and therefore, on the off chance that the opportunity for philosophical thinking arises, the lack of conditioning for such thought prevents the thinker from comfortably taking deep issues into his or her mind and pondering them rationally. Philosophical thought is also difficult because it entails the dissecting of phenomena that exist automatically and involuntarily, thus requiring no thought; however, these “common sense” type thoughts should be viewed as an opportunity to delve into something phenomenal. Though philosophical thought can be difficult, its value is completely unsurpassed. Philosophical thought can keep us sane and rational, giving us opportunities to ponder the fundamentals of life. As Stevenson’s book states, “Motivation will be present if we WISH to understand,” referring to such thought. Though it takes effort, the mental benefits of thinking philosophically are indescribably helpful.
Philosophical thought is the love of wisdom. Philosophers like to study problems that are not commonly discussed and elaborate deeply on them. Having an open mind is what makes philosophy so valuable. Philosophers do not close off other ideas just because they have their own. They will listen to other ideas and try to think of ways to improve their own waty of thinking.This is a reason why philosophy is difficult. There are many ways to interpret the works of some philosophers, and sometimes there may not even be a correct way to interpret their work
Philosophy is about gaining a better understanding of ourselves and the world around us. It seeks to find knowledge about things through their ultimate causes. Philosophical thinking is reasoning on the basis of first principles. It’s goal it to go beyond the common place in an attempt to see things that may otherwise not be readily apparent and thinking very seriously on things that people typically just accept. Philosophical thinking seeks to gain knowledge through understanding.
The value in philosophical thinking is that it allows us to establish the correct values for our life that correspond to our own unique personal hopes and desires. We must all adopt a set of values to help guide our lives and philosophy helps us to create the necessary framework to achieve a more thorough understanding. Philosophical thinking helps us to gain a more thorough and fair analysis of something without imposing any of our own biased predispositions.
True philosophical thinking is difficult because it is often easier to just conform or mindlessly make decisions without thinking logically and pursuing the primary principals for true meaning. Our nature of being human involves philosophy because our natural instinct is to search and find meaning and understanding in the vast world around us. Living an examined life is far more fulfilling than the unexamined life.
It is said in the introduction that philosophy begins in wonder. So every time we wonder about questions of the world or life in general we are connecting with philosophy. So to me philosophical thinking is the wonder and thoughts about the world and whats around you. There is a lot of work in philosophical thinking. We cannot just think of something and know the answer to it right away. We sometimes may never get a answer to the question and that's what makes philosophical thinking so great. You will always be striving to get the answer, but sometimes there's just no right or wrong answer. That's why its also so valuable. Not everyone can be right all the time. You have to consider other people's facts and opinions. That's also why it can be so difficult because you may not always be right in some circumstances.
Philosophical thinking is considering issues of the day and coming up with ways to fix them in a rational manner. I belive that this is valuable because in this day in age many people rely on others to give them answers or tell them how they should think or act. Thinking philosophically means that you use your own experiences and research on a subject to conclude what you believe to be the best solution to eradicate the issue at hand. It also makes you expand your horizons and consider other viewpoints you may not have ever considered otherwise. It can be difficult because often times there is no concrete answer to an issue. It is many times based on preference and each person will think differently. While this makes it difficult, it is also what makes it intriguing, that your answer or conclusion isnt ever truly wrong.
"Philosophical thinking strives to go beyond the common place to see what is not readily apparent, to think seriously about what most people unquestioningly accept, to conceive of possibilities and alternatives to what is thought obvious." (Barry, 4) Philosophical thinking, as Barry suggests, goes beyond just serious, deep, intense, or contemplative thought. (Barry, 1) Philosophy, as defined, is a “love for wisdom,” and yields wonder and pondering on the deep questions of life.
ReplyDeleteBut why is philosophical thinking so often ignored? As Barry defines philosophical thinking, it is seeking understanding of what most just accept without question. In our busy lifestyles, we often accept “what is” just for being “what is.” We do not often further investigate and seek the whole truth, and like Ivan Ilyich, we just let our busy lives manipulate our thoughts and actions instead of taking control and discovering the ”important” things in life.
As the Introduction to Ten Theories of Human Nature states, a "philosophy of life" is an understanding of human nature that gives some guidance for how we should live." (Ten Theories, 1) Our ordinary, bogged down thinking about life is often "vague" and “naïve." (Barry, 5) Thinking philosophically gives us the opportunity to discover “why we are here” and our purpose in life, so that we can move beyond life’s monotony to discover a deeper meaning, and ultimately, so that at our life’s end, we will feel truly accomplished, unlike Ivan Ilyich, who realized how purposeless his life had been when it was too late.
Though philosophical thinking may be difficult, as there are no solid answers to these lofty questions of life, it is definitely worth discovering. With there being no one true, empirically-proven answer to life’s many questions, may you discover your own “philosophy of life” so that you can live life more abundantly.
As outlined in the introductions to Stevenson’s work and Barry’s work, philosophical thinking is more or less rationally arguing concerning problems or deep matter. Usually centering on issues that are controversial or simply not commonly discussed, philosophical thought involves critical thought. Philosophical thinking takes into consideration the “what ifs” that people in everyday often dismiss as “too much to worry about.” The alternative possibilities cross the minds of philosophical thinkers, in order to propose ideals and thoughts that may have otherwise never surfaced. As it applies to the context of this course, philosophical thinking on death and the dying process will undoubtedly bring into light the controversial practices and processes surrounding death, specifically concerning ethical value, as well as, will simply force us as students to comprehend and ponder the inevitable at an early age, despite discomfort and apprehensiveness.
ReplyDeletePhilosophical thinking is valuable because it provides guidelines on rational thoughts for human beings. While it may be convenient to simply “take it for what it is” when approaching an issue or topic, philosophical thinking challenges such beliefs and outlines contributing factors in order for deep understanding of initially fruitless topics. Philosophical thinking, as shown by Kant, Marx, and healthcare professionals across the United States, is upheld during decision making, providing a reference for people who deal with everyday issues, namely death and dying. As Karlie stated above, philosophical thinking is nearly ignored in today’s day and age-especially with college students-because people do not have the time or energy to dedicate to deep thought and critical analysis of noteworthy topics. I hope this class continues to convince me of the worth of philosophical thinking, as it has so far.
Having established the value of such thinking, there is no denying the difficulty that surrounds it. Philosophical is difficult, primarily, because common thought expels philosophy. Deep thinking rarely occurs in the hustle and bustle of everyday society, and therefore, on the off chance that the opportunity for philosophical thinking arises, the lack of conditioning for such thought prevents the thinker from comfortably taking deep issues into his or her mind and pondering them rationally. Philosophical thought is also difficult because it entails the dissecting of phenomena that exist automatically and involuntarily, thus requiring no thought; however, these “common sense” type thoughts should be viewed as an opportunity to delve into something phenomenal.
Though philosophical thought can be difficult, its value is completely unsurpassed. Philosophical thought can keep us sane and rational, giving us opportunities to ponder the fundamentals of life. As Stevenson’s book states, “Motivation will be present if we WISH to understand,” referring to such thought. Though it takes effort, the mental benefits of thinking philosophically are indescribably helpful.
Philosophical thought is the love of wisdom. Philosophers like to study problems that are not commonly discussed and elaborate deeply on them. Having an open mind is what makes philosophy so valuable. Philosophers do not close off other ideas just because they have their own. They will listen to other ideas and try to think of ways to improve their own waty of thinking.This is a reason why philosophy is difficult. There are many ways to interpret the works of some philosophers, and sometimes there may not even be a correct way to interpret their work
ReplyDeletePhilosophy is about gaining a better understanding of ourselves and the world around us. It seeks to find knowledge about things through their ultimate causes. Philosophical thinking is reasoning on the basis of first principles. It’s goal it to go beyond the common place in an attempt to see things that may otherwise not be readily apparent and thinking very seriously on things that people typically just accept. Philosophical thinking seeks to gain knowledge through understanding.
ReplyDeleteThe value in philosophical thinking is that it allows us to establish the correct values for our life that correspond to our own unique personal hopes and desires. We must all adopt a set of values to help guide our lives and philosophy helps us to create the necessary framework to achieve a more thorough understanding. Philosophical thinking helps us to gain a more thorough and fair analysis of something without imposing any of our own biased predispositions.
True philosophical thinking is difficult because it is often easier to just conform or mindlessly make decisions without thinking logically and pursuing the primary principals for true meaning. Our nature of being human involves philosophy because our natural instinct is to search and find meaning and understanding in the vast world around us. Living an examined life is far more fulfilling than the unexamined life.
It is said in the introduction that philosophy begins in wonder. So every time we wonder about questions of the world or life in general we are connecting with philosophy. So to me philosophical thinking is the wonder and thoughts about the world and whats around you. There is a lot of work in philosophical thinking. We cannot just think of something and know the answer to it right away. We sometimes may never get a answer to the question and that's what makes philosophical thinking so great. You will always be striving to get the answer, but sometimes there's just no right or wrong answer. That's why its also so valuable. Not everyone can be right all the time. You have to consider other people's facts and opinions. That's also why it can be so difficult because you may not always be right in some circumstances.
ReplyDeletePhilosophical thinking is considering issues of the day and coming up with ways to fix them in a rational manner. I belive that this is valuable because in this day in age many people rely on others to give them answers or tell them how they should think or act. Thinking philosophically means that you use your own experiences and research on a subject to conclude what you believe to be the best solution to eradicate the issue at hand. It also makes you expand your horizons and consider other viewpoints you may not have ever considered otherwise. It can be difficult because often times there is no concrete answer to an issue. It is many times based on preference and each person will think differently. While this makes it difficult, it is also what makes it intriguing, that your answer or conclusion isnt ever truly wrong.
ReplyDelete