The air is crisp and the wind is cold against my cheeks. I step inside the cafe and stomp my shoes against the ground, getting the snow off. As I look up, I see the three sitting in a small corner around a circular table. Pondering, questioning, and already arguing. I sigh and walk towards the corner.
"How are our spirits today?” I decide to ask while sitting down. “I am excited to see you all and I have some questions to discuss.”Kurt Anderson proceeds to cross his legs and lean in to what I have to say, Julian Baggini sits with a calming composure, and Nigel Warburton intently listens to my next words.
“I have a couple inquiries. To start out, do you think philosophy can help people learn to respect truth, facts, reality, and one another, and to reject falsehood, superstition, selfishness, polarization, partisanship, and mutual hostility based on differences of race, religion, ethnicity, nationality, belief, and beyond? If so, how? And If not, why not? And secondly, how would you answer William James's question for all: What is this world going to be? What is life eventually going to make of itself?"
Kurt Anderson jumps quickly into thought and says, “Yes, of course. Philosophy can be a gateway into pulling Americans out of a deep slumber of their own fantasy and imagination. As I said in my book Fantasyland, “Our whole social environment and each of it’s overlapping parts-cultural, religious, political, intellectual, psychological-have become conductive to spectacular fallacy and make-believe.” (FL 8) But I do believe reality has become distorted and somewhat shattered in every person’s mind. Philosophy can help us learn to realize true reality and one another. A visual representation of this madness can be shown through this picture in an article written about Fantasyland.
As for your second question, because the world is ever evolving, changing, existing in time, we can hope one day people will be able to truly respect truth and one another no matter the race, religion, ethnicity, and belief. Part of me believes this is a lie people tell each other. That it is a pipe dream we could ever coexist peacefully, but we can only dream and hope for it.”
“I somewhat agree with you, Kurt,” Nigel Warburton remarks. “The foundation and point of understanding, truth, and reality is based upon philosophy and the wisdom it provides us. Philosophy brings people closer together in conversation and moves us to question and doubt the very things around us which is important and can be beneficial. Starting with Socrates and Plato, “Philosophy begins with the nature of reality and how we should live.” (LH) This second question you asked reminds me of an interview I experienced a few years ago where we discussed universal good. I hope the world can and will eventually be a place where we all can converse, learn, and respect each other's perspectives and beliefs.
Julian Baggini silently nods in agreement with Nigel Warburton. “Surely, we are inclined to say, philosophical inquiry has to start with what, if anything, exists” (How the World Thinks by Julian Baggini, home truths). To examine philosophy, we must observe cultural traditions and foundations worldwide. Philosophy has always inevitably been intertwined within us and the world, allowing us to understand each other deeper and greater. “Throughout history people usually haven’t held their beliefs for philosophical reasons. People generally take on the beliefs that surround them, and only a minority rebel wholesale.” (HWT 3). As for the second question, I believe,with time, this world will eventually make itself whole. We may see through different, complex experiences over time, the world will become a more happy place to dwell in and people will be more respectful, empathetic, and true.
“Thank you for allowing me to ask these questions. I appreciate all of the perspectives you shared,” I say.
They all nod in agreement to my statement and thanks. And the four of us sit quietly in the midst of the questions and ponder life a little more as we talk. We sit in the stillness of question, doubt, beauty, and revelation of the world.
https://www.ft.com/content/80c796e8-ce16-11e8-8d0b-a6539b949662
"reality has become distorted and somewhat shattered in every person’s mind" - not every person, if that were so there'd be nobody to call our attention to our anti-philosophic slide into Fantasyland.
ReplyDelete"people will be able to truly respect truth and one another no matter the race, religion, ethnicity, and belief. Part of me believes this is a lie people tell each other" - Those of us who already respect truth and one another (etc.) aren't lying when we say we can and should aim for a society in which those attitudes and values predominate, we're professing a genuine aspiration that becomes progressively more plausible as more of us espouse it.
"only a minority rebel" - thinking for oneself ought not to be considered rebellion, especially in a society that officially praises self-reliance and independence.