Philosophy is Important

Philosophy is still relevant. Science, as important and awesome as it is, does not, and cannot, address normative issues. There is no way to get to what we 'ought' to do, with science. What is right and what is wrong, in the area of human values, cannot be addressed by science. This is the domain of Philosophy. Science matters. The rules and findings of science reinforce philosophy. Science affirms Aristotelian philosophy - that the natural world is knowable and that man has the ability to understand and know it. Philosophy matters! Sadly, most modern 'philosophy' is a mess. Descarte started the disaster by separating reason from the senses; Spinoza & Liebniz rejected that the senses contribute to knowledge; Locke & Hume denied reason and believed all knowledge was due to the senses; Kant, who attempted a synthesis of both, ended up believing that existence cannot be known in itself. Nietzsche's "will to power" as the ruling principle of all life, and his idea that life on earth has an absolute value is only one absurd 'conclusion" that stems from the forgoing philosophies. They all took philosophy on a roller coaster ride that set philosophy back centuries. Aristotelianism is the only philosophy to withstand the ages. Aristotle, considered by many to the greatest mind the world has ever known, should be our starting point. He didn't get everything right but he put us on the right path. Many of the errors in Philosophy are the result of "an attitude of antagonism toward or even contempt for the past - for the achievements of those who have come before." Contemporary philosophers are, for the most part, vastly ignorant of the great works of philosophical tradition prior to the 17th century." Going back to the "distinctions, insights, and formulations explicitly achieved in the tradition of Aristotle and Aquinas" [and others who have followed in this tradition], and identifying and correcting those errors has finally given us an objective philosophy based in reality that offers real world" value. A summary of this objective philosophy follows: Truth and Practical Truth: Truth is a correspondence with reality Truth is Absolute- their are no degrees of Truth Truth is Universal- true for all if true for one Truth is Global- their are no cultural boundaries Truth is Timeless- true now if ever true and true forever Therefore, Truth is the standard of reference for Knowledge Knowledge includes the following degrees: - Self evident truths - Evident truths - Strong opinions - Weak opinions Philosophy tells us that since man alone uses reason to make judgments, Man's life is the standard of value." It tells us that we are all equally human (with different attributes, of course) and we therefore all have the same basic needs. Judgements are about right & wrong, good & evil. What is needed is a "Practical Truth" that is also Universal, Absolute, Global & Timeless, or as close to them as possible. Practical Truth is a correspondence with man's life Practical Truth is Universal Practical Truth is Absolute Practical Truth is Global Practical Truth is Timeless Practical Truth is Unique? Therefore, Practical Truth is the standard of reference for Values relevant to man. The highest good is perfect being [of the individual] Non-being is absolute evil Values A good life is a conformity with natural needs Natural needs include: - Basic needs- food, shelter, clothing, health, education, a "good" society, opportunity to be the best person possible, knowledge, purpose. Wants (desires) on the other hand, are perfectly acceptable and healthy, as long as they can be fulfilled without interfering with basic needs (yours or anyone else's). "Liberty, Equality & Justice are determined by standards based on [the above] practical truths and require a good society." Democracy is no accident - it was created for the "General Welfare."" Therefore, Government has the right, and an obligation, to serve the common good to insure that natural NEEDS (not 'wants') of the people"are met." This includes creating laws that regulate behavior to insure it is consistent with these goals. Philosophy therefore, also tells us that the individual, and the societies that individuals create, are the Value that should be capitalisms guiding principle." Meeting the basic needs of individuals and the society is the minimum requirement." Denying any of these basic needs to any citizen should be unacceptable." To summarize, philosophy is important because it is our only rational guide to what we ought to do, both on a personal level and on a societal level. Sources: works by Mortimer J. Adler, especially "Little Errors in the Beginning" and "Six Great Ideas" (mostly derived from Socrates, Plato, Aristotle and St. Thomas Aquinas and what is now classified as Philosophical (or Classical) Realism. (see also: What is Philosophical Realism? | The Moral Liberal)