*It is very difficult to talk in extremes, so I beg for your patience. This post reflects my belief on what it is worthwhile for me and the majority of the population to work on.
If a tree falls in the middle of the forest and no one is around to hear it, does it freakin’ matter?
Three semesters ago I took a class called Philosophy of Science. This class describes what the definition of science is, studying the texts of Ludwig Wittgenstein, Karl Popper, Thomas Khun, Imre Lakatos, and Paul Feyerabend, amongst others. For those not versed on their work, these outstanding individuals made brilliant arguments on what it is that science is and how one should conduct the business of science. Their work also relates to the study of how science has been done in historical terms, History of Science.
It was a very entertaining class that gave me ample time to think and reflect on how one should do research, what type of knowledge I value, and how I want to spend my time working. Related to this kind of thought, I recently finished reading ‘Surely you are joking Mr. Feynman’, a compilation of stories on my hero Richard Feynman. His view on life, his passion for physics, and his quest to discover the inherent beauty of nature is something that I find deeply appealing. Inspiring really.
Philosophical discussions make for great drunken passionate conversations. I sometimes gather with friends on Thursday nights for a session of “grababeerandgetmeone pseudo-discussion”, as a great friend of mine likes to call them. We discuss politics, religion, sociology, music, and etcetera. However, it is this discussional nature of philosophy that bothers me.
You see, I do not question its value. It teaches us to question and double-question assumptions, to come up with witty arguments and even wittier rebutals. It helps us discover –construct?– our deepest values, and it lets us justify whatever behavior we want to get away with. It is fun. It is interesting. It is necessary. But it is not practical. What I mean is that it does not yield concrete products or services. It does not build spaceships, electric vehicles, or electronic payment platforms (Elon Musk, seriously, WTF?). Its seductive discourse makes brilliant individuals argue for millenia, without arriving to any definitive answer.
Because of its unquestionable benefits, philosophy should be taught in 1 or 2 classes in every University, regardless of major, but it should not become a major career path. Not for most people, at least. I have talked to some engineering or science students who after taking a class in philosophy become so enamored with it that they spend months sitting in chairs massaging their beards. It is certainly not time ‘wasted’, but it is not the best use of it.
The same logic applies to most types of knowledge. Discussions on religion, the pitfalls of democracy, human nature, and etcetera, build beliefs and cement ways of thinking, but should not become the subject of one’s work. They should shape how we do work, but after getting acquinted with the different views on these topics, one should spend very little time thinking of them, in hopes that with enough people doing this, we all focus in more worthwhile endeavours.
In short, learn philosophy, love it, discuss it, and get it over with. Instead, build, ship, and deliver. Philosophy and related areas let us dream; dreams lead to doing, and doing leads to progress. The key step, though, is doing.
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