June 29, 2005
The Measure of a Philosopher
How do you measure a philosopher? Before you answer, stop and think about this very broad question. What makes someone a philosopher? Can anyone be a philosopher? Why are some people who seem to qualify excluded?
Martin Heidegger seems to be the "hot topic" of my Intro to Philosophy class. In discussion of a documentary of his life, which highlighted his involvement with the Nazi party, I found that the most puzzling of all philosophical questions for me is: what really makes a legitimate philosopher? How can we take someone who gives credit to free will and existence before essence who has made poor choices himself. Should a philosopher be measured by his/her actions?
I feel that doing is just as important as thinking. Although Descartes would argue otherwise, I feel that all the thinking in the world is good, but useless if it cannot be applied. However, there must be a delicate balance between the practical and the speculative. Does this mean we should reject good thoughts based on the philosopher's inability to practice them? If they really are good, they should be worthwhile to practice them, right? But, how can we know if they truly are good at the core if the person who understands them most cannot practice them?
Let the Conversation begin.
Posted by EvanReynolds at June 29, 2005 8:15 PM
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