Philosophy and Me.
Philosophy, for me, has two functions. Deep thought about the obvious is an important part of philosophical thinking, as is a planned thought of intended action. My first contact with philosophy happened at a very early age. It was at infant school that I experienced the reality of life. I had been told by my mother to be on my best behaviour and at a small age one of my main not to do lessons was to never hit a girl. One of the things I took with me to school was my favourite red toy motor car. The first part of the morning passed by with no incident until a larger than life little girl took an interest in my car and indicated she would like to have a closer look and took it from me. At first I was not alarmed, I did not get upset until it was time to regain possession of my little red car. I stretched out my hand and to my amazement the girl burst into tears complaining loudly that I was trying to take her car! I resorted to force to discover my misconception, I had always believed boys by their very nature are stronger than girls but in this case I had found the exception to the rule and to make matters worse she had another girl friend who promptly punched me in the stomach. A teacher intervened saying little Mary never lies indicating that I did but at that young age I took it all in, I knew that I may have lost the battle but not the war and I philosophically decided to relinquish my claim to the car. It was an early and somewhat difficult lesson in philosophy!
Philosophy is something I have picked up from life as it does not appear to be an everyday subject at school yet in a way it has more affect on individuals and society than anything else. One of the things I believed was philosophy was the province of people who lived hundreds of years ago in the past. When you think of philosophy Socrates is an important individual, the one who encouraged free thinking and made powerful enemies that forced him to drink the poison hemlock. His outstanding student was Plato who wrote prolifically in the form of Question as if in a debate with his former teacher Socrates. Aristotle was the student of Plato. Aristotle studied science and classified his own observations, he was the tutor of a then twelve year old Alexander the Great.
In the Far East five hundred and fifty one years BC Confucius taught that if the individual acted in the right way society would benefit and one of his sayings was do to others as you would have them do to you. Some people although noting what he said criticised him for taking up arms in the struggle for survival in China at that time.
A more recent historical figure was Mahatma Gandhi, a man who arguably altered and shaped history. He was a trained lawyer but led the whole of India in a passive non co-operation movement to force the United Kingdom to give autonomy to India. He chose to walk bare foot and wore a loin cloth and blanket. He was a humble but resolute person and championed the rights of the poor. He refused to be drawn into the raging religious dispute in India. He met an untimely end at the hand of one of his own bodyguards who shot him.
Philosophy has had a great variety of exponents such as Buddha who taught moderation and restrict human desire. There have been charismatic leaders who at the height of their power moved broken and dispirited countries out of apathy to become independent thinking states. In the Second World War philosophy had an important part in the basis for speeches that prepared people for major life events.
After the demise of the Russian Royal family the power struggle gave an opportunity for people like Karl Marx to establish the ideals of Communism. Some people argue that the true ideals were never put into practice. The criticism does lead one to ask how many philosophical principals do remain true to the first intention in which they were made?
History and differing individual ideals have all seemed to influence many of the philosophies that we hear of today. The League of Nations was created with the philosophy of world peace but was replaced with the United Nations, an organisation which seems unable to act decisively at times when it is necessary for someone to step in and restore peace. There is an obvious flaw in its democratic structure. It seems as if in this example philosophical thinking differs from its practical construction and the aim to act at a time of need has led to a lengthy decision making process. Philosophy throughout the ages has introduced the basic ideas that we perhaps take for granted today, important concepts such as human rights but when they are not put into practice they achieve nothing.
Without hope and determination nothing will be achieved. History has many examples of the valiant struggle to put into practice the philosophical premise that all men are created equal. I have limited my observations to philosophers, in the widest sense, those individuals who have imposed and seen their ideals put into operation. Although the part that philosophy has had in their thinking will be clear, the amount that each has had to the benefit to man kind may be debatable.
Mao Tse-tung and his little red book swayed the mind of the whole of China. Philosophy can be a powerful vehicle for motivation, many positive influences can originate from philosophical thoughts but caution does have to be occasionally applied. In one instance through history it was reported that there were too many birds so it was ordered every person must ensure they they eradicated every bird, either by mass culling or by ensuring that they had left the area. This culminated in a plague of insects taking over and with no birds the discomfort became a real danger, this was until nature returned things to a calmer state with birds once again revisiting their home.
During the cold war it was in the nineteen fifties that a massive witch hunt seized the whole of America and Senator Joseph McCarthy's main attack was on members of the US government. A great number of famous entertainment figures suffered at the hands of McCarthy accusing them of being Communist. They lost their livelihood, were harassed and forced to defend themselves in court. Another one of his accusations was that individuals had profiteered from the Second World War while American soldiers were dying. This may have been true but then one has to look at the actions of the person who was so quick to accuse others.
There is something frightening in popular individuals who expound the philosophy of pointing the finger at a group as if that will improve in one stroke everything that is wrong today.
Philosophy is a vehicle that can achieve good but every individual must weigh the consequences of thought and action. One has to be alert to the possible misdirection or motive of the philosopher. Philosophy is the element that has formed many of the basic principals that we abide by in our lives and it is at the heart of why many of our greatest thinkers put their thoughts into logical ideologies, ideas and concepts. Many of the first formed philosophical ideas have made their mark in our most established institutions, in politics and multiple cultures.
Philosophy is something I have picked up from life as it does not appear to be an everyday subject at school yet in a way it has more affect on individuals and society than anything else. One of the things I believed was philosophy was the province of people who lived hundreds of years ago in the past. When you think of philosophy Socrates is an important individual, the one who encouraged free thinking and made powerful enemies that forced him to drink the poison hemlock. His outstanding student was Plato who wrote prolifically in the form of Question as if in a debate with his former teacher Socrates. Aristotle was the student of Plato. Aristotle studied science and classified his own observations, he was the tutor of a then twelve year old Alexander the Great.
In the Far East five hundred and fifty one years BC Confucius taught that if the individual acted in the right way society would benefit and one of his sayings was do to others as you would have them do to you. Some people although noting what he said criticised him for taking up arms in the struggle for survival in China at that time.
A more recent historical figure was Mahatma Gandhi, a man who arguably altered and shaped history. He was a trained lawyer but led the whole of India in a passive non co-operation movement to force the United Kingdom to give autonomy to India. He chose to walk bare foot and wore a loin cloth and blanket. He was a humble but resolute person and championed the rights of the poor. He refused to be drawn into the raging religious dispute in India. He met an untimely end at the hand of one of his own bodyguards who shot him.
Philosophy has had a great variety of exponents such as Buddha who taught moderation and restrict human desire. There have been charismatic leaders who at the height of their power moved broken and dispirited countries out of apathy to become independent thinking states. In the Second World War philosophy had an important part in the basis for speeches that prepared people for major life events.
After the demise of the Russian Royal family the power struggle gave an opportunity for people like Karl Marx to establish the ideals of Communism. Some people argue that the true ideals were never put into practice. The criticism does lead one to ask how many philosophical principals do remain true to the first intention in which they were made?
History and differing individual ideals have all seemed to influence many of the philosophies that we hear of today. The League of Nations was created with the philosophy of world peace but was replaced with the United Nations, an organisation which seems unable to act decisively at times when it is necessary for someone to step in and restore peace. There is an obvious flaw in its democratic structure. It seems as if in this example philosophical thinking differs from its practical construction and the aim to act at a time of need has led to a lengthy decision making process. Philosophy throughout the ages has introduced the basic ideas that we perhaps take for granted today, important concepts such as human rights but when they are not put into practice they achieve nothing.
Without hope and determination nothing will be achieved. History has many examples of the valiant struggle to put into practice the philosophical premise that all men are created equal. I have limited my observations to philosophers, in the widest sense, those individuals who have imposed and seen their ideals put into operation. Although the part that philosophy has had in their thinking will be clear, the amount that each has had to the benefit to man kind may be debatable.
Mao Tse-tung and his little red book swayed the mind of the whole of China. Philosophy can be a powerful vehicle for motivation, many positive influences can originate from philosophical thoughts but caution does have to be occasionally applied. In one instance through history it was reported that there were too many birds so it was ordered every person must ensure they they eradicated every bird, either by mass culling or by ensuring that they had left the area. This culminated in a plague of insects taking over and with no birds the discomfort became a real danger, this was until nature returned things to a calmer state with birds once again revisiting their home.
During the cold war it was in the nineteen fifties that a massive witch hunt seized the whole of America and Senator Joseph McCarthy's main attack was on members of the US government. A great number of famous entertainment figures suffered at the hands of McCarthy accusing them of being Communist. They lost their livelihood, were harassed and forced to defend themselves in court. Another one of his accusations was that individuals had profiteered from the Second World War while American soldiers were dying. This may have been true but then one has to look at the actions of the person who was so quick to accuse others.
There is something frightening in popular individuals who expound the philosophy of pointing the finger at a group as if that will improve in one stroke everything that is wrong today.
Philosophy is a vehicle that can achieve good but every individual must weigh the consequences of thought and action. One has to be alert to the possible misdirection or motive of the philosopher. Philosophy is the element that has formed many of the basic principals that we abide by in our lives and it is at the heart of why many of our greatest thinkers put their thoughts into logical ideologies, ideas and concepts. Many of the first formed philosophical ideas have made their mark in our most established institutions, in politics and multiple cultures.
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