Over the years, philosophy has famously been proclaimed a dead or dying subject by many key figures. Stephen Hawking felt that philosophy may die as a subject soon, as important questions can now be answered by science thanks to greater investment in scientific research. On the other hand, famous philosophers of the 18th and 19th century, Immanuel Kant and Hegel had thought that philosophy’s objective as a subject was complete considering that Kant and Hegel had addressed the noteworthy problems in philosophy at the time. Still, philosophy continues to be a popular subject and course among university students, and many 20th century philosophers have further taken the subject to another level by adding more depth to it. So, the question arises as to whether philosophy is coming to its eventual end or can it continue to stand the test of time?
What really is philosophy?
Philosophy as a practice is asking questions about human nature or questioning beliefs, values, and various other attitudes. Philosophy as a subject is the study of knowledge, logic, reality, existence, and human mind, among many other topics, to decipher principles for human behaviour. The word philosophy has its origins in Ancient Greek and its initial meaning in Greek was ‘love of wisdom’. Philosophy has, historically, offered many famous, thought-provoking questions such as ‘Do humans have free will?’ or ‘Is it just to kill/sacrifice a person in order to save five people’ (known as trolley dilemma).
How has philosophy been shaped as a subject?
Traditionally, philosophy was the root of all knowledgeable or scientific discussions and since philosophy’s beginning as a subject in 700 BCE up until the 19th century, philosophy covered various fields including mathematics, astronomy, physics, medicine, and majority of social sciences. According to ancient stories, philosophy started when thinkers in Greece began questioning the birth of the universe. Soon enough, other thinkers all over Greece expanded on the works of subsequent thinkers for centuries. Philosophy peaked as a profession during the 4th century BCE which saw great thinkers like Plato, Aristotle and Socrates contribute heavily to address many burning questions. These three philosophers are often considered the fathers or major contributors of Western philosophy, as philosophy gained mass popularity because of their work.
Socrates is known for his contributions to forming basis of reasoning, questioning and critical thinking as well as his thoughts on sociopolitical systems. Famously, Socrates disliked the Greek system of Democracy and the notion of modern Democracy in general, as he felt that democracies helped elect leaders which were popular, not qualified or meritable. On the other hand, Plato explored equality, justice, knowledge, and language as well as many other topics. Lastly, Aristotle gave way to the scientific method by creating classifications of various subjects which we continue to use today including physics, medicine, and mathematics. Aristotle also contributed to theorising logic, politics, and ethics. Consequently, Aristotle is seen as the more rational of the three philosophers, while Socrates and Plato are viewed as more emotional.
Following the work of Plato, Aristotle, and Socrates, philosophy had officially become a subject which could be studied and further expanded on. Philosophy was being taught at the Academia in Greece which was established by Plato and Aristotle’s classification of philosophy, and creation of scientific method led to more in-depth study and discoveries in philosophy. Soon, philosophy rapidly spread to other parts of the world and a wide array of other philosophical branches and school of thoughts had been created. After the deaths of Plato, Aristole, and Socrates, philosophy slowly evolved and lost its importance and influence in the worldly events.
But philosophy went through a renaissance period starting the 17th century when philosophical movements and thoughts began dominating the way countries were ran. Philosophers such as Kant, Marx, Hegel, Thomas Hobbes, Adam Smith, Galileo, and many more influenced the way societies operated. From the 17th to 19th century, many new philosophical thoughts were generated that make up much of modern philosophy taught today. These thoughts led to the French and Industrial Revolutions, as well as communist revolutions later.
But, with the introduction and growth of modern universities in the 19th century, philosophy was broken down into smaller subjects so that the subjects can be specialised. Physics and mathematics went onto become major physical sciences, while social sciences like psychology and economics were separated from philosophy. This gave birth to modern academic philosophy which now covers the fundamental nature of reality, grounds of knowledge, ethics, logic/reasoning, and the implications of philosophy on science and politics.
Why some view philosophy as a dangerous or useless subject
Traditionally, religious scholars and many believers have shown dislike towards philosophy and described it as being dangerous. Religious figures believe that philosophy attacks the core of the beliefs we are taught and leaves one feeling inconclusive, unmotivated, or confused, hence making it a damaging and useless subject to pursue. Some experts share similar views but in different ways. Marx, in one of his works, implied that philosophy was unrealistic and not applicable to much of life, while some modern-day scientists say philosophy is useless as it is not scientific compared to modern sciences.
As for the influence of philosophy, it has led many societies to completely reform socioeconomic or political systems often leading to revolutions which cause violence and deaths. Moreover, many philosophers in the past have been killed for their philosophical beliefs which contradict with the religious beliefs at the time hence many have called being a philosopher, a dangerous profession.
The relevance of philosophy in today’s world
With the advent of formal science, philosophy’s relevance and influence has dwindled over time, but it remains a powerful subject. First of all, philosophy is the cornerstone of critical thinking – a skill educational institutes want to teach students today and urge them to practice it. Philosophy gives rise to interesting and significant questions, makes people more curious and forces them to look for the truth or answer to their questions. Moreover, work by ancient philosophers continues to impact the way we work and run societies nowadays. Everything from today’s organisational structure and behaviour to relaxation techniques are influenced by philosophical theories created in the past. Philosophy’s reach and impact on the world has never been greater than it is now.
Additionally, science has become integral to the world over the past two centuries and rightfully so as it is the primary reason for why humans have made major advancements in many spheres of life. Still, there are some questions that even modern science cannot answer. CEO of Boeing David Calhoun once allegedly said, ‘science helps us live longer, whereas philosophy helps us live better’. The justification behind such a statement lies in the fact that philosophy teaches us about morality and how we should act as humans. It explores the good and bad nature of humans and commands us to value human happiness over misery, compromise over dictatorialism and life over else.
Many critics of philosophy also state that philosophy has no effect on employment or business nowadays, but it has an immense impression on employability and business. Philosophy teaches skills that are highly applicable to professional and corporate lives and it is seen by many employers as a subject which can train the human mind to think consistently and systematically to solve problems. In addition, many employers believe that workers with a philosophy background are likelier to be greater leaders as they have more emotional intelligence. If one looks at executives of some multinational companies, you will find that many have experience in philosophy, and some are even philosophy majors.
Why some figures predict the death of philosophy
Some famous figures predict the death of philosophy due to various reasons which mostly stem from conflict of interest or beliefs in stereotypes. The most popular stereotypes surrounding philosophy dictate that philosophy is useless, aimless or speculation and such stereotypes are usually popular among non-philosophers or people who have little to no background in or understanding of philosophy. Modern figures like Neil De Grasse Tyson often venture into subject matters and territories that they have little knowledge of, and end up making bold statements which are, at many times, unsupported. If you ask any philosopher or university student who has explored philosophy about whether philosophy is dying, they would tell you that philosophy may have become limited with the rise of science, but it is still alive and important. Historically, philosophers tend to say that philosophy is dying from time to time to strengthen their legacy or the legacy of their generation of philosophers in history.
Is the downfall of philosophy coming?
The curious nature of humans has already decided the fate of philosophy as a practice. The nature of humans to search for truth, question our surroundings and solve problems means that philosophy as a practice is ever lasting. Humans asked questions since the beginning of humanity, we still ask questions today which lead to startling answers and we will continue to ask more questions going into the future. Fire was invented because we asked questions, the wheel was invented because we questioned our surroundings and Einstein came up with his theories by challenging existing notions in science. It can be argued that without philosophy, none of these inventions or any inventions would have been possible in human history. Consequently, if philosophy as a practice is ever lasting, philosophy as a subject will always have a place in the world.
Plus, the teachings of philosophy regarding logic, morality and human nature although may be stagnant and old by now, but their impact is so great that they will continue to be taught going into the future. Furthermore, the advancement of technology and artificial intelligence raises many more questions for philosophers to answer in regard to what it means to be human and how a non-human but humanlike specie would be treated. Artificial intelligence breathes more life into philosophy and gives it a greater scope in the modern world. Even if there was no artificial intelligence, there would be another human invention or topic which would be the centre of attention for modern philosophy. There will always be new issues and news for philosophy to discuss and discover more. Philosophy is here to stay both as a practice and subject, and may be one of the few subjects to never die until humanity does.
