The Importance of Philosophy
Summary
TLDRThis script explores the relevance of philosophy in a world dominated by science. It challenges the notion that philosophy is outdated or merely a historical interest, arguing that it remains crucial in establishing a unified understanding of reality. The script discusses the replication crisis in science and the fragmentation of knowledge, calling for philosophy to reassert its foundational role in unifying being and thinking, and safeguarding the phenomena from scientific manipulation.
Takeaways
- 🤔 Philosophy's Relevance: The script questions the importance of philosophy in contemporary times, challenging the notion that it's merely a historical interest or outdated field.
- 🏆 Philosophy as the 'Queen of Sciences': Historically, philosophy was considered the foundation and guiding light of all sciences, arts, and humanities.
- 📉 The Crisis in Sciences: The script highlights a replication crisis within the sciences, where findings are often hard to reproduce, questioning the objectivity of scientific research.
- 🔬 The Limitations of Quantitative Sciences: While natural sciences provide measurable findings, they may lead to fragmentation and lack a unifying perspective on reality.
- 🧐 Philosophy's Role in Unifying Knowledge: The script suggests that philosophy has the potential to provide a unifying framework that transcends the fragmentation of specialized scientific disciplines.
- 🕵️♂️ The Search for a Fundamental Ontology: Philosophy's task is to establish a fundamental understanding of being and thinking, which can ground all sciences.
- 💡 The Unity of Thinking and Being: The script emphasizes the need for philosophy to rediscover and articulate the unity of thinking and being, which is crucial for understanding reality.
- 🛡️ Saving the Phenomena: Philosophy's role also includes protecting the phenomena as they appear to us, in contrast to sciences that may manipulate what they measure.
- 📚 Overcoming Scientism: The script argues that without philosophy, the sciences risk reducing themselves to scientism, a crude ideology rather than a pursuit of truth.
- 🔍 The Need for Philosophical Reflection: The importance of philosophy lies in its ability to reflect on and justify its own significance, a process that is inherent to philosophical inquiry.
- 🔄 The Cycle of Rebirth for Philosophy: The script suggests that philosophy must continually rediscover its foundational tasks to remain relevant and provide a counterbalance to the sciences.
Q & A
What is the debate surrounding the importance of philosophy in modern times?
-Some argue that philosophy is outdated and can't keep up with the sciences, while others believe it remains crucial for understanding the fundamental aspects of reality and knowledge.
What did Bertrand Russell believe about philosophy?
-Bertrand Russell believed that philosophy was nothing but perplexing theories of the past, suggesting it had become obsolete.
What was Steven Hawking's view on philosophy's relevance to the sciences?
-Steven Hawking argued that philosophy is done because it can no longer keep up with the sciences, implying that it has become less relevant due to the rapid advancements in scientific knowledge.
Why does philosophy need to justify its importance?
-Philosophy often finds itself in the position of needing to justify its importance because it deals with abstract concepts and questions that may not have immediate practical applications like the sciences.
What was philosophy's historical role in relation to the sciences and arts?
-Historically, philosophy was considered the queen of the sciences, providing a foundational framework for the sciences, arts, and humanities.
What is the replication crisis in the sciences?
-The replication crisis refers to the difficulty in reproducing the results of scientific studies accurately, casting doubt on the objectivity and reliability of scientific findings.
What did Edmund Husserl and Martin Heidegger observe about the sciences?
-Edmund Husserl and Martin Heidegger observed a crisis in European sciences, noting a lack of a common ground or fundamental ontology to ground all scientific disciplines.
What is the relationship between philosophy and the unity of being and thinking?
-Philosophy seeks to find, articulate, and establish the unity of being and thinking, which is its ultimate task from its inception with Plato and Aristotle.
What is the task of philosophy in the face of fragmentation in the sciences?
-Philosophy's task is to articulate what it means to think and be in the context of fragmentation, providing a foundation to understand reality amidst the splintering of scientific disciplines.
What does the term 'saving the phenomena' refer to in philosophy?
-'Saving the phenomena' refers to protecting and safeguarding the appearances of things as they present themselves to us, which is a task philosophy aims to fulfill in contrast to the sciences that may manipulate what they measure.
How can philosophy contribute to overcoming the crisis in the sciences?
-Philosophy can contribute by remembering and fulfilling its fundamental tasks of establishing the unity of being and thinking, and by saving the phenomena, thereby providing a common ground for understanding and unification.
Outlines
🤔 The Relevance and Justification of Philosophy
This paragraph explores the significance of philosophy in contemporary society, challenging the notion that it is merely an antiquated field of study. It discusses the historical view of philosophy as the 'queen of the sciences,' suggesting that it was foundational to all academic disciplines. The paragraph also addresses criticisms by figures like Bertrand Russell and Stephen Hawking, who believed philosophy has become outdated and unable to keep pace with the rapid advancements in science. However, it argues that philosophy is not obsolete but rather offers a unique perspective that is essential for understanding truth and reality, contrary to the fragmented approach of some scientific disciplines.
🔬 The Crisis in Sciences and the Role of Philosophy
The second paragraph delves into the replication crisis within scientific research, where the inability to reproduce study results calls into question the objectivity of scientific findings. It references the work of philosophers such as Edmund Husserl, Martin Heidegger, and Paul Natorp, who recognized a foundational crisis in European sciences over a century ago. The paragraph suggests that it is the sciences, not philosophy, that are in crisis, and that philosophy has a crucial role in providing a unifying perspective to understand reality. It emphasizes the need for philosophy to remember its original purpose: to establish the unity of being and thinking, and to serve as the foundation for accessing reality, which is becoming increasingly fragmented in the sciences.
📚 Philosophy's Task to Unite Thinking and Being
The final paragraph discusses the enduring dictum of the unity of thinking and being, which has been a guiding principle throughout philosophy's history. It emphasizes the need for philosophy to redefine and articulate this unity in each epoch to prevent the reduction of science to scientism—a crude ideology. The paragraph also touches on the concept of 'saving the phenomena,' which is the philosophical task of protecting and allowing appearances to be as they are, without manipulation by scientific hypotheses. It concludes by stating that philosophy must remember its fundamental tasks to provide a common ground for unity and understanding in a fragmented world.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Philosophy
💡Perplexing Theories
💡Queen of the Sciences
💡Crisis of the Sciences
💡Replication Crisis
💡Unity of Being and Thinking
💡Fragmentation
💡Scientism
💡Phenomenon
💡Fundamental Ontology
💡Natural Sciences
Highlights
Philosophy's importance is often questioned, with some viewing it as merely historical interest or outdated theories.
Bertrand Russell and Stephen Hawking are cited as figures who have doubted philosophy's relevance in the modern scientific landscape.
The transcript argues that philosophy does not need to justify itself and is inherently reflective upon its own nature.
Philosophy was historically considered the 'queen of the sciences,' providing a foundational understanding for various disciplines.
The role and significance of philosophy in the present day is a topic of debate, with the argument that it remains crucial and not outdated.
The sciences, particularly the natural sciences, are said to have left philosophy behind, focusing on quantifiable findings.
There is a noted 'replication crisis' in the sciences, where many research findings are difficult to reproduce, calling into question the objectivity of scientific findings.
The crisis of European sciences is a historical issue, with roots going back to the time of Hegel and further explored by Heidegger, Natorp, and Heidegger.
Philosophy's task is to find, articulate, and establish the unity of being and thinking, offering a response to sophistry and a foundational ontology for the sciences.
The fragmentation in the sciences, with increasing specialization, is contrasted with the unifying role that philosophy can play.
Philosophy's role is to provide a foundation for understanding reality, which is seen as being lost in the splintering of scientific disciplines.
The unity of thinking and being is a central theme in philosophy, with the need to rearticulate what it means for each epoch.
Philosophy must remember its fundamental tasks to avoid the risk of further fragmentation and the reduction of science to scientism.
Saving the phenomena is a key task of philosophy, protecting the way things appear to us without manipulation by scientific hypotheses.
The sciences are criticized for interfering with what they measure, potentially manipulating outcomes based on their hypotheses.
Aristotle's dictum about the unity of thinking and being is highlighted as a guiding principle that remains true for philosophy and the sciences.
The transcript concludes by emphasizing the need for philosophy to remember and fulfill its initial and ultimate tasks to provide a common ground for unity.
Transcripts
the importance of
philosophy why you might ask is
philosophy important is it mere at this
point historical interest some sort of
antiquarian fascination with some random
theories that are
perplexing berand Russell believed so he
believed philosophy to be nothing but
perplexing theories of the
past the late Steven Hawking for example
argued that philosophy is done because
it can no longer keep up with the
sciences that it's lagging behind the
sciences and so it can no longer keep up
with the accelerating findings of the
various
Sciences why would philosophy however at
all have to announce itself as important
why does it have to justify itself in a
certain sense as soon as one begins to
philosophize
one is already reflecting upon
philosophy so philosophy is in the
peculiar pos position and is always in
this place in this position where
philosophy has to justify itself as soon
as one begins to
philosophies nevertheless philosophy was
once the queen of the sciences and
that's to say that philosophy was not
part of the Sciences but as the queen of
the Sciences The Sciences and it
includes also the Arts and the
humanities The Sciences the Arts and the
humanities had to sub themselves or were
the subjects of that queen of
philosophia we could also say that
philosophy was the very foundation of
the Sciences the Arts and the
humanities so why has philosophy lost
this
significance what is philosophy to do
today what is its role does it have any
significance still and Contra Bertrand
Russell we shall see that philosophy is
indeed never outdated and is not
constituted of perplexing or even
foolish theories of the past that we
might find some sort of of um interest
in just out of curiosity for perplexing
theories which however ultimately have
no bearing on Truth quite the opposite
is the case and as so often with someone
like ber and Russell he here just
betrays his ignorance at the time of
Hegel some 200 years ago philosophy is
still considered the queen of the
Sciences so is is it the case that the
scientists have indeed overcome
philosophy have left philosophy behind
and here of course we now really must
speak of the Natural Sciences which can
quantify their findings and which can
measure what they want to ascertain
about reality and about nature to a
certain degree of course from the
perspective of the
scientist of measurement Etc that is the
case The Sciences the heart Sciences
so-called have indeed Left Behind
philosophy The Sciences various Natural
Sciences especially the quantitative
ones provide us with
findings in all sorts of areas that have
immediate use value and that can be
applied take
aerodynamics or engineering or
medicine
however there is a crisis in the
sciences and this
crisis is not all that
new in fact it is almost itself 200
years
old ATM mon husa one of the
most
important philosophers of the past 200
years pointed out that there is a crisis
of the European scientists this is now
more than a hundred years
ago also his student Martin heiger and
his colleague Paul nator had seen
something quite
similar in fact the very Foundation or a
fundament a common ground for the
Sciences has been lacking for centuries
now and this is now coming really to the
four in recent times
the scientists at least some scientists
have had to admit that there is indeed a
replication crisis the replication
crisis simply put is a crisis that
impacts the methodology of scientific
research I'm quoting here from the news
Medical
website over time to quote it has been
realized by several bodies that the
results of many scientific studies are
hard or almost impossible to reproduce
accurately now to put this in some
different words this means to say that
what is supposedly objective in those
findings in what is being measured as
objectively real cannot be replicated
that's to say is not objectively real
this is a this is how this crisis of the
European Sciences which are now
planetary
Sciences is now being atic ated but
again this is not a new
phenomenon this is almost as old as the
later stages of
modernity and it begins around the time
of Hegel intensifies at the time of
Niche and really comes to the for with
when edmont husel is writing and Paul
naob and Martin haiger in the early 20th
century in fact the entire project of
being in time Martin haigus magnum opus
was concerned primarily with finding a
fundamental ontology in which to ground
all the Sciences the new ontologies
going forward so it seems It's not
philosophy that is in crisis that is
lagging behind but it is
Instead The Sciences and especially the
so-called hard sciences and it is ironic
that Max Plank's dictum that only what's
measurable is real is now coming back to
haunt The Sciences now philosophy does
not have to Pander or Curry favor with
the Sciences in order to make itself
heard again or make itself significant
again with the various philosophies of
various Sciences
Etc instead what philosophy has to do is
to begin to remember again for itself
what it is and what it always was and
what it always has
been so the question for the importance
of philosophy is actually a
question that is that asks for what is
philosophy philosophy has to remember
for itself again that what its ultimate
and first T is and always has been from
the beginning from its very Inception
with Plato and Aristotle which which is
also a response by the way to sophistry
that its initial
task is to find articulate and establish
the unity of being and thinking but what
does that mean what is it supposed to
mean to find and articulate the unity of
being and
thinking for our time to bring together
thinking and being this would mean that
philosophy has to provide the very
Foundation the very ground through which
we can in fact gain access again to what
is simply put to reality which the
scientist apparently
cannot we find in fact that the
so-called hard scientist very often
actually produce the opposite effect
they produce fragmentation
a splintering into smaller and smaller
subparticles which is also reflected by
the way in the fact that the Natural
Sciences are splintering off into
further and further and smaller and
smaller subdisciplines of
subdisciplines that no longer have
anything to say to each
other but the task of philosophy would
precisely not be to provide a unifying
threat for all of those subdisciplines
of subd disciplines instead what
philosophy has to do and has to achieve
is to articulate for our time factoring
in that very
fragmentation and REM remembering for
itself what it means to think and to be
and how it is that through thinking
being fully comes into its own while at
the same
time thinking only comes into its own f
if being is also asked after and
considered this very dictum of the unity
of thinking and being we already find in
the poem of pedes and it is indeed this
dictum that remains true for all of
philosophy and hence also the Sciences
it remains a guiding fixture throughout
the
Millennia that the same are thinking and
being but we each for each Epoch we have
to articulate and have to find what
thinking means and what being
means or else science reduces itself to
scientism to a crude
ideology thus philosophy has a to rise
again to this fundamental task or else
the risk is further and further
fragmentation and in fact the second
task as it were of philosophy is deeply
related to articulating the unity of
being and
thinking it is ultimately the same task
just named differently and that is to
save the phenomena soan phoma to save
and save God to protect that which
appears to us how it appears and to let
that that which appear appear to us in
its own accord the issue with the
Sciences is that they precisely don't
just measure but instead actually
interfere with what they're measuring in
such a way that the The Sciences have to
produce certain outcomes and hence
manipulate just hypothetically already
by the very hypothesis that they propose
and that they posit The Sciences must
manipulate already what is appearing and
therefore there's here no safeguarding
no protecting of the
phenomena and this is the task that
Aristotle sets out so in some philosophy
must remember for itself its
tasks its initial and ultimate tasks
that it always has had and only
then can we find a common ground and
unification
again
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