The Critical Thinker 005: Philosophical Wisdom
Summary
TLDRIn episode 5 of the Critical Thinker podcast, host Kevin de la Plante delves into the significance of critical thinking for philosophical wisdom. He distinguishes philosophical wisdom, which is rooted in rational argumentation, from wisdom derived from religion or mysticism. De la Plante emphasizes the indispensable role of logic and argumentation in philosophy, akin to mathematics in physics, and suggests that critical thinking is foundational for understanding and contributing to philosophical discourse.
Takeaways
- đ The podcast 'Critical Thinker' is hosted by Kevin de la Plante, a philosophy teacher at Iowa State University, who explores the existential aspects of critical thinking.
- đ The website 'criticalthinkingtutorials.com' offers video tutorials and blogs on logic, argumentation, and critical reasoning.
- đ€ The podcast delves into why critical thinking is important, discussing its value for individual self-interest, social and political values, and philosophical wisdom.
- đ Philosophy is defined as the love of wisdom, with wisdom being knowledge of the true and the good, and acting on this knowledge.
- 𧩠The pursuit of wisdom is not exclusive to philosophy; it's also found in religious and mystical traditions, each with its own methods for acquiring wisdom.
- đź Revealed religions obtain wisdom through divine revelation, such as scriptures and direct communication with a divine presence.
- đ Mysticism seeks enlightenment and deep metaphysical truths through practices like meditation, aiming for a transcendent awareness beyond rational ego.
- đŁïž Philosophical wisdom is distinct, relying on rational argumentation as its primary method, making it a public and social activity.
- đ The dialectic of philosophy involves offering reasons, raising objections, and evolving through discourse, a tradition that continues from ancient Greece to modern times.
- đĄ Critical thinking is foundational to philosophy, with logic and argumentation being as essential as mathematics is to physics.
- âïž The podcast concludes by acknowledging the complexity and diversity within philosophical traditions, without implying superiority or rigid boundaries between approaches to wisdom.
Q & A
What is the main focus of the 'Critical Thinker' podcast?
-The main focus of the 'Critical Thinker' podcast is to explore the existential aspects of critical thinking, such as what it means to live an examined life as Socrates suggested, and why critical thinking is important.
What is the host's daytime profession and how does it relate to the podcast?
-The host, Kevin de la Plante, teaches philosophy at Iowa State University, which relates to the podcast by providing him with the expertise to discuss critical thinking, logic, and argumentation.
What are the different types of content available on the affiliated website, criticalthinkingtutorials.com?
-The website offers video tutorials and a blog on various topics related to logic, argumentation, and critical reasoning, focusing on the technical aspects of these subjects.
Why does the host believe that critical thinking is important for individual self-interest?
-In episodes 2 & 3, the host discusses how critical thinking skills can serve individual self-interest by helping people make better decisions and avoid fallacies in their personal lives.
How does critical thinking relate to the maintenance of forms of government that respect human rights and individual freedoms?
-In episode 4, the host argues that critical thinking is important for sustaining forms of government that respect human rights and individual freedoms, as it enables citizens to evaluate policies and governance critically.
What is the definition of wisdom as stipulated by the host for the purposes of the podcast?
-The host defines wisdom as having knowledge of the true and the good, and acting on the basis of this knowledge, distinguishing it from mere information or empirical facts.
How does the host differentiate philosophical wisdom from revealed wisdom and mystical wisdom?
-Philosophical wisdom is acquired through rational argumentation and public discourse, whereas revealed wisdom is given through divine acts in religious traditions, and mystical wisdom is attained through direct intuition or insight often involving disciplined practices like meditation.
What is the 'secret sauce' of philosophical wisdom according to the host?
-The 'secret sauce' of philosophical wisdom is rational argumentation, which is a public and social activity central to the philosophical pursuit of wisdom.
Why is critical thinking central to the pursuit of philosophical wisdom?
-Critical thinking is central to philosophical wisdom because logic and argumentation are foundational to philosophy, much like mathematics is to physics; without it, one cannot understand or contribute to philosophical discourse.
What are some disclaimers the host offers regarding the relationship between philosophy, religion, and mysticism?
-The host clarifies that there are no sharp boundaries between philosophy, religion, and mysticism, and that his discussion does not imply the superiority of one approach over the others, nor does it rule out the possibility of skepticism or the influence of religion and mysticism on philosophical thought.
What is the host's next series about in the podcast?
-The host's next series will be about the elements of critical thinking, discussing what should belong in every well-stocked critical thinking toolkit.
Outlines
đ Introduction to Critical Thinking and Philosophy
In this introductory paragraph, Kevin de la Plante, the host of the 'Critical Thinker' podcast and a philosophy teacher at Iowa State University, sets the stage for the episode. He introduces the dual focus of his work: teaching technical aspects of logic and argumentation through his website, and exploring the existential facets of critical thinking through the podcast. The podcast delves into the significance of critical thinking, drawing from Socrates' assertion that an unexamined life is not worth living. Kevin aims to discuss why critical thinking is essential, particularly in the context of philosophical wisdom, which he defines as the pursuit of knowledge about truth and goodness, and the ability to act on that knowledge.
đ§ The Essence of Philosophical Wisdom
Paragraph 2 delves into the concept of wisdom, particularly within the realm of philosophy. Kevin clarifies that wisdom involves more than just empirical knowledge; it encompasses an understanding of the true nature of reality and the intrinsic value of what is good. He distinguishes philosophical wisdom from revealed wisdom, which is received through divine revelation in religious traditions, and mystical wisdom, which is attained through intuitive practices like meditation. The paragraph emphasizes the unique approach of philosophy to wisdom, which relies on rational argumentation and public discourse, a method that has been central to philosophical inquiry from the pre-Socratic philosophers to modern thinkers.
đ The Centrality of Critical Thinking in Philosophy
In the final paragraph, Kevin underscores the indispensable role of critical thinking in the pursuit of philosophical wisdom. He likens the importance of logic and argumentation in philosophy to that of mathematics in physics, suggesting that a grasp of these tools is foundational for understanding and contributing to philosophical discussions. He also acknowledges the diversity within philosophical traditions, noting that while some may challenge or redefine the role of logic and argumentation, they still engage in rational discourse. Kevin concludes by inviting listeners to join him in the next episode, where he will discuss the elements of critical thinking essential for a well-equipped critical thinking toolkit.
Mindmap
Keywords
đĄCritical Thinking
đĄExamined Life
đĄPhilosophy
đĄWisdom
đĄRational Argumentation
đĄEmpirical Facts
đĄRevealed Wisdom
đĄMysticism
đĄIntrinsic Value
đĄSocratic Method
đĄLogic
Highlights
Introduction to episode 5 of the Critical Thinker podcast hosted by Kevin de la Plante.
Kevin de la Plante's day job teaching philosophy at Iowa State University and his work on critical thinking tutorials.
The podcast's focus on the existential aspects of critical thinking and the examined life.
Socrates' quote about the importance of an examined life and its challenges.
The series' aim to discuss why critical thinking matters.
Previous episodes covered critical thinking's role in individual self-interest and social-political values.
This episode's focus on critical thinking's importance for philosophical thinking and wisdom.
Definition of philosophy as the love of wisdom and its pursuit.
Wisdom defined as knowledge of the true and the good, and acting on this knowledge.
Distinction between wisdom and mere information or empirical facts.
The role of rational argumentation in acquiring philosophical wisdom.
Comparison of philosophical wisdom with revealed wisdom from religious traditions.
Contrasting philosophical wisdom with wisdom from mystical traditions and practices.
The centrality of logic and argumentation in philosophy and critical thinking.
The importance of critical thinking skills for understanding and contributing to philosophical discourse.
Disclaimers on the relationship between philosophy, religion, and mysticism, and their overlaps.
Acknowledgment that philosophical wisdom is not necessarily superior to other forms of wisdom.
The possibility of skepticism in the pursuit of philosophical wisdom and its implications.
Diversity of views among philosophers on the role of logic and argumentation.
Upcoming series on the elements of critical thinking and building a critical thinking toolkit.
Transcripts
this is the critical thinker episode 5
hi everyone welcome to episode 5 of the
critical thinker podcast I'm your host
Kevin de la plante my day job I teach
philosophy at Iowa State University but
at night I produce content for this
podcast and the affiliated web site
critical thinking tutorials calm we can
find video tutorials in a blog and
various topics in logic argumentation
and critical reasoning the tutorials on
the web site teach what you might call
the technical parts of logic and
argumentation definitions of key
concepts how to recognize good and bad
logic fallacies and so forth
the focus of this podcast is more than
what you might call the existential
parts for critical thinking what does it
mean to live as Socrates put it an
examined life and why should we try to
Socrates famously said that the
unexamined life is not worth living but
more and more I've come to appreciate
just how challenging and demanding
living an examined life can be it's not
obviously true that the kind of life
that Socrates advocates is as important
and valuable as he thinks it is so in
this first series of episodes what I've
been wanting to do is to talk about this
question why does critical thinking
matter I'm gonna work my way through
some reasons why I think it does matter
in episodes 2 & 3 i talked about how
critical thinking skills can help serve
our individual self-interest in episode
4 i wanted to appeal to more social and
political values and talked about the
importance of critical thinking for
sustaining forms of government that
respect human rights and individual
freedoms today i want to branch out word
again and talk about the importance of
critical thinking for philosophical
thinking and the pursuit of let's call
it philosophical wisdom now much of what
i'm going to say here is probably
obvious to anyone who studied philosophy
but for those who haven't I hope this
will be helpful in understanding what
the study philosophy is all about when
you look at the word philosophy you'll
see that there's two greek roots filo
which means love and Sophia which means
wisdom so philosophy is literally the
love of wisdom and a philosopher is a
lover of wisdom now what do we mean by
wisdom well it's a term that doesn't
have a precise meaning so
saiga discussion I'm just going to
stipulate a meaning that suits our
purposes wisdom I think we can all agree
involves knowledge but we want to
distinguish the knowledge that the wise
person has from mere information or mere
knowledge of empirical facts so here's
my slogan definition to have wisdom is
to have knowledge of the true and the
good and to act wisely is to act on the
basis of this knowledge now this isn't
the only way to define wisdom but it's
helpful for us because it captures
something that's distinctive about
philosophical wisdom the wisdom
associated with philosophical insight or
understanding so let's unpack the slogan
a bit further wisdom involves knowledge
of the true this expression the true
with a capital T is just a shorthand for
a reality the way things actually are
behind-the-scenes wisdom also involves
knowledge of the good and by that I mean
knowledge of what has intrinsic value
and therefore worth pursuing for its own
sake I'm actually using this as an
umbrella term for anything inhabited
with values and ultimate goals so
putting this all together the wise
person has knowledge of reality the way
things really are and knowledge of what
is ultimately good and valuable and is
willing and able to act and make
decisions in accordance with this
knowledge so the philosopher I'm
suggesting is someone who loves and
pursues this kind of wisdom but we can't
be done yet because if we just leave it
at this then there are lots of people
who would qualify as philosophers who we
wouldn't normally want to place in this
category philosophy as a discipline is
devoted to the pursuit of wisdom but
it's not the only game in town there are
other professions other disciplines
other intellectual traditions that are
also in the wisdom game who claim to
have wisdom to have a deep knowledge of
the true and the good when thinking here
specifically of two traditions one is
the tradition of Western religion that
focuses on revelation as the primary
means of acquiring wisdom in this
tradition and here I'm trying to be
specific in the tradition of revealed
religion wisdom is given to human beings
it's revealed to us through divine acts
like the divinely inspired writing of
texts like the books of the old and new
Testament Bibles or the Quran or
sometimes through visions
personal communication with a divine
presence of some kind either way human
beings themselves aren't responsible for
this wisdom human beings didn't work it
out for themselves by deliberation and
reason it's delivered to us now in this
context we wouldn't describe this wisdom
as philosophical wisdom as a product of
philosophical reflection so we should
distinguish this sort of revealed wisdom
from the wisdom that might be obtained -
philosophical inquiry
now the other wisdom tradition that I'm
thinking of is the one we associate with
various forms of mysticism now I'm not
comfortable generalizing and lumping
together all forms of mysticism but for
our purposes I sort of have to but all
I'm talking about is those traditions
where the goal is some form of
enlightenment an awareness of deep
metaphysical truths and this
enlightenment is experienced as a form
of direct intuition or insight a
conscious awareness of a deep ultimate
transcendent reality and where the
methods for attaining the state of
awareness don't involve primarily
rational argumentation but rather
various forms of disciplined practice
like meditation or other ways of getting
in mind to transcend the rational ego so
that your mind becomes suitably
receptive to this a rational not
irrational but a rational awareness the
wisdom that comes out of this tradition
I want to say should be distinguished
from the wisdom that comes from
philosophical reflection so what exactly
is the secret sauce that makes for
philosophical wisdom well in a nutshell
the secret sauce is rational
argumentation in philosophy the primary
means by which wisdom is acquired is
through rational argumentation which is
an inherently public and social activity
someone offers reasons for holding a
belief these reasons are presented in
some public way through speech or
writing so that anyone could in
principle examine them and assess them
objections raised replies are offered
and so on and the dialectic evolves over
time this is the tradition that begins
with the pre-socratic at greek
philosophers this is the tradition that
flourishes with Socrates and Plato and
Aristotle this is the tradition that
continues into the medieval era with
Augustine and AH Sam and Aquinas and
many others this is the tradition
associated
the writings of Descartes Leibniz
Spinoza Locke Berkeley Hume cat Hegel
Nietzsche rustle of Icahn Stein and so
on up to the present day there may not
be much that all these philosophers
agree upon
but argumentation is central to their
methodology logic argumentation are
central among the tools that
philosophers use to construct and
evaluate their views so having said all
that let's go back to our main question
what is the relationship of critical
thinking to the pursuit of philosophical
wisdom and the answer is its central to
the pursuit of philosophical wisdom
logic and argumentation are key elements
of critical thinking it's like asking
what is the role of mathematics and the
practice of physics the answer is
everything it's foundational mathematics
is the language through which the claims
of physical theories are expressed logic
and argumentation and critical thinking
are two philosophy what mathematics is
to physics if you're ignorant of the
former then you simply can't understand
what's going on in the latter much less
contribute to it so that's my final word
on the importance of critical thinking
if you have any interest in reading or
understanding what philosophers have
written and said about the big questions
then you'll need to acquire some basic
critical thinking skills and if you want
to think critically and independently
about the big questions for yourself
it's unavoidable
now before I wrap up this episode I'm
gonna offer a few disclaimers and
qualifications since I know if I leave
it here I'll get jumped on especially by
my YouTube audience who usually don't
let anything slip by number one nothing
that I've said here implies sharp
boundaries between philosophy religion
and mysticism in each of these you'll
find overlap and interpenetration there
are philosophical traditions in every
branch of Western religion Judaism and
Christianity and Islam that focus on
argumentation there are philosophical
traditions in every branch of Eastern
religion there are also mystical
traditions within every branch of
Western religion and there are plenty of
philosophers within the Western
tradition that have been influenced by
various forms of revealed religion or
mysticism nothing that I've said here
implies anything to the contrary
number two nothing I've said here
implies that the philosophical approach
to wisdom is superior to the religious
or the mystical or that the
philosophical approach is in
compatible with revealed religion or
mysticism that may or may not be true
and we'll talk more about this in later
episodes but I'm just saying that
nothing I've said here entails a
position on this one way or another
number three nothing that I've said here
implies any particular philosophical
position on any particular question in
particular it doesn't rule out various
forms of skepticism it may be that the
rational pursuit of wisdom leads us to
conclude that our knowledge of the true
and the good is extremely limited that
we can't know the true and the good with
any certainty but that too would be a
kind of wisdom wouldn't it the wisdom of
knowing that you don't know and maybe
can't know this kind of thinking has a
long and venerable pedigree in
philosophy too but there's no need to
prejudge such questions
I promise we'll talk more about this in
later episodes too and finally number
four nothing I said here implies that
all philosophers have the same views
about the role and importance of logic
and argumentation in philosophy there
are some philosophical traditions that
want to problematize logic itself and
some that view the goal of philosophy is
something quite different from the
search for wisdom in any traditional
sense of that word but I really don't
think the existence of these sorts of
philosophical traditions undermines much
of what I've said here philosophers who
hold these critical positions typically
don't go around saying that they came to
them and through some mystical insight
or by the revealed Word of God they hold
these positions because they've thought
about them they've subjected them to
rational scrutiny and they try to
convince others through rational
discourse of one form or another and in
this respect we're all playing on the
same field if not always following the
same rules okay that wraps up the show
I'd like to thank you for listening if
you're catching this on iTunes or
watching if you're viewing the video
version on youtube if you're an iTunes
listener and would like to see the video
version go to youtube and search for my
youtube user ID which is philosophy
freak all one word and you'll find all
the podcasts in a playlist on my youtube
channel if you're watching on youtube
and would like to subscribe to the audio
version on itunes and download episodes
to your mp3 player just search for the
critical thinker in iTunes and you'll
find it next episode I'm starting a new
series
all the elements of critical thinking
where I'll talk about what I think
should belong in every well-stocked
critical thinking toolkit
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