The Importance of Philosophy

Summary

This 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 It challenges the notion that philosophy is outdated or merely a historical interest, arguing that it remains crucial in establishing a unified understanding of reality.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the importance of philosophy in contemporary times, challenging the notion that it's merely a historical interest or outdated field.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

00:00

🤔 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.

05:01

🔬 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.

10:05

📚 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.

Keywords

💡Philosophy

Philosophy is the discipline concerned with fundamental questions about existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. In the video, it is discussed as a foundational discipline that once reigned supreme over the sciences, arts, and humanities, and is now being re-evaluated for its relevance and importance in the context of modern scientific advancements.

💡Perplexing Theories

The term 'perplexing theories' refers to complex or puzzling philosophical concepts that may seem outdated or irrelevant to some, such as Bertrand Russell's view that philosophy is merely a collection of past theories. The video challenges this notion, arguing that philosophy is not just about outdated theories but has enduring significance.

💡Queen of the Sciences

This phrase historically denoted philosophy's position as the leading or most important academic discipline, from which other sciences derived their principles. The script discusses how philosophy has lost this status but argues for its continued relevance in establishing a unified understanding of reality.

💡Crisis of the Sciences

The script mentions a crisis within the sciences, particularly the natural sciences, which is characterized by a lack of a common foundational understanding and the replication crisis, where scientific findings are difficult to reproduce. This crisis highlights the need for philosophy to provide a unifying framework for understanding reality.

💡Replication Crisis

The replication crisis in science refers to the difficulty of reproducing the results of scientific studies, which calls into question the reliability and objectivity of scientific findings. The video uses this crisis to argue for the importance of philosophy in establishing a solid foundation for scientific inquiry.

💡Unity of Being and Thinking

This concept, central to the video's theme, suggests that there is a fundamental connection between existence (being) and the process of understanding or cognition (thinking). The video posits that philosophy's task is to articulate and establish this unity, which is essential for a comprehensive understanding of reality.

💡Fragmentation

Fragmentation in the context of the video refers to the division of scientific disciplines into increasingly specialized subfields, which may lead to a lack of communication and integration between them. The script suggests that philosophy can help overcome this fragmentation by providing a unified perspective on knowledge.

💡Scientism

Scientism is the belief that empirical science is the only source of knowledge and that it can provide all the answers to questions about existence. The video warns against reducing science to scientism, emphasizing the need for philosophy to maintain a broader, more integrated understanding of reality.

💡Phenomenon

In the video, 'phenomenon' refers to the appearances or experiences of the world as they present themselves to us. The task of philosophy, as described in the script, is to 'save the phenomena' by accurately representing and protecting these experiences without manipulation by scientific hypotheses.

💡Fundamental Ontology

Fundamental ontology is the study of the most basic aspects of reality, independent of any particular scientific perspective. The video discusses the need for philosophy to establish such an ontology to provide a grounding for the sciences, especially in light of the replication crisis.

💡Natural Sciences

Natural sciences are branches of science that seek to understand the natural world through empirical observation and experimentation. The script contrasts these with philosophy, noting how the natural sciences have advanced in measurable ways but may lack a unifying perspective that philosophy can provide.

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