By Janus Tsen
Timeless philosophical ideas, from when philosophy was thought to be the original science, have seeded the majority of Western academia. Philosophers with rational clarity and insight in existential topics were hailed for their wisdom. However, with time, the guiding role of philosophy – and reverence for it – had faded into merely a relic of a romanticized ancient world.
Yet the deprioritization of philosophy in everyday life, partially through its absence in the educational curriculum, has correlated with increasing political polarity and social strife. It is increasingly necessary to step out of the miasma of misinformation that surrounds us to question: Why?
Philosophy is not an obsolete, defunct field of study; it is the framework of rational thought and the catalyst for self-improvement. I believe schools must adopt a formal philosophy curriculum into their core classes so that students, during their formative years, can benefit from the skills philosophy helps one develop.
The STEM-dominated nature of Silicon Valley need not come at the cost of a humanities education, specifically one in philosophy. In a political context, philosophy offers valuable insight into social issues. Moral theories, such as the happiness-first maxim of utilitarianism or the virtue-based principles of Aristotelian ethics, may assist in determining feasible solutions to the social problems we face.
Philosophy dictates what leaders (and other citizens) must prioritize when creating new policies; it creates a strict moral ideal to work toward. If schools are meant to train the next generation of leaders, would it not benefit society for these leaders to have a background in critical thinking and ethics? This would certainly prompt a better outcome than that of selfish modern politics.
In the personal context, philosophy improves the human intellect. Quite simply, studying philosophy makes us smarter. The intellect is the mind – the source of logical argumentation and the reason human beings dominate the natural world. Our intellect allows us to recognize and solve problems, innovate, imagine and theorize. These creative aspects of our minds are what schools should foster, not the commonly criticized follower and factory worker mentality. Philosophy as an integral part of the school curriculum would serve as both an enrichment to the logic- and analysis-based STEM classes, as well as a repository of existential information.
The capabilities of our minds complement and fulfill the requisites of philosophy. They build upon one another. To strengthen the body, one exercises; to work the mind, one philosophizes. The act of philosophizing dictates how one might utilize his or her mind to its fullest capacity when making decisions: through evaluation of risk versus reward, conflicting interests and various solutions. This guarantees a rational decision and a more sensible outcome, one free of emotional intervention and knee-jerk reactions.
Again, I ask, if schools are meant to train freethinkers, would it not benefit society for these individuals to cultivate a logical thought process?
Philosophy may not provide answers to physical phenomena, but it does assist in the formation of virtuous character and an analytic mind. The value of philosophy does not lie in tangible results, unlike many of its academic offspring, but instead in the intangible improvements to human nature and society. For the sake of posterity and working toward an improved world, philosophy is a necessity in modern education.
Janus Tsen is a sophomore at Gunn High School. His passion lies in comparative world philosophy, and how it might be applied to everyday life. He is accepting ethical and philosophical questions to address in future columns at [email protected].
