It is striking that Russell focuses here on the more "cosmic" questions of philosophy — questions that many would recognise as broadly religious as well as philosophical.
Characteristically, Russell professes his agnosticism, stating that he cannot answer such questions and that he does not believe anyone else can answer them either. Nevertheless, he continues: "Human life would be impoverished if they were forgotten, or if definite answers were accepted without adequate evidence.
Russell revives an ancient conception of philosophy as a way of life in insisting that questions of cosmic meaning and value have an existential, ethical and spiritual urgency.
Of course, what we might mean by such terms is another issue for philosophers to grapple with. In the ancient Greek tradition, Russell reminds us, philosophy was not simply a theoretical exercise, and philosophers were not just — or not at all — professional thinkers.
Socrates argues in the Republic that the philosopher's pursuit of truth involves reorienting his whole soul towards the good, as well as theoretical clarification of what the soul is and what its good consists in.
Aristotle developed this idea through his virtue ethics, which shows how our characters can be formed, in practice, in accordance with what is good for us — our happiness and fulfilment as human beings. Russell stands in this tradition, arguing that "if philosophy is to play a serious part in the lives of men who are not specialists, it must not cease to advocate some way of life". He identifies key differences between philosophical and religious approaches to living well: philosophy refuses any appeal to the authority of a tradition or a sacred book, and the philosopher should not attempt to establish a church.
Russell evidently regarded authoritarianism as the essence of religion, and on this basis his philosophy is emphatically anti-religious. An ethically oriented scepticism lies at the heart of his own conception of a properly philosophical way of life. For Russell, philosophy should lead to peace — to personal serenity, and to peace in the world.
Russell revives an ancient conception of philosophy as a way of life in insisting that questions of cosmic meaning and value have an existential, ethical and spiritual urgency. Of course, what we might mean by such terms is another issue for philosophers to grapple with. We see here the idea of philosophy as a praxis; something that we do, and a way of thinking that is beneficial for every rational human being.
As Russell puts it,. To endure uncertainty is difficult, but so are most of the other virtues. For the learning of every virtue there is an appropriate discipline, and for the learning of suspended judgment the best discipline is philosophy.
Carlisle concedes that this is easier to do when one is not faced with a stressful moral dilemma or the burden of making a quick decision while in an emotional state. Yet, the idea is that we practice the habit of philosophical thinking, and that we get better at it. I recently attended the Federation of Australasian Philosophy in Schools Associations FAPSA Conference in Wellington, New Zealand and was struck by the conversation surrounding the idea of what kind s of philosophy should be taught to everyone, and particularly to young people.
The presenters and attendees at this conference are all committed to offering philosophy as a subject to school aged children, from ages 3 to I have previously written about Philosophy for Children P4C and the benefits of teaching philosophy to young people.
Namely, P4C offers students the chance to learn and practice not just critical thinking skills, but also caring, collaborative and creative thinking skills. The CoI involves students engaging in dialogue with one another in an inclusive and democratic manner. Such dialogue is facilitated by their teachers using age appropriate philosophical texts and stimulus materials in the classroom.
Hand says,. In this citizenship of the universe consists man's true freedom, and his liberation from the thraldom of narrow hopes and fears. The study and practice of philosophy therefore opens up whole new worlds for us, making us think beyond ourselves to care about the bigger, more fulfilling picture in life.
As Russell concludes:. Philosophy is to be studied, not for the sake of any definite answers to its questions since no definite answers can, as a rule, be known to be true, but rather for the sake of the questions themselves; because these questions enlarge our conception of what is possible, enrich our intellectual imagination and diminish the dogmatic assurance which closes the mind against speculation; but above all because, through the greatness of the universe which philosophy contemplates, the mind also is rendered great, and becomes capable of that union with the universe which constitutes its highest good.
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