Imbolc Waxing Wild Moon
“Science is what you know, philosophy is what you don’t know.” – Bertrand Russell
In spite of what I said yesterday I have listened to the opening lectures on of a history of philosophy course. In the first lecture the professor teased out three notions of what philosophy is: 1. A search for answers to the perennial questions, 2. A love of wisdom and 3. A quest aimed toward the unknown.
Each of these makes sense to me in their own way, but it is the 3rd idea I want to explore. Russell’s quote nails it so well. In this understanding of philosophy the discipline performs the early thought experiments, theorizing and critique out of which grow many others. Science and the scientific method grew out of early philosophical speculations about the nature of reality, such speculation goes back to the very beginning of Western philosophy in the pre-Socratic philosophers of ancient Greece. Once regular methodology and empirical data begin to define a new discipline it pulls away from philosophical thought into its own domain. Psychology is another example. Theology put philosophical rigor in service to Christian faith.
The ongoing rhythm of philosophical investigation leads to many answers to the same problem. This in turn leads to skeptical thinking which observes that many answers to the same question does not make sense. Then a consolidation occurs which often develops into a cohesive new line of thought.
A good example of this process going on right now involves the philosophy of mind. At issue is the nature of consciousness, the existence or non-existence of free will and the nature of the self or the individual. Pretty fundamental matters, especially when we consider what it means to be human. The back and forth of philosophical speculation in these areas courses past the limited tools we have for empirical investigation into the brain. Some people say we will never solve the problem of consciousness because the investigation requires consciousness itself. I’m in this latter camp.
All I wanted to observe here is the interesting result of philosophical speculation: disciplines develop and move away from home, leaving philosophers once again wrestling with the unknown.
