Philosophy is not something that can be handed down from generation to generation. It cannot be inherited; it cannot be bought. Those who believe that true wisdom lies in the books of the ancients or in the prayers of their fathers are deluded, for the truth by which they led their lives cannot be ours. Our lives are different from theirs and as a result, our wisdom is different as well. What we know to be true in this world comes from what we see, what we feel and what we learn. The more we observe our world, the more we understand our own selves. Our philosophies are ours alone, they are built upon the foundations of what we consider to be true. And each one of these philosophies attempt to pierce that veil which covers the greatest secret in all existence - that universal truth about who we are. Therefore if you wish to know more about yourself, do not listen to the sermons of others except to use them as guides who point you in a vague direction. Instead, find out more about the world - using your own mind to explain what your own senses bring to you.
1 comments:
Mogh,
I agree with you about the fact that we're all on our own individual journey and this cannot be dictated by anyone else.
However, if you consider philosophical truths to be unchanging, immutable and irrefutable evidence of how the world around us/the self react in response to each other, I don't think there's anything wrong with philosophy being passed down. It too, after all, not unlike science, is wisdom that has been proved by individuals to be true. The results, then, can be used by us to pursue further contemplation, which is the only working method of advancing philosophy (unlike science which has physical tangible experimentation too),if we wish, or leave them be and digress along our own path that we find applies to the present day scenario.
I'll give you an example. Till the early twentieth century, classical physics was the only method known to solve problems. It was proven to be true and of course it still definitely is. However, like any other discipline, it had inherent flaws. It did not apply itself to extreme dimensions be it big or small. Hence, people of that era took it forward, in away that they developed a new way of looking at the same problem to apply it to a different situation.
In the exact same way, philosophy of yore exists and is passed down because it has been experienced and deemed by individuals to be true. It's our job to take it forward.
This is a really good topic. I shall base my first ever blog around it. :)
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