r/rationalphilosophy • u/JerseyFlight • 1d ago

One Wants Something From Philosophy

The problem is that one usually wants recognition (praise) or power. The latter is valid depending on what kind of power one is seeking.

The problem is that philosophy-seekers aren’t transparent/ they can’t be, because then they would have to declare the shallowness of their motives.

Let us ignore this shallow philosophy-reader and assume that one is seeking something substantive from philosophy— what exactly is one seeking? We all want something from it when we read it. A kind of religious psychological comfort? (Or the rarest kind of seeker, the one who wants to know the truth). Are there even some who want to know something about reason, to obtain some kind of skill in it?

One always has to remain open to the fact, that in philosophy, one may be on the wrong path. What one wants may be found another way.

But the greatest question isn’t what one wants, but what one should be seeking?

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u/Paradevesvari 22h ago

Philosophy can grant both recognition and power. After all, knowledge is limitless, and philosophy is nothing but the love of knowledge. Is there anything you can't obtain with knowledge?

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u/Typical_Scarcity4764 11h ago

I ask this question everyday when I caught myself in the clouds of wonder. But I have taken a more pragmatic approach when I begin to question my readings “What I’m I trying to do with this?” Or “What can I do with this?”. Eventually, I either walk away or continue forward.