The Resurgence of Sound Philosophy
In our history, most philosophers spent their time building useless theories and refuting others, often generating nothing new. The field was created by the passionate (Aristotle), heightened by the learned (St. Thomas Aquinas, our Founding Fathers, Ayn Rand), and ran into the ground by the malicious (Kant, Sartre, Marx). But all quietly performed revolutions in an era’s thought, not necessarily for the better. It is time to bring philosophy back to its proper stature, as its effect on mankind is staggering.
A host of men throughout history have been declared philosophers, while their thinking consisted of claiming that Man cannot think. From Plato’s “We know that we know nothing,” to Sartre’s “My existence is absurd” (that was true by the way), a long line—Hegel, Marx, Kant, Hume—have been some of the world’s most influential minds. Modern professors jump on the bandwagon, enjoying the spectacle of leaving their students speechless in response to unanswerable questions, declaring the futility of the mind and its sensate capacities. But the title of “intellectual” can only be granted to those who show discipline in the use of their intellect, not to those who evade its use.
Such men have given the field of philosophy the air of unprofessionalism it now has. Aristotle’s every action implied that philosophy was for practical use; not the province for senseless utopias. Most others used their minds to question whether or not the mind was of any use, and the wise, to their credit, dismissed them. Unfortunately, the whole field of philosophy was tainted through cultural expulsion, prompted by those seeking sound, useful, and intelligent moral guidance. The phonies removed science from philosophy, which made religion almost appealing by comparison.
A mathematician doesn’t question whether or not humans can add. No endeavors of Man are ever to question whether or not we have any capacity to investigate them, if they are to be considered scientific, philosophical, or rational. To close the issue once and for all, if you want to argue against the validity of Man’s senses, you will have to—in good faith—figure out a way to convey your stand to me without using them.
With this work, I hope to return philosophy to its proper role in education—that of coherently guiding Man to fulfillment in every aspect of his existence. Marx claimed that the essential division between men was economic. I say the essential classes of men are defined by the base premise that drives their consciousness, and that all motives stem from within a man himself. A rational philosophy for living integrates every single thing you know, giving clear classification and clear links to where every bit of knowledge is coming from and going to. There is no limit to its usefulness, and with moral awareness of its value, we can become not just spiritually fulfilled, but spiritually self-sufficient as well.