Introduction
The study of philosophy boosts a person’s problem-solving skills and opens one’s imagination to aspects of life beyond material science. Philosophical skills allow scholars to examine ideas, definitions, arguments, and issues that directly affect the perception of life (Blanshard 12). Such skills add to the ability to organize thoughts and concerns, cope with matters of worth, and extract what is vital from vast volumes of information. Through its demands on intellectual engagement, philosophy contributes significantly to the educational endeavor. This essay is based on the theme that philosophy is crucial as it opens the scholar’s mind in higher education to world views on thought frequency, vibration, and energy. In higher education, philosophy entails becoming acquainted with significant figures and improvements in antiquity, mastering current techniques, and accepting philosophical issues. Exposure to the concepts in philosophy helps scholars develop critical, analytic, and observational abilities that may be considered the most valuable in the greater scheme of life.
Fundamental Traits of a Philosopher
Philosophy makes a critical contribution to achieving four criteria that should be foundational to any institute of higher learning. The foundational skills include instilling basic thought patterns in students and improving their text interpretation, writing, and good communication skills. These skills are essential in developing cultural identities and encouraging scholars to engage critical questions about reality, knowledge, and relevance (Rick 583). Specific fundamental traits make a scholar a good philosopher ready to engage in constructive arguments that shape decisions in daily life. The most common characteristics include open-mindedness, skepticism, and a systemic thinking approach.
Open-Mindedness
Open-mindedness is one of the important that s that define a scholar as a philosopher. Open-mindedness is better understood as a predisposition rather than an occurrence. Open-mindedness is not about one’s honest opinions but about one’s willingness to revise them under suitable conditions. It requires genuine humility in the face of admitted fallibility and adjusting the perception of existing problems (Blanshard 32). Open-mindedness is a constructive virtue in a philosophical framework. It acts as a correction to confirmation bias, an epistemic fault. In this context, open-mindedness is the epistemically virtuous inclination to resist the detrimental consequences of confirmation bias on our capacity to reason correctly and analyze facts and arguments.
Skepticism
A good philosopher is also supposed to have some levels of skepticism that provide for more research invalidating the information provided in a discussion. Skepticism is the attitude of disputing knowledge claims made in several fields of Western philosophy (Rick 571). Skeptics have questioned the sufficiency or dependability of these statements by inquiring about the principles upon which they are founded or what they genuinely establish. A critical mindset will aid the scholar in requiring a rationale for the ethical claims of others. Additionally, the scholar will eschew appeals to authority in favor of considering all perspectives.
Systemic Approach to Thinking
A good paradigmatic philosopher must also show signs of systemic thinking in their approach to issues in life. Consistent with systems philosophy, systems thinking is concerned with comprehending a system by examining the relationships and interactions between the system’s constituent pieces. Systems thinking is especially beneficial when confronted with complicated or wicked problems (Blanshard 12). In philosophy, systems thinking better predicts future outcomes based on a deeper grasp of the surrounding structure and its constituents than on previous occurrences. A few philosophers have demonstrated some of these trains, including Socrates, a Greek philosopher from Athens credited with establishing Western philosophy.
Argumentative Case for Socrates
Socrates emerges as a paradigmatic scholar who understands philosophy as applying logic and reason to pursue knowledge. According to Socrates, such knowledge may be gained by contact with the surrounding (Blanshard 22). Socrates established that philosophy is concerned with the topic of investigation, even though such a study seldom understands the subject. Plato’s Socratic dialogues demonstrate that philosophy is a process of self-examination, examination of other aspects of life, and recognition of known limitations.
For instance, Socrates alludes to the belief that an unexamined life is not worth living. According to the philosophy, awareness is the only reality, and mystical experience is the only path to enlightenment. Western religion’s belief in the ego as both the beginning and end is the source of all evil (Blanshard 3). Consequently, such individuals lead radically different lives than philosophers who seek meaning beyond the material universe. However, there is reason to fear that if our philosophy is faulty, academics may easily spend their careers seeking false goals, worshiping false gods, and nurturing false aspirations. On the other hand, philosophy makes no effort to provide conclusive theories about life. In addition, philosophy makes frequent references to emotions, which is scarcely surprising for an enlightened individual having access to intuition.
Socrates defined them as competent individuals, yet they could not demonstrate their knowledge. Such reality led Socrates to the philosophical conclusion that the most capable person is the one who admits ignorance (Blanshard 5). Consequently, Socrates implied that a scholar could not claim to know anything until they can demonstrate their understanding of what they claim to know. Such an argument leads to the belief that all topics are susceptible to question and that human beings understand the truth via justification.
In such arguments, Socrates demonstrates a philosophical need for truth to determine if an unexamined life is worth living. Socrates approaches philosophy to understand how things hang together and how they give meaning to existence. In this context, philosophy emerges as the art and rule of life, and it tries to teach what to do in all situations and how to make the most informed decisions (Blanshard 4). Therefore, philosophy is beneficial, particularly for individuals who approach philosophy with an open mind. All that is required is to choose our ideas and develop the habit of thinking and contemplation.
Epilogue
From a personal perceived, although I have not fully become a philosopher yet, I have attempted to master some art in growing as a good philosopher, such as open-mindedness, skepticism, and a systemic thinking approach. The philosopher lives in study and observation and wants to comprehend every experience, even if doing so demands harsh honesty. I prefer to discard any preconceived assumptions that one may have had in the past and scrutinize all of one’s views. Regardless of their origin, authority, or emotional potency, no belief or source of ideas is immune. To think philosophically, I recognize the need to be an autonomous thinker. The objective of philosophical thought is not to be correct; instead, it is to pose pertinent questions and seek insight.
Similarly, while honing my critical thinking skills, I often argue about contentious issues such as religion and the power of thought. I recognize that such arguments may help me improve my critical and independent capacity. Indeed, many philosophers see the lively intellectual debate necessary for the truth. The objective of the majority of discussion settings is not to win a contest but to acquire and improve critical thinking and communication abilities. I recognize that there will always be someone more knowledgeable than me and that hubris will impair my capacity to learn from them. I always make a conscious effort to have an open mind during such conversations.
Maintaining excellent and logical reasoning is another lesson learned from systemic critical thinking. In writing and oral discussions, the conclusions must flow from the premises, which logical arguments must support. I am aware of the need to weigh simple facts and not be misled only by repetition or ignorance. Practicing argument formulation and critique are critical for any emerging philosopher’s approach to study and practice. It is clear from most of these engagements that an integral aspect of philosophy is exploring and analyzing the world. There is a lot to gain as a scholar considering that philosophy’s primary purpose is to identify and characterize the underlying structures and patterns of existence, often by decomposing them into smaller component components.
Conclusion
Philosophy is crucial in enhancing the quality of scholarly debates, establishing a foundation for problem-solving abilities, and expanding one’s imagination to include areas of life other than material science. Intellectual capabilities enable researchers to evaluate concepts, definitions, arguments, and issues critically. A philosopher’s essential characteristics are open-mindedness, skepticism, and systemic thinking, which is concerned with grasping a system by studying the links and interactions between the system’s component elements. Socrates establishes himself as an archetypal scholar who recognizes philosophy as applying logic and reason to the search for knowledge. Socrates indicates that philosophy is concerned with topic exploration, even though such examination seldom ends in subject comprehension. Although I have not entirely developed into a philosopher in terms of concept definitions, I have endeavored to master some of the art of being a good philosopher, such as open-mindedness, skepticism, and a systems approach to thinking.
Works Cited
Blanshard, Brand. The Philosophical Enterprise. Springer Science & Business Media, 2012, 8-60.
Rick, Slick. Facing Reality Perception and The External World. Springer Science, 2011, 569-582.