Introduction
As one of the many foundations of culture and human interaction, philosophy lacks a concrete definition. In the academic sense, it can be described as the study of the essence of reality, knowledge, and existence. Its approaches to the issue of uncertainty and doubt about the function of the world are varied and evolving.
While philosophy aims to resolve the issues of the unknown, it recognizes that such a conclusion is impossible. Outside of the academic and theoretical sphere, philosophy has a number of vital applications within the practical realm. It directly contributes to the problem-solving abilities of an individual.
Discussion
The core of any philosophical method is the analysis of concepts, arguments, issues, and definitions. As such, it drives one’s capability to organize ideas, debate value, and understand essential elements within large bodies of information. The distribution and acceptance of ideas are the leading factors of philosophy and are vital components of everyday modern life.
Plato’s Apology is a dramatized retelling of the trial during which Socrates was found to be guilty and later condemned to death. The work can be divided into three parts. First, Socrates defended himself against the charges that were brought against him (Wilbrun, 2022). Second, Socrates provides an alternative sentence in accordance with Athenian legal custom. Third, Socrates responds to the sentence and provides final statements to the jury.
The significance of the work is in the prophetic conclusions drawn by Socrates that the judges will be pronounced wrong for his condemnation. His sentence hinged on his corruption of the youth and his rejection of the belief in the gods. Despite the societal backlash, Socrates remained true to his analysis of existence and saw the importance of variety in thought. The close-mindedness of the judges signifies the inability to utilize philosophy effectively, thereby limiting oneself to intellectual stagnation or even immoral behavior.
Another crucial work by Plato includes the Allegory of the Cave. The narrative introduces people who live chained to a cave wall and spend all their lives observing a blank wall (D’Lompio, 2019). The only other thing visible is the projections of objects that pass in front of a fire, casting shadows on the observed wall. Those living in the cave provide the shadows with names but the central theme of the story reflects that they are incapable of seeing the real forms of the objects. Their understanding of reality is incomplete until they leave the cave.
The tale’s focus is that education is fundamental to living in the world, and its presence within nature is lacking. As such, this allegro evokes the value that learning provides to individuals. As philosophy is the study of reality and ideas, it is especially significant in informing the relationship between humans and the world.
While all schools of philosophy facilitate the provision of concepts, ideas, and analysis, the philosophy of information prioritizes the processes by which such exchanges occur. Philosophy of information can be observed as a branch that primarily analyses information in multiple forms and the application of these findings to new and classical philosophical challenges.
This is a substantial example of the importance of the exchange of ideas in philosophy, as philosophical issues often reflect real moral dilemmas. As such, the ability to reveal, create, and share information is fundamental to broadening one’s understanding of both real and theoretical concepts and issues. Such exchanges allow for advantages such as logic, solution analysis, problem-solving, persuasion, and understanding of others. While humans are not immune to biases, the free exchange of philosophical concepts allows access to many perspectives and experiences.
The philosopher’s role has dramatically changed since the study’s inception. According to Bertrand Russell (1999), the continued value of philosophy is in loosening the strength found in uncritical opinion and expanding thinking to a new range of possibilities. Russel cities that philosophy aims to reply to an ‘ultimate question.’ This challenge can range from consideration of coherence, clarity, reason, or more.
What is crucial is that Russell argues that the philosopher must challenge presuppositions that non-philosophers may interpret as evidently true. In the most basic of definitions, an individual who is capable of acting and thinking in ways that promote critical consideration and intellectual growth can be considered a philosopher.
However, the academic definition of the profession remains more static. It defines the role of an individual who provides views and theories on important questions within metaphysics, logic, ethics, and other fields. This individual may also be well-versed and able to establish a central concept to a movement.
Conclusion
It is vital to recognize that no definitive philosopher role exists and both presented or other definitions can be seen as valid. One’s ability to defend their position through rational, critical, and open discussion is what provides the ground for philosophical practice and study. Therefore, it is advantageous to explore the capabilities of philosophy rather than to focus on the creation of a false identity of philosophy that will be too rigid to reflect the reality of the practice.
References
D’Lompio, D. (2019). The allegory of the cave – Plato explained by the Ethics Centre. The Ethics Centre. Web.
Russell, B. (1999). The problems of philosophy. Dover Publications.
Wilburn, H. (2022). An introduction to Plato’s Apology. Pressbooks. Web.