Philosophy for Dummies

[ornoth]

Having already developed a strong personal philosophy outside of any structured study, I bought the book "Philosophy for Dummies" in order to get an overview of the great philosophers and philosophies of history. I was hoping that I'd be exposed to some new ideas that I hadn't accounted for in my own philosophy, and/or find some more details about philosophers whose opinions coincided with the ones I've developed during my life.

While the book was a passable overview of the major questions of life, the author presented it in a very biased and judgemental way, which is unfortunate because I disagree with him on most issues. Still, I was able to think about my opinions in a more structured fashion, and come up with a few specific statements that I believe, even if they're no different from the beliefs I had going into the exercise. Here are some highlights:

1. We will probably never have the ability to answer some of life's biggest questions. We are in a situation where we must act based on limited information about what life is all about. So the most logical thing we can do is make conscious decisions and live our lives with the meaning that we choose to give them.
2. Similarly, because there is no inherent or apparent meaning to life, we have the freedom and opportunity to give our lives meaning and enjoy our lives while we're here. What matters is what gets you through your life with the most meaning and happiness possible.
3. Most people never enjoy the life they have now; they're always looking somewhere else, either in the future or the past, like a housewife who has misplaced her keys and is looking everywhere but where they are: right under her nose. This is exacerbated because we live in such an acquisitive culture, where you never seem to have "enough" of whatever it is you think will make you happy. Life is a process, and if you die never having reached a point where you're satisfied and content with your lot, you will have lived without ever having known happiness and contentment.
4. Philosophy in general cannot prove anything, nor even provide much evidence on which to base an opinion about life's biggest questions. Because it doesn't make sense to believe that something is an absolute without evidence, I don't believe there can be any universal definition of morality or good (i.e., I believe in moral relativism or ethical subjectivism). There are certainly ample examples of people violating commonly-held morality, while adhering to what they believe is right. Even Hitler believed that he was doing something moral and good.
5. I also believe in "amoral relativism". That is, you can define "evil" very simply and succintly as someone whose morals and values differ from your own. That's why, when people have philosophical difference, people are tempted to view the opposing viewpoint as "evil" or "amoral".
6. We like to think that we "decide" what we believe, but belief is not subject to direct control. While we might be able to indirectly influence it, belief is one of the few things that is equally emotional as it is rational, and sometimes we only discover what we believe when we're put in a position that tests or challenges our belief. In fact, although we like to think that we "know" what we believe, it is just as difficult to understand as it is to control, which is why so many people refer to examining their beliefs as a "process of discovery".
7. Humanity is the result of random evolution; we were not "created".
8. Although most people refuse to accept it, man is not significantly different than most animals. Even a cat or dog has a memory, makes decisions based on experience, can understand cause and effect and future consequences, and lives much the same kind of life as we have. The only significant difference I can see is in scale: mankind's capacity to learn and communicate is radically higher than that of other beasts.
9. When we die, like any animal, we die. There is no essense or spirit which survives when our brain activity ceases. Because death is and inevitable end of our being, and because we never live to experience it, it is illoigcal to fear death. On the other hand, it certainly is logical to fear suffering and pain, if those are part of your road to death. But death itself should be accepted as the ultimate, immutable fact of life. Accept it and move on and enjoy your life, motivated further by the knowledge that your portion of life is finite.
10. Because of their dispassionate opinions, history's existential philosophers have been viewed by the majority as depressed, defeatist, and negative. However, existentialism can also be a very positive, empowering philosophy. When you accept the fact that life is transitory, it makes that time much more precious an experience, and drives you to consciously enjoy every moment as it occurs. The world is full of wonder and beauty, and each precious fleeting moment should be savored while it is available to you. And when you accept that there is no God or other meaning to your life, it gives you the amazing freedom to define what your life will mean, and pursue your own happiness and fulfilment. For me, existentialism is clearly the road which is the most positive, empowering, and likely to lead to a happy and fulfilling life.

So "Philosophy for Dummies" didn't really add much beyond what I originally came to the exercise with, unless you could the insight that there's not much out there that is going to significantly change my world-view. And because the book completely dismissed existentialism and the essence of my personal philosophy, the next thing for me to do is conduct a more thorough study of the thinkers who have expressed ideas that run in a similar vein to my own.