Philosophy As A Guide To Human Conduct

I was once asked by someone to recommend some introductory books of philosophy. He told me that he wished philosophy could serve as a guide to human conduct. I usually do not like to recommend books to anyone as the wonders of universe are best to be discovered by our own. Unfortunately, his insistence left me no choice but offered a few suggestions such as Bertrand Russell's The History of Western Philosophy and Alain de Botton's The Consolations of Philosophy. Philosophy has been given the impression that it offers wisdoms of life written by great men in history which could serve as a guide as to how we should live. No doubt philosophy offers wisdoms of great men. But for those who wish philosophy to serve as a guide to human conduct, they are, however, deeply mistaken. Not only philosophy is unable to serve as a guide as to how we should live, but this illusion also shows a lack of understanding of what philosophy actually is.

Philosophy has, in history, changed lives and filled minds. It sheds light upon us as to how we can look at the world from all sorts of different perspectives. Little wonder philosophy has produced different schools of thoughts. Plato argues that our moral values are objective while the utilitarians maintain that our actions are ethical as long as they maximise the happiness of humans. How, then, do we determine which school to follow as our guide to human conduct? Moreover, what seems desirable to you on a certain matter in a school of philosophy does not entail that its views on other matters are desirable to you as well. Nietzschean philosophy, for instance, may be right about Christianity but it may irritate you in the realm of politics after knowing Nietzsche was one of the founders of Nazism.

My second line of argument is of greater importance. Philosophy, like science, appeals to reason. It does not appeal to authority. It is the speculation of matters which have yet no definite answers. It lies in not what opinions are held but how they are held. It does not decide with absolute certainty on what matters are right and wrong. On the contrary, it leaves room for doubt. A philosopher, like a mathematician, should regard a mathematical proof of probability as beautiful and remain fresh open to evidence. Following a certain school of philosophy is no different from declaring this school of thoughts as absolute truth. It glues your mind to fixed assumptions and principles which deeply runs counter to the essence of philosophy. This is how wars of religions were inspired in history which each sect was certain of its beliefs and proclaimed the other was deluded.

Philosophy is not important in the sense that it provides wisdoms of great men, but it is important in how it provokes our rational enquiry and unbiased evaluation of evidence. It cordons off our minds from prejudices and taboos and encourages us to scrutinise societal conventions that are liable to be taken as gospel. In a world where we habitually stifle our doubts and follow the flock, our minds are persecuted by the tyranny of public opinion. The epidemic of this unthinking attitude has found its way to our conception of philosophy. Our personalities are too diverse to be guided by a school of thoughts. Only through a true philosophical outlook, we liberate ourselves from this imprisonment.

W