Philosophy: The Pursuit of Wisdom

“All I know is the extent of my own ignorance.” These are the words of an ancient philosopher, known as Socrates. Some may see this as a paradox. Others, however, see it as an entrance to a series of questions and marvels that stretch far beyond the capabilities of the human mind. The concept of conception, thoughts, perception and reality… All the basis for a singular accomplishment that is as subtle as it’s own importance. This is known, in the modern translation, as Philosophy.

So what is philosophy? Most have a underlying idea of its basic principles. One person might say that philosophy is “Understanding that which cannot be understood.” Others might say, “Philosophy is applying wisdom to knowledge.” To ensure that all technicalities are met, lets look at the definition provided to us by the American Psychological Association.

phi⋅los⋅o⋅phy
[fi-los-uh-fee]
-noun, plural -phies.

the rational investigation of the truths and principles of being, knowledge, or conduct.

philosophy. (n.d.). Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1). Retrieved March 29, 2009, from Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/philosophy

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We see that even though this appears to be a rational definition of our current investigation, it has its own contradictions embedded within its definition. Wouldn’t the “rational investigation of truths” include investigating the legitimacy of its own definition? In other words, wouldn’t it be philosophical to prove the definition of philosophy to be false? This phenomena that you have just witnessed is known as a paradox.

When studying philosophy, life, and the universe, we often come across a paradox. A paradox is a statement or proposition that seems self-contradictory or absurd. For example:

“This statement is false”

We see the contradictions here in their most evident state. If the statement is truly false, then wouldn’t it be telling the truth in doing so? And vice versa? We approach these paradoxes in different ways. One may try to disprove the paradox or expose its legitimacy. This often proves to be the most difficult method. Others may try to dismantle the topic as a whole, asking a series of questions that may simply lead to irrelevancy. The last solution (a personal favorite) is to regard the paradox in its own awe worthy ability to puzzle the human mind, and leave it be. No attempts to define or disprove it, letting it simply exist within the caverns of our thoughts.