Just When You Thought Philosophers Were Useless…
It is a common perception that philosophers (and the discipline of philosophy in general) have (has) nothing to offer the “practical man,” the person who works a “real job.” I never shared this perspective even before I became a philosopher. Nevertheless, I often find myself defensive of my field, and regularly attempt to present myself and my discipline as informing a particular debate or helping solve a particular problem–I attempt to make myself relevant.
Whether I should do this is a particularly important question, since, it would seem, some disciplines are valuable in and of themselves–they carry their virtues intrinsically, regardless of whether they are practical (I take it that studies in ancient literature, ancient medicine, religion, dead languages, and archaeology can carry some virtue irrespective of their practical benefits to contemporary culture or religious belief, etc.). Surely, philosophy is among these venerable disciplines.
This question becomes especially apropos when I am faced with a skeptic. On one occasion, I was drawing a particularly technical distinction between two concepts in philosophy of action, when the especially astute evangelical pastor I was talking to asked, perhaps only half-jokingly, “Don’t you ever get tired of all the bullshit?” The answer, of course, is, “No, I’m a philosopher.” Nevertheless, there are sometimes glimmers of usefulness that shine through the haze of philosophical terminology. A few months back, I posted an article explaining how one of my former philosophy professors received a 4.4 million dollar grant to lead neuroscientists and psychologists in a study of free will:
In a similar vein, The Guardian just ran a story about philosophers who are helping physicians make moral decisions in cases with patients near the end of their lives. Just when you thought philosophers were useless, they help inform important decisions. So, I just have to share. Follow the link to the article. Enjoy:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2010/jun/29/mental-health-patients-decisions
