Introduction
Imagine starting your first day of medical school, only to find that the curriculum focuses on discredited practices before diving into modern understanding. Baffled, you discover this is a widespread practice among accredited medical schools. While this may seem far-fetched, it is how modern philosophy is taught at the college level. Philosophy courses often focus on the history or survey of the subject, rather than the condensed summary of modern consensus that defines other fields.
The Problem with Philosophy Education
While there is value in studying the history of philosophy, it is important to recognize that a formal education in philosophy does not necessarily qualify one as an authority in correct philosophical thought. In fact, many of the traditionally deep philosophical questions have already been solved by professionals in other fields. The philosophical community’s inability to make progress and keep up with the times has led to a less-than-stellar reputation among professional scientists, engineers, and the public at large.
Lack of Consensus and Clear Definitions
One of the main issues in academic philosophy is the lack of consensus on fundamental topics. Not even basic questions such as “What is truth?” or “What is knowledge?” have achieved an overwhelming agreement among philosophers. This lack of clear criteria leads to a lot of worthless content and makes it difficult to separate worthwhile nuggets of truth from useless rhetoric.
Moreover, even the definition of philosophy is a hotly debated issue. Some might define it as the love of wisdom or the study of fundamental truths about ourselves and the world, but these definitions do not provide a clear picture of what philosophy truly entails. In practice, philosophy often amounts to a massive survey of thought from culturally influential figures throughout history.
Philosophy’s Self-Importance and Lack of Progress
Adding to the problem is the overly optimistic sense of self-importance that philosophers often possess. They may claim to be exploring the deepest mysteries of life, but in reality, they often fail to provide any clear answers to the questions they pose. The lack of progress and the inability to provide definitive answers have led to frustrations among professionals in other fields, such as the famous physicist Stephen Hawking, who declared that philosophy is dead.
Metaphilosophy: A Philosophy of Philosophy
In order to regain respect and make progress, philosophy needs to impose boundaries and define its field more clearly. This can be achieved through metaphilosophy, or the philosophy of philosophy, which should explain what philosophers do, why they do it, what value it brings, and how to differentiate between competent and incompetent practitioners. While different perspectives on defining philosophy may exist, it is crucial to stop deluding ourselves under the pretentious fantasy that philosophers possess some kind of magical insight into the fundamental truths of anything.
Conclusion
Academic philosophy, as it stands, focuses more on exploring questions within a cultural or historical context rather than providing hard, definitive answers. If philosophy is viewed in this manner, it can be considered alive and well. However, for those seeking definitive answers, philosophy is dead, as it lacks the basic standards imposed by science. Until mainstream academic philosophers learn to impose a philosophy of their own, they will remain on the sidelines as other institutions carry on the real work of research and discovery.