Topic > Bertrand Russell's Definition of Philosophy

“The Value of Philosophy” by Bertrand Russell defines philosophy as a study of the uncertain because the questions asked in philosophy have no answers. Once something has an answer, it ceases to be philosophy and becomes a completely new discipline. Therefore, philosophy constitutes the indefinable and the unsolvable. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay But you can't get an answer without asking the question first. Although philosophical inquiry does not provide direct answers, it produces questions that can in turn lead to the discovery of answers as well as the discovery of new disciplines. Philosophy is not considered a “hard science,” but its contemplative process is an essential step in the creation of “hard sciences.” The demonstrable set of truths known to us today would not have been discovered without philosophical inquiry. This also implies that philosophy is different from other sciences in the sense that it is not concerned with a certain topic in the same way that history is strictly concerned with world events. past and astronomy is strictly concerned with celestial bodies. Rather, it is a collection of unanswered questions on various topics. According to Russell, the value of philosophy lies in its uncertainty. Importance is given to questions rather than answers. Questions allow us to contemplate things that broaden our perspective and help us see more possibilities. This open-ended thinking method, “…while diminishing our sense of certainty about what things are, greatly increases our knowledge about what they might be” and “…keeps alive our sense of wonder by showing familiar things in context unfamiliar." aspect." The idea that the value of philosophy lies in uncertainty challenges our tendency to value answers more than questions and to consider unanswered and improbable things useless. Russell also states that because philosophy is a broad study , helps the individual who studies it to think openly and without limits of conventional thought. While our view of the universe is influenced by the physical world, personal prejudices, culture, instinct, etc., philosophy is impartial, impartial and looks outside the individual. By adopting the philosophical mindset, we are able to put aside our prejudices and see the world from a broader lens. “In contemplation… we start from the non-Self and through the his greatness expands the boundaries of the self. Through the infinity of the universe the mind that contemplates it obtains a part of the infinite". This reading challenges the popular concept that "man is the measure of all things" and that “…space, time, and the world of universals are properties of the mind.” It challenges the common belief that, to achieve useful results, we must think within the parameters of our established set of values ​​and demonstrable truths that we use to define the world. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper now from our expert writers. Get a Custom Essay This implies that our perspective of the universe is clouded by our human biases. It connects to the idea above that philosophy is a first step towards inventing, discovering answers, and creating other disciplines. Because philosophy encourages unprejudiced contemplation, it allows us to consider new possibilities which in turn can lead to new ideas, theories, and discoveries. Discoveries such as the Big Bang theory and the heliocentric system would not have been possible without thinking outside the cultural and religious prejudices of those times. This means that to innovate it is essential that human thinking challenges.