Talk

Does Philosophy help?

Philosophy being nothing else but the study of wisdom and
truth, it may with reason be expected that those who have spent most
time and pains in it should enjoy a greater calm and serenity of mind,
a greater clearness and evidence of knowledge, and be less disturbed
with doubts and difficulties than other men

-- George Berkeley - A treatise concerning the principles of human knowledge

I for one do not believe Berkeley was in full posession of his intellectual faculties when exhorting the power of Philosophy to infuse peacefulness. When René Descarte set out to meditate on human nature and life his quest was indeed for answers that would make sense of the world. However, his escape came in the form of an incestous maxim which is often condensed to I think, therefore I am. Philosophers today are entangled in a web of details that do not assist their progress. The bigger picture is occluded. Its like looking at a mirror thats been fogged. Self doubt and deference to tradition prevents our modern day philosopher from reaching out and wiping the mirror. No answer, is still an answer. Why not accept what is (and what we know for now) as the truth. Why stand underneath the decaying branches of the tree of rational explanations waiting for the apple of knowledge to descend into the outstretched arms of want?