Archetypes of Wisdom

1
Archetypes of Wisdom

• Douglas J. Soccio
• Chapter 18
• Philosophy as a Way of Life

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Learning Objectives

• On completion of this chapter, you should be able
  to answer the following questions
• What is philosophical advocacy?
• What is the different voice Carol Gilligan
  identifies?
• What is the issue of representation in academic
  philosophy?
• Who is Peter Singer?
• Who is Martha C. Nussbaum?
• Why does Nussbaum describe her philosophy as
  Neo-Stoic?
• Who is Pierre Hadot?
• What does Hadot see as the goal of the sage?

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Introduction

• Traditionally, the philosopher has been viewed as
  a detached observer, someone outside the
  mainstream of society.
• In this chapter, we examine philosophical
  advocates, that is, philosophers whose work
  identifies, clarifies, and actively opposes a
  perceived injustice.
• Philosophical advocates give philosophical
  credence to personal experience based on gender,
  ethnic background, or social status.

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Public Philosophers

• Philosophical advocates do not always remain on
  the sidelines of the major social controversies
  of our time.
• Sometimes philosophical advocates are public
  philosophers writers or speakers whose
  philosophical positions are expressed in ways
  accessible to a broad audience.
• The most effective public philosophers identify
  vital philosophical issues of the day.
• When public philosophers also practice what they
  preach, they function much like sages or
  prophets in their capacity to provoke individual
  self-assessment and collective consciousness-raisi
  ng.

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The Reemergence of Other Voices

• Modern philosophys emphases on objectivity and
  personal detachment have become increasingly
  disturbing to growing numbers of philosophers.
• Converging social, political, and intellectual
  movements are contributing to reawakened interest
  in other voices and other approaches to doing
  philosophy.

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Gilligans Different Voice

• Carol Gilligans research into moral development
  has led her to distinguish between a traditional,
  masculine-oriented voice and a
  feminine-oriented different voice.
• This different voice is not confined to objective
  argument (or scientific evidence), but expresses
  other ways of knowing.
• Gilligan argues that excessive reliance on
  rationality results in injustice by excluding
  those who do not speak in the objective voice
  from full participation in philosophy, science,
  law and higher education.

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Peter Singer, the Dangerous Philosopher

• The Australian philosopher Peter Singer (b. 1946)
  is a controversial public philosopher who
  believes in making people uncomfortable as a way
  of raising moral consciousness.
• Singer applies utilitarian principles to such
  current issues as animal rights, infanticide,
  euthanasia, and world poverty.
• Singer emerged as an international figure with
  the publication of Animal Liberation (1975) and
  Practical Ethics (1979).

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Singers Solution to World Poverty

• In The Singer Solution to World Poverty, an
  article published in the New York Times rather
  than in a philosophy journal, Singer challenges
  everyone not already living in abject poverty to
  give away all income over 30,000.
• Single adults could, of course, give away much
  more.
• Singer himself gives one-fifth of his income
  (including royalties from his books) to
  famine-relief agencies.
• Singer argues that whatever money we are
  spending on luxuries, not necessities, should be
  given away.

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Martha Nussbaum, Lawyer for Humanity

• The philosopher Martha C. Nussbaum (b. 1947)
  describes public philosophers as lawyers for
  humanity.
• Nussbaum suggests that too many professional
  intellectuals fail to use their theories and
  talents to improve the human condition by
  fighting for equality, justice, and freedom.
• Nussbaum functions as a citizen of the world by
  writing about philosophical issues for the
  general public in The New York Review of Books,
  The New Republic, national newspapers, and other
  nonacademic publications.

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Philosophy for the Sake of Humanity

• With notable exceptions, as Western philosophy
  developed, philosophers increasingly dismissed
  and distrusted subject (private) emotional
  responses to philosophical problems.
• Nussbaum challenges modern philosophys wariness
  of emotions and what she sees as its
  correspondingly limited view of philosophy (and
  life) in The Therapy of Desire and Upheavals of
  Thoughts The Intelligence of Emotions.
• Her books that have attracted the attention of
  readers inside and outside of academic circles.

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Philosophy for the Sake of Humanity

• Building on her knowledge of Hellenistic
  philosophy, Nussbaum presents what she describes
  as a Neo-stoic philosophy.
• Neo-stoic philosophy takes the art of life
  seriously by treating philosophy as more than
  an intellectual or academic exercise.
• In the final analysis, Nussbaum reminds us that
  although it cannot perfect human life, philosophy
  has unique skills to help us tell our stories in
  ways that can free us from at least some
  unhappiness and guide us toward better lives.

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Philosophy as a Way of Life

• Pierre Hadot (b. 1922), Professor Emeritus of the
  History of Hellenistic and Roman Thought at the
  Collège de France, takes seriously the sages
  goal that philosophy become a way of life.
• Pierre Hadots Philosophy as a Way of Life
  presents a distillation of his accumulated
  knowledge and experience as a professional
  scholar and lover of wisdom.
• Hadot asserts that the conflict between wisdom
  and the world can never be totally resolved.
• Still, he believes that life is better with
  philosophy than without it taking wisdom
  seriously raises our sights and requires more of
  us than does abandoning the search.

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To Live Like a Philosopher

• Hadot invites us to transform ourselves.
• Philosophy is a conversion, a transformation of
  ones way of being and living, and a quest for
  wisdom.
• In What is Ancient Philosophy?, Hadot expresses
  his conviction that the ancient concept of
  philosophy as a practical way of life is still
  possible and that the rediscovery of philosophy
  as a way of life has a certain urgency in todays
  world.

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A Vision for You

• It is too soon to tell whether or not
  philosophical advocacy will produce new
  philosophical archetypes.
• Archetypes of Wisdom was written not just to
  convey philosophical facts and arguments, but
  also to evoke philosophical yearnings that most
  of us experience but dont always recognize as
  being philosophical.
• This yearning is the love of wisdom, and
  hopefully it triggers a felt need for an honest
  vision of the human condition and our particular
  place in it.
• Fare thee well, philosopher

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Discussion Questions

• Present and then assess Peter Singers views
  regarding our obligations toward alleviating
  world poverty. Is he too strict? Make your case
  that he is or is not.
• Compare Nussbaums and Hadots arguments on
  behalf of philosophy as a way of life. How are
  they different? How are they similar?

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Chapter ReviewKey Concepts and Thinkers

• Philosophical advocate
• Public philosopher
• Carol Gilligan (b.1936)
• Peter Singer (b. 1946)
• Martha Nussbaum (b. 1947)
• Pierre Hadot (b. 1922)