The Adventure of Philosophy

174 Pages·1999·11.37 MB·English

by  Luis E. Navia

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PHILOSOPHY
Luis E. Navia
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Adventure
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Philosophy

Adventure
Philosophy
Luis E. Navia
PKABGER Westport, Connecticut
London
The Library of Congress has cataloged the hardcover edition as follows:
Navia, Luis E.
The adventure of philosophy / Luis E. Navia.
p. cm.—(Contributions in philosophy, ISSN 0084-926X ; no.
71)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 0-313-30976-0 (alk. paper)
1. Philosophy Introductions. I. Title. II. Series.
BD21.N38 1999
100—dc21 99-14838
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data is available.
Copyright © 1999 by Luis E. Navia
All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be
reproduced, by any process or technique, without the
express written consent of the publisher.
A hardcover edition of The Adventure of Philosophy is available from Greenwood Press,
an imprint of Greenwood Publishing Group, Inc. (Contributions in Philosophy, Number
71; ISBN 0-313-30976-0).
Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 99-14838
ISBN: 0-275-96547-3
First published in 1999
Praeger Publishers, 88 Post Road West, Westport, CT 06881
An imprint of Greenwood Publishing Group, Inc.
www.praeger.com
Printed in the United States of America
<g>"
The paper used in this book complies with the
Permanent Paper Standard issued by the National
Information Standards Organization (Z39.48-1984).
10 9
In order to keep this title in print and available to the academic community, this edition
was produced using digital reprint technology in a relatively short print run. This would
not have been attainable using traditional methods. Although the cover has been changed
from its original appearance, the text remains the same and all materials and methods
used still conform to the highest book-making standards.
Contents
Preface vii
Chapter 1 — The Meaning of Philosophy 1
Chapter 2 — The Discovery of the Mind 21
Chapter 3 — Socrates and the Pursuit of the Self 39
Chapter 4 — The Search for Moral Values 57
Chapter 5 — The Problem of the Existence of God 79
Chapter 6 — The Quest for Reality 105
Glossary of Names 129
Glossary of Philosophical Terms 139
Select Bibliography 151
Index 157

Preface
The title of this book, The Adventure of Philosophy, reflects the way in which I
understand the meaning of philosophy. It is an adventure that through my readings
and reflections I have shared with the countless philosophers who for over twenty-
five centuries have kept it alive. I also have shared it with the thousands of students
who have passed through my classrooms, many among whom have felt the fascina
tion of philosophical reflection and whose lives have been enriched by the power
that flows from the ideas of great philosophers. Philosophy is above all an intellec
tual adventure in which we are committed to a constant search for meaning and
clarity, to a relentless self-examination, and to a constant endeavor to see the world
around us in a new and unprejudiced light. To do philosophy is to open wide the
eye of the mind to all our experiences, to our consciousness, and to the reality that
surrounds us and of which we are a part. It involves a methodic questioning of our
assumptions and beliefs, a bracketing away of the 'truths' with which the social
world has filled our minds, and a critical assessment of the values and convictions
with which we have been brought up. It is, therefore, a liberation from the intellec
tual and spiritual fetters that tend to immobilize the human mind. It is an adventur
ous journey into an unknown continent for which there is no ready-made map and
for which we possess only one tool—the use of our minds.
Unlike other studies, philosophy has no facts or hard data that we are
expected to memorize and no formulas that we must mechanically repeat. It is
useful to remember and identify some of the major philosophers, and the special
vocabulary created by philosophers over the centuries should be understood, if for
no other reason than to minimize any difficulties that may be encountered as we
read philosophical texts. But aside from this, we are on our own. In philosophy,
there are no self-evident principles, no unchallengeable dogmas, no body of
knowledge that must be accepted. Each and every one of the statements in this
book, with the exception of the few historical facts that are mentioned here and
viii Preface
there, can and should be challenged and even contradicted if, in the light of reason,
they appear to be misguided. Philosophers should neither teach nor preach, for their
only task is to communicate to others their assumptions and conclusions, in the
expectation that they may stimulate thoughts and responses in them. This is the
spirit in which the reflections contained in this book are presented.
A comprehensive introduction to philosophy would require a text several
times the size of this book and would have to include a fuller treatment of many
aspects of the philosophical adventure that I discuss here only in passing. The
chapters of this book, therefore, can merely give the students a taste of various
issues and problems that I have found to be of interest for people who approach the
study of philosophy for the first time. By consulting other books, especially
anthologies that offer selections from the writings of the philosophers, the students
can enrich and expand their initial acquaintance with the subject. A fruitful study
of philosophy requires a very careful and patient reading of writings that are often
difficult and demanding. There should always be a constant exchange of views and
impressions about the writings with others, as well as a reflective and thoughtful
analysis of them. Again, neither in what we read in this book nor in what we read
in any other philosophy book, including the writings of the philosophers them
selves, should there be anything that must be interpreted as unquestionable.
Philosophy is a search, a discovery, and we are all entitled to reach our own
conclusions and find our own paths, as long as we are guided by some dose of
critical thinking.
In chapter 1,1 wrestle with the problem of the meaning of philosophy and
endeavor to formulate a definition—a sort of definition—of what 'doing philoso
phy' is. My training and my inclination force me to revert constantly to the ideas
and contributions of the ancient Greek philosophers, and I make no apologies for
this, even though I know that this is not, as they say nowadays, a 'politically
correct' attitude. I am convinced that much of what philosophers have said and
written since the time of the ancient Greeks has been an elaboration and a rework
ing of what the Greek philosophers said and wrote. Accordingly, in clarifying the
meaning of philosophy, I appeal to the origin of the word 'philosopher' that is
associated with Pythagoras, who defined himself not as a man who possessed
wisdom, but as someone who was committed to the search for wisdom.
Chapters 2 and 3 are devoted to two important stages in the development
of ancient philosophy, namely, the rise of philosophy among the Presocratics and
the presence of Socrates. The ideas that emerged in these two stages have been of
great significance in all subsequent philosophical developments. With the Pre
socratics, we learned for the first time to think rationally and methodically about
the nature of the world, and their principles and concepts have remained, both in
philosophy and in science, the basis on which we have built our understanding of
Preface ix
the universe at large. From Socrates, especially in his search for the self, we learn
valuable lessons on how philosophy should pursue its course and on how the spirit
of philosophy can succeed in investing human life with a sense of purpose and
meaning.
Chapters 4, 5, and 6 deal, respectively, with the issue of ethical values, the
problem of the existence of God, and the question of the nature of reality. In these
chapters, I have appealed to a wide range of philosophical views, both ancient and
modern, and I have endeavored to shed light on a spectrum of philosophical
problems, in each case showing their relevance to our own present human condi
tion. Unless philosophy is made relevant to us, to each one of the students who
studies it, it remains no more than an interesting set of historical developments, and
it loses what I view as its primary value to help us make sense of ourselves and of
the world in which we live, and to serve as a guide to structure the conduct of our
lives. I must insist on this point. If the study of philosophy does not affect the way
in which we think and live, it becomes an enfeebled and strictly academic subject
of no greater value than the many subjects and disciplines that students are asked
to learn and that soon after graduation they are happy to forget completely.
Two extensive glossaries are found at the end of this book. In the glossary
of philosophical terms, I include definitions and brief explanations of the important
theories and views discussed in the chapters. In the glossary of names, I identify all
the philosophers and other significant persons mentioned in the text, in each case
giving a summary of some of their contributions.
In the bibliography, I have included a selection of books and articles
related to the themes and issues discussed in the chapters. Some of the cited works
are by the major philosophers discussed, while others are books and articles that
endeavor to clarify their ideas. Most of them are readily available in libraries and
bookstores, and there are many anthologies that include selections from them.
Every effort should be made to consult and read them attentively in order to give
more substance to the reflections that I offer in this book.
I wish to thank my wife, Alicia Cadena Navia, and my daughters, Monica,
Olga Lucia, Melissa, and Soraya Emilia, for their unfailing support in the prepara
tion of this book. Either by reading the manuscript and commenting on it, some
times setting me aright and forcing me to clarify my thoughts, or by showing me
through the example of their lives how important philosophy is for the right
conduct of life, they have made it possible for me to write a text that may prove to
be useful to anyone who wishes to be initiated into the study of a subject that has
engaged me already for several decades. I am grateful to Mr. Hector F. Cadena for
having commented at length on many sections of this book and to Rev. Augustine
Savarimuthu, S.J. for his perceptive comments on chapter 5.