Philosophy in Todays World John Michael R.

Saavedra, III CSsR

The legendary quotation "I think therefore I am" might be a good way to define philosophy's job description. Thinking is a big deal in the discipline of philosophy being it as the first and fore most tool in the field. Yet, the question if it is the only way and only thing that is needed in philosophizing arises. The question of what is the role of thinking in today's world arises as well. And answering the questions is tough and complex as philosophy is tough and complex today. Philosophy today is polemical. Each philosophy claims to represent the one, true, good and beautiful, and then at the same time deny every other. As Spinoza says, all affirmation is negation.1 The one, true, good and beautiful today has been very subjective that it reached the extreme that any assumption can be true, depending on the subject. The discipline is very tough and multifaceted. Division and competition had been widely observed in the discipline. There are schools of thought that philosophize for the sake of philosophy, for the sake of knowledge alone, for the sake of religion and others for the sake of social transformation. It is widely observed that philosophy becomes a mere service to one's class interest.2 And so, philosophy today could be concluded to be dominated by few, the influential ones, be at the service of this few and be bias to this few. On the other side, the philosophy of the proletariat and the poor remains unheard, abused and rejected, as it collide with the interests of this few. I can say that Philosophy is lost and journeying the wrong way. With philosophy being divided into classes and schools of thought, there is something wrong in the representation of the one, true, good and beautiful, as philosophies recognize themselves as representation of the one, true, good and beautiful. As each schools of thought journey their own way, they somewhat somehow escape the goal of being united, logical and coherent. And being so, is painting an indistinct view of the society, of the one, true, good and beautiful. And therefore, they lose the discipline's goal of finding the one, true, good and beautiful, and miss the chance of helping humanity in its present social dilemmas. Philosophy nowadays becomes a tool of serving the interests especially of those who could afford to buy books, buy philosophers, publicize and produce capital. On the other hand, the philosophy of the poor and the proletariat, who were unable to buy books, buy philosophers, unable to publicize and abused by those who has the power and money remains unheard. A question arises, For whom is philosophy? In answering the question, we are called to look at the developments, changes, history

Terry Button, Dialectical Materialism as a Practical Method - Part I: From the External World to Thought, Marxist Outlook, June 30, 2012. 2 Tom Colls, Philosophy under fire, Philosophy Today, June 29, 2012.
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and topics that philosophy engages in. There is something missing in the disciplines undertaking, and it is our duty to search for it. Philosophy is a discipline which has a deep influence on the society and therefore must be appropriate. We are called to philosophize relative to the signs of the times. Philosophizing should be done in the light of the concrete situations experienced by people, poor and rich. As we philosophize, we should also take for consideration that we are not philosophizing for ourselves or for any other's interest but for the interests of the whole humanity and the creation. Thinking dialectically is determining how knowledge emerges from ignorance, how incomplete, inexact knowledge becomes more complete and more exact,3 and so, we are called to think and philosophize the same way, exact and complete. Tracing the history of philosophy reveals the idea that most philosophies talks about the Supremes in humanity. Today, talking about the struggles, the humanity itself and undertakings of the society is much important. Exposition and validation of the philosophy of the poor and proletariat, which the society is composed of, which is commencing in concrete situations of the society is what is objectively necessary in order for philosophy to be relevant and responsive to the signs of the times. Borrowing Gerry Healy's language, We do not do what is possible, but what is objectively necessary.4 We are called to take hold of the truth of the present world's social and economic mess, and create the proper social and economic theory essential for its solution. There have been a lot of developments, splitting ups, debates and changes traced in the history of philosophy from the ancients to todays. Given is the situation of the society as well as of philosophy being dominated by certain classes. The discipline has gone astray and journeying the wrong way. Philosophy should free itself from the chains of interests where it has been playing the fiddle of neutrality so its say could be heard on dilemmas affecting the freedom and survival of mankind. A philosophy that remains silent on issues which rock the society and shows to have nothing to say and to do with the present struggle of the people for a just and humane world, would be relegated to the indeterminate state of the historical irrelevance. Philosophy today is daring to ask, know, act and philosophize as a response to the signs of the times, aiming for a just and humane society.

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Button, Gerry Healy: An Appreciation, Marxist Outlook, June 30, 2012. Ibid.