Is Philosophy Really Dead?
The owl of Minerva spreads its wings only with the falling of the dusk. — Hegel
In the preface of a book about modern philosophy I started reading a while ago, I could not help to get the impression that philosophy has reached its “end of the line”. The owl of Minerva, as the book proclaimed, has finally took off, to observe from a great distance that what has been told over the centuries. It is through this act that the owl, in all of its wisdom, is able to construct a final musing about the things that have been written, been argued and have been fought over. The owl starts its flight at dusk, and so it is time for philosophy to go to sleep.
The owl starts its flight at dusk, and so it is time for philosophy to go to sleep.
Another picture that remained with me when I read this book was that of the Nile Delta. Like a river that splits itself up into many smaller channels which eventually merge with the sea, modern philosophy is one of many different names, both rich and varied. I personally experienced this as yet another allusion to philosophy reaching its end. Indeed, current thinking, especially in the postmodern period, gives rise to a great wealth of different world views, that supposedly will all become obsolete when they merge with the eternal and timeless sea.
Many things can be said about modern philosophy, and I am sure that many will disagree with what I have just said or how I have interpreted the preface of this book. And yet, when I look at my surroundings, I get the feeling this statement is more true than I’d like. What does philosophy have to say about the big questions in life, when these thinkers, these “lovers of wisdom”, do not even know how a computer works, or how a piece of information travels from one point on the globe to the next at the speed of light? What is the point of thinking about these questions, when I can YouTube, watch Netflix, chat on Skype, or need to prepare a presentation for tomorrow? Philosophy is for old people, who think too much. And yet, I argue, philosophy has never been so important as it is now.
To Be, Or Not To Be
Some things science cannot provide the answer to. It soothes to think that science will one day unravel all there is to know in the universe and that artificial intelligence will be able to provide a judgement to all difficult choices in life. At some time, there even will be so much digital entertainment that one does not ever have to make a single reflection. I am not the one to judge whether this is right or wrong, but I do believe that we cannot let this evolution engulf all of us without carefully thinking about the consequences.
In a sense, it is comforting to think that one day, we won’t have to think anymore. Life is boring. Life is difficult. If we can use science and technology to make life more comfortable, then maybe, one day we will come to a true understanding of what it means to be alive. Maybe, after we have discovered every inch and fibre there is to know about physical reality, we will have found peace. This might very well be the case, and so it can only be encouraged. However, this pursuit also has some unintended side-effects, which will be the main subject of another article.
In a sense, it is comforting to think that one day, we won’t have to think anymore.
I am convinced that this statement is wrong, at so many levels that it almost makes me scream. If we do not start thinking about what it is we truly want in life, we will become trapped in a digital prison we will never be able to escape. So in this sense, I do not believe philosophy to be dead. I believe the issues that come with philosophical thinking have never been so actual, and my greatest fear is that we will fail to recognise this. That is why I decided to completely change direction, and started writing a book. From an open-source contributor to a philosopher; the change is somewhat weird. However, I have something to say, and each day it is getting closer to becoming real.
Sam Vervaeck is a freelance writer living in Belgium, trying to find his way in life while exploring various philosophical questions. He loves programming, playing piano, and martial arts. He is in the process of writing a book about artificial intelligence and the future of society, which will be available on his website.
