[Namsan Ddalggakbari] Useful Trivia?... The Unexpected Usefulness of Philosophy

There are countless questions in the world. Most of them have no definitive answers. While problems learned in school have answers, the problems we face in life only have solutions somewhere between right and wrong. We are always searching for those solutions. There is a discipline dedicated to finding them, and that is none other than philosophy. “Philosophical thinking is not about directly finding answers but about indirectly approaching problems through questions. This is precisely what this book calls ‘philosophical thinking,’” defines Yosuke Horikoshi, a philosophy practice expert and author of the book The Usefulness of Philosophy (RH Korea).

Philosophical thinking is “a way of thinking that allows one to discover a personal axis for judgment amid all the worries and wanderings in human relationships and life.” The author says that through philosophical thinking, one can develop four major strengths.

First, it helps you realize your true intentions. When practicing philosophy, you often discover social norms that say “you must do it this way.” But upon closer examination, you often realize that these norms were arbitrarily set by someone without solid grounds. Nevertheless, “we tend to wear a ‘heavy armor’ to protect ourselves out of a desire not to be criticized,” and it is easy to ignore our true intentions.

Philosophical thinking helps you realize that this armor?meaning “the theoretical armoring unrelated to your true intentions?is no longer necessary.” It equips you with metacognitive ability to know what you need to know and what you don’t. The author says that only then can you truly explore “what you genuinely want to do and how you want to live.”

Second, it helps you discover your own standards and beliefs for your actions. Once metacognition becomes possible, you can remove or change the armor given to you. At that moment, a person gains freedom.

Third, it enables you to express your thoughts in your own words. When engaging in philosophical thinking, people repeatedly have conversations with themselves. Through this process, they can verbalize the beliefs and emotions that arise from deep within their hearts. “It means being able to put into words unresolved thoughts, feelings of discomfort, and thoughts you wanted to say out loud.” There is no longer a need to rely on the authority of others.

Fourth, it leads to deep conversations with others, improving human relationships. The first three changes are, so to speak, the process of ‘disarming’ yourself before conversing with others. Only after disarming can you deeply understand words that come from the true intentions of others, and through that process, you can genuinely care about others, yourself, and the world. “This is also why the word ‘Philosophy’ includes ‘Philo,’ meaning love.”

“The reason for engaging in philosophical thinking is not to find concrete solutions but to reflect on and possibly change our values and life purposes themselves, which are the prerequisites and reasons for those solutions. Only afterward do we find specific methods that suit ourselves.”

What are the benefits of this? Genuine improvement in human relationships and the ability to make friends. It can also be applied to building good environments and relationships at work or school. Above all, it allows for sincere relationships rather than superficial ones. This is why philosophy is regarded as the “ultimate communication tool.”

Philosophy does not accept any implicit assumptions. Anything can be questioned and deconstructed. It constantly achieves thesis-antithesis-synthesis. The author says, “Problematic issues in the world arise from uncovering the assumptions and stubborn prejudices hidden in our thoughts. It is not about finding solutions solely to achieve goals but about repeatedly asking more fundamental questions.” He adds, “Then you realize that everything in daily life overflows with questions. It’s not about increasing worries indiscriminately through questions but rather about discovering opportunities for new ideas and turning points in thinking.”

“Philosophy is about explaining everything and expressing it in words.” The act of verbalization itself requires a philosophical attitude. This is also why one must immerse oneself in written text. The author emphasizes, “Only when you wrestle with language and strive to understand difficult things do creativity and motivation arise, and philosophical thinking skills take root.”

The Usefulness of Philosophy | Yosuke Horikoshi | RH Korea | 15,000 KRW