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"Primum vivere, deinde philosophari" can be translated into English as "First live, then philosophize."
While reading Lev Shestov's book "Beginnings and Ends," I came across an interesting thought: "First live, then philosophize." It seems worth contemplating. There are different ways to approach this issue. Firstly, one could argue that life is more important than philosophizing, and it is a waste of time to indulge in unnecessary contemplation when one must attend to daily affairs. Secondly, one could posit that philosophizing constitutes the essence of life, so to live is to philosophize. This second case is particularly applicable to the lives of philosophers.
As Plato wrote, "It is not worth living an unexamined life." Boethius held a similar view in his book "The Consolation of Philosophy." He wrote, "The highest good is reserved for humans by virtue of reason and intellect. Those who prioritize sensual pleasures will never attain their highest good because they disregard what is good for the mind itself. Aristotle considers them akin to animals since they neglect the divine aspect within themselves - the mind." Elsewhere, he states, "The highest good accessible to humans through a pure mind is the knowledge of truth and delight in it." The knowledge of truth is a source of joy.
What has been discovered captivates the one who discovers it, and the more astonishing and magnificent the object of knowledge, and the sharper the mind engaged in perfect comprehension, the greater the intellectual pleasure. And one who has experienced such pleasure disregards all lesser pleasures, such as sensual ones.
This pleasure is an inferior pleasure, just as the person who chooses it. In another place, he states that thinking and doing good bring happiness to a person. It should also be noted that goodness is an end in itself, and doing it selflessly makes us happy (This brings to mind the cases of liberated minds (Jivanmukta) who choose to live in the world to help other minds free themselves from the illusion of the world and further incarnations).
Therefore, the highest good accessible to humans is the knowledge of truth, the practice of goodness, and delight in both. Since the highest good determines happiness, a person who acts in accordance with the aforementioned conclusion will achieve happiness. One who is happy according to what reason tells them is closer to the happiness we anticipate in the afterlife.
Furthermore, the author writes, "Since humans can know this good, it is appropriate for all human actions to aim at achieving it. All these actions and efforts that humans undertake to approach the highest good are just, as they bring us closer to our best and ultimate goal. All actions that do not turn toward this good (or do not lead to it) are sinful in humans.
The cause of these actions is unrestrained desire, which is also the cause of all evil in the moral realm. It restricts people in their natural desires, and thus, only a few devote themselves to the study of wisdom. The majority of people waste their lives in laziness, while others indulge in sensual pleasures or chase after wealth. Those few who despise sensual desires and seek pleasure in inquiry and satisfy the mind's desire for the toil of discovering the truth should be regarded as venerable.
They live in accordance with the order of nature." In other words, a life devoted to wisdom and doing good is the only life that is not devoid of meaning. Therefore, the relationship between life and thinking is not black and white because, on the one hand, we think in order to live, and on the other hand, we live in order to think. Both cases are important, both a life subordinated to wisdom and wisdom dedicated to life.
"Philosophers are those who dedicate their lives to the pursuit of wisdom.
All the abilities of a philosopher work in accordance with the natural order, so what is earlier is for what is later, and what is simpler in its essence is for what is higher and more perfect. Deviating from the natural order is a sin."
Does thinking make us happy? This can be debated. However, the purpose of human beings is to seek answers to questions about life and the world, that is, to philosophize. Thirdly, one can seek the golden mean, which is to devote time to both life and philosophizing. This third option seems the most reasonable.
As we know, all extremes are harmful, which means that a life devoid of reflection is a meaningless and empty life, while a life solely dedicated to thinking is a wasted life, as one can only say about such a life that the philosopher was born, thought, and died, as Heidegger said about Kant, if I remember correctly. So, as you can see for yourselves, philosophizing can serve life or harm it. If philosophizing is devoted to life matters, then it has practical value, not just theoretical.
On the other hand, philosophizing that detaches us from life is detrimental to us. When properly directed and concerned with life matters, philosophizing is knowledge of the world and life within it, which, as we know, is the goal of our quest. What we should strive for through philosophizing is practical wisdom, the truth about the world, or finding our path in life. An example of a life excessively subordinated to thinking is Elias Canetti's novel "Auto-da-Fé," where the protagonist,
Professor Kien, devotes his life to delving into Eastern thoughts and leads a life completely detached from reality. Another famous example of a fictional character living outside the world, perceiving everything through the lens of their dreams, is, of course, "Don Quixote" by Cervantes. While a life devoted to philosophizing may seem valuable, one must not neglect other matters that affect our lives. "This is the life of a philosopher, and anyone who lacks it does not live the proper life. I call every person who lives in accordance with the proper order a philosopher, and the one who has achieved the best and ultimate goal of human life. The first beginning mentioned earlier is the glorious and exalted God, who shall be praised forever and ever. Amen."