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May
10
Saturday
2025
2025 05 10

Don’t Be an Ignoramus



Don’t Be an Ignoramus, or “An Exhortation to Philosophy”

“If one ought to philosophize, one must philosophize. But even if one ought not to philosophize, one must still philosophize. So in every case, one must philosophize. For if philosophy exists, we should certainly philosophize, because it exists; and if it does not exist, then we should seek [the answer] as to why it does not exist—and in seeking, we are philosophizing, since seeking is the cause of philosophy.”
—Aristotle, Protrepticus (Exhortation to Philosophy)

Hello! I’ve decided to write an article on Aristotle’s Exhortation to Philosophy, which I titled “Don’t Be an Ignoramus!” Both Aristotle and Plato proclaimed the value of knowledge and wisdom in life. Knowledge is the goal of our pursuit—knowledge about ourselves or, more broadly, about humanity, as well as knowledge about the world, that is, about reality.

In his work addressed to a certain monarch, Aristotle praises the life of the philosopher, which consists in the search for truth.

In today’s world, education is in crisis, and the result of that is ignorance. As has long been known, it’s easier to govern fools, and those who ask questions—like Socrates, or in modern times, journalists or philosophers—tend to come to a bad end, especially in totalitarian states.

As Aristotle writes in the aforementioned work: “All people could agree that wisdom arises from knowledge and from the search for things that philosophy enables us to grasp; therefore, we should, without hesitation, engage in philosophy.”

Is it worth encouraging contemporary people to pursue philosophy? After all, we live in an era of the triumph of science and technology. Is there still a place for philosophy in our world?

The answer is: yes! First and foremost because philosophy answers questions such as: How should we live? What matters in life? What is the good life? All of these are questions of ethics, axiology, and philosophy—they go beyond the domain of science, which, however important, does not answer all questions.

So to the question of whether philosophy matters in our times, we can confidently say: yes, it does.

Let us now address the question: How do we encourage philosophy? I believe the most effective method is to ensure philosophy is present in the media, in popular science publications, and in schools—not only at universities, meaning higher education, but also in primary and secondary education.

If philosophy has value, then why is it introduced so late into our education? Could it be that society does not need wise citizens? Should education be limited to teaching people how to function economically within society? Shouldn’t people also be educated morally, intellectually, and aesthetically?

As Robert A. Heinlein said:
“A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, give orders, take orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects…” (see: Gavagai.pl).

Finally, let us ask the question of purpose: Why should we (learn) philosophy? I believe the answer is quite clear. Philosophy teaches us not only how to think and act morally, but also how to collaborate with others and care for our environment.

Let us remember that only free and happy individuals can create a “healthy society,” and that is why a totalitarian system can never create an “open society” or an “authentic human being.”