Philosophy for life
Talking about life, about living, about a philosophy for life is becoming increasingly important today because, unfortunately, we have become accustomed to daily news of destruction, death, and suffering. Faced with this avalanche that is approaching us, it is necessary to once again emphasize the importance of life.
That is what I want to talk about today, not about death, but about life. Moreover, I want to talk about a specific formula for life, an ancient formula that has been used for centuries, and that is philosophy: philosophy for life and living.
I don’t want to bore anyone with a multitude of definitions that can be given about philosophy. Such definitions largely depend on a specific period, on the philosopher, whether they are based on criteria belonging to Eastern thinking or Western mentality, or on the value given to philosophy. It is difficult to find a definition that would satisfy us. Therefore, I go back more than two and a half thousand years and seek help in a definition attributed to Pythagoras, a definition that is so significant. It is simply said that we can all take into account, because Pythagoras was not trying to define philosophy but to respond to a remark made to him by his students.
It is said that those who surrounded Pythagoras and listened to his teachings were amazed by his profoundness, his way of dealing with life and its mysteries, and in their enthusiasm they said to him: Teacher, you are truly wise. And he replied: No, I am not wise, I am not sophos, I am only philo sophos, the one who loves wisdom, the one who is in search of wisdom.
Thus, according to tradition, the word philosophy was born, which represents, no less, the love for knowledge, the search for it. It is not a feeling of possessing knowledge, but a search for what we know exists, although we still need to see where it is and how to reach it.
This concept of love for wisdom is the foundation of what we will call classical philosophy, not just classical philosophy. When we talk about classical philosophy, we will encounter classicism. Many cultures have their classical period, their period of ascendance, their golden age. When we talk about classical philosophy in the West, we refer to classical Greece, to Greece of the great philosophers like Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, and those who came after them as well as those who preceded them.
However, this classical philosophy limits us to one time, one period. We have chosen to do it “in a classical way”. What does it mean to do it in a classical way? It means living in a way that has led all peoples to the classical period, the golden age, to the point of culmination. This means searching for a common denominator that enabled all civilizations to reach that special, sublime moment. How did they achieve this? By searching for wisdom extensively, in everything, understanding philosophy as something that can be applied in all areas of life, not just a set of definitions or a specific part of thinking.
All peoples who reached the golden age used philosophy as an endless pursuit. In the spectrum that expands and encompasses everything, and that can offer answers, solutions, and courses of action for any human activity. For that reason, we are interested in “philosophy for life in a classical way,” philosophy that can awaken the pinnacle, classical spirit, sublime state, golden spark within us.
Philosophy in a classical way is the philosophy of big questions and necessary answers. It is good to question, we all ask questions, but we cannot live solely on questions. To live on questions is like approaching a beautifully set table full of food but not being able to eat anything. We all ask questions, but what truly nourishes us are the answers.
This restless nature of human beings that urges them to ask questions is something innate, something ancient. Questions have existed as long as there have been humans, and if it seems to us today that we have stopped asking, we must not deceive ourselves. The same restlessness still exists within us.
It happens that some tire of not finding answers, so out of exhaustion, they decide to forget their questions.
Others tire of finding facile answers, of hitting the surface of things. They sense that there must be something deeper, a more profound understanding that can truly fulfill them.
That is why we seek philosophy for life in a classical way, philosophy that can awaken in us the thirst for knowledge, the search for meaning, and the desire for truth.
Because philosophy in a classical way is not just about finding answers, but also about asking the right questions, about immersing oneself in the mysteries of existence and contemplating the timeless wisdom of previous generations.
It is about connecting with the classical spirit, with the noble pursuit of knowledge and wisdom that has guided humanity for centuries.
Philosophy in a classical way invites us to go beyond the superficial, the immediate, and the transient. It encourages us to delve into the depths of our being, to explore the fundamental questions of life, and to strive for a deeper understanding of ourselves and the world around us.
It reminds us that we are not alone in our search for truth and meaning, that we are part of a rich tradition of thinkers and seekers who have grappled with the same questions throughout history.
Philosophy in a classical way is a journey of self-discovery, a quest for knowledge and wisdom, and a quest for a meaningful and fulfilling life.
It is a journey that can challenge us, inspire us, and transform us. It can awaken in us a sense of wonder, a thirst for knowledge, and a hunger for truth.
So let us embrace philosophy in a classical way, let us embrace the wisdom of the ages, and let us embark on a journey of self-discovery and enlightenment. trending answers, so many that they don’t know what to do with them, equally numerous as the contradictions within them. And when someone doesn’t know which of all these answers is the right one, they leave them all.
Others are tired because no one is showing them a practical, straightforward path to finding answers, because that also needs to be learned. If, like with all things in life, we don’t have someone to teach us, someone to show us where to go or what the answers are, how to find them and what to do with them, we will go through life without realizing that we have important questions.
We don’t think that people today have lost interest or that they lack enough restlessness. No. Simply put, they are tired and they need to regain hope through philosophy, which is equally eternal, timeless, and immune to trends, just as the same questions that are human, that have always existed and do not follow any trends.
To find an answer to these fundamental and profound questions, we cannot turn to the philosophy currently in vogue. We need to turn to phi A timeless philosophy. Philosophy that currently holds value will tell us one thing today, and another tomorrow. Moreover, in order to be trendy, one needs to be original. To be fashionable, one cannot speak what someone else has already said.
A timeless philosophy cannot be part of fashion nor can it belong to anyone. Furthermore, a timeless philosophy that truly addresses our concerns needs to be applicable in practice, it needs to be highly practical.
When we feel unrest and someone offers us an answer, we should be able to apply it in life. If the answer is practical, it means it is viable, that we can apply it to our way of life. If I can’t do anything with that answer, what use is it to me? If the answer remains only in my thoughts and never goes any further, why would I want it? If the answer doesn’t solve my problems and my pain, what good is it to me?
Therefore, such is the philosophy for life, practical, timeless. It’s the one that, I believe, we all seek…