The Power of Philosophy

 

The power of philosophy is effectively infinite. It can make people believe anything – no matter how false. It can make people do anything – no matter how evil. Philosophy is an exceptionally strong and dangerous weapon to possess.

At times, however, philosophy can be a beneficial tool. It can be a useful, helpful guide to life – even to a noble and magnificent life. But at other times a rotten and misguided philosophy can drive people to the very limits of absurdity and destruction. It can force people to think truly crazy things about themselves and others, and to perpetrate truly horrific acts against themselves and others. As Cicero noted: “There is nothing so ridiculous but some philosopher has said it.” When it comes to stupidity and depravity, philosophy has essentially no limits.

No wonder Cato the Elder and the Romans sent away the famous, visiting, Greek philosophers (Critolaus, Carneades, Diogenes of Babylon) of 155 BC! Considering all the unfamiliar and menacing nonsense they were spouting, the Romans might well have put them to death.

If you understand the intellectual, moral, and spiritual authority of philosophy, it isn’t surprising to see all the atrocities committed by the Russian Bolsheviks and German Nazis. And by the Cambodian Kymer Rouge. And by the Moslems of Saudi Arabia and Iran. And by the fascists under Mussolini, Franco, and Tojo. And by the communists of China, Vietnam, North Korea, Venezuela, and Cuba. And by the 1940s medical experimenters of Germany and Japan.

Under philosophy, massive slavery, torture, and murder is common. Especially this past century.

Of course, the major purpose of philosophy is personal happiness – not social utopia. The moment personal philosophers convert and pervert themselves into collectivist ideologues is the moment they should pretty much all be lined up against a wall. The history of social utopian philosophers is about 99% the history of coercion, force, attack, assault, totalitarianism, tyranny, and enslavement.

Collectivist ideologues – with their supposedly brilliant, ingenious, marvelous, and magnificent ideas and ideals – almost always reject persuasion in favor of coercion. Funny how that works out, isn't it? The lofty ideological idealists never convince by being convincing or persuade by being persuasive. Their philosophical understanding and insights are allegedly too good, great, fine, strong, beautiful, and wonderful to bother with that. So their technique is always that of Pol Pot. So too their goals and results.

The simple truth is people need meaning and purpose in their lives. They need goals and ideals. These are non-negotiable imperatives for human existence.

So they turn to philosophy. And, historically, philosophy usually turns on them.

Even Ayn Rand’s wretched, shocking, late-1900s cult was something to be expected. Why shouldn’t she and all her top lieutenants abuse, censor, and excommunicate all of their virtuous, loyal dissidents? Everyone who thinks too freely and asks too many questions? Abuse, censorship, and excommunication of dissidents are what philosophy is all about!

The leading Randroid cultists of the late 1900s and early 2000s had no problem taking a philosophy of reason and individualism, and then turning these ideas upside-down and inside-out. Noble philosophy transforms into lowly religion with ease.

So what can we do to keep it on track? How can we avoid the continuous, historical disasters? One simple idea may be the most important and best.

Freedom of speech is a powerful shield and weapon against bad philosophy. Open discussion and debate radically cleanses, improves, and uplifts it. So long as people are allowed, encouraged, and required to freely and openly doubt, question, criticize, and condemn the dominant ideas and people, philosophy tends to fare far better.