Will studying Philosophy make me wiser?

MatrixGravity: If you want to study Philosophy, then do. Give it a shot. If it doesn't work out for you then you don't have to stick with it. I think one thing that can be gained from studying Philosophy is that you ask a lot of questions and learn to think more "outside the box". Depends how much you put into it though. I think what will make you wiser is 1. Studying a broad range of subjects in depth and 2. Life experience. You have to meet lots of different people throughout the world, in different classes and living conditions, to get anywhere close to real wisdom. At least, that's what I'm imagining you'll have to do anyway.

 

This. Three times this.

Philosophy is not an easy subject. And this is not helped by the frankly depressing levels of ignorance people have about it. A lot of people do not even know what Philosophy is, and fewer see it as useful.

Philosophy is not a gateway to wisdom. Wisdom (I would say) is something else entirely. But studying the subject will improve yourself. As someone said before, studying any subject will improve yourself - and Philosophy can bring great rewards, but it comes from years of effort and hard work. This is something you must understand. I've been studying Philosophy for the last 6 years or so as a hobby (I did also take some Philosophy modules while at University, and went to Philosophy lectures though my degree is in English) and even then I know that my knowledge of Philosophy is very very scant.

Before you study a Philosopher or Philosophic era it might do you well to get an introductory book about Philosophy. I can't in all honesty recommend Bertrand Russell's Brief History of Philosophy because that book is only good during the first half, especially with the Pre-Socratics. Russell is also amazingly unfair and even hostile to some of the more recent Philosophers, especially Nietzsche. But to be fair to the guy he did write the book during WW2; when Nazi-sympathizing 'edits' of Nietzsche where not known about. What I do recommend is going onto Amazon and getting a small book on Philosophy. Philosophy: The Basics by Nigel Warburton seems to be a genuinely good book on the subject for the beginner.

 

then, instead of studying 'philosophy' in hopes of becoming 'wiser' why not just be a practicing philosopher and study the human race and its history/behaviors, so you can come to your own conclusions, instead of just parroting those who've gone before you?

that's what i've been doing for decades [probably since early childhood, actually]...

 

Well, it could theoretically (ha!). I agree with much of the so-far sentiment: studying anything has its merit. But it depends a lot on the scholar and their respective temperament, experience, what they had for lunch that day (I bet it's very difficult to read Descartes with indigestion), too many variables to really count. It's not only NOT going to be a yes or no answer, it's not going to be a universal gray either. A 1988 comedy, "A Fish Called Wanda," featured Kevin Kline playing an idiot who read Nietzsche and Plato. The final culmination of that, in the film, was that an ape can read philosophy he just doesn't understand it. And that's funny and has truth to it, but obviously the issue is even more complicated than that.

I think the real issue here lies in the word "wise." It's a subjective term. There is no standard wisdom. It's not really achievable, and--more than that--I don't think it's a goal you should be setting. You can obviously want to be smarter, better educated. But wanting to be a person someone comes to for advice? That depends as much on that person as you. I think it's a mistake to ever study to save. Personally, I've always been under the impression that people save themselves and advice and guidance or not you have little to do with it. But I digress.

Really I think the best thing you can do if you want a better, wider, multifaceted scope on things is to listen--not to get all hallmark card on you. But reading and observing and whatnot all goes along with that. It's a pretty vague statement on my part, but I mean it.

 

One thought that doesn't seem to be directly stated in this thread, though it's assumed in most of the posts, is that studying philosophy won't supply you with the truths of life. Philosophy may teach you new ways of thinking and judging and debating about the truth, but it won't provide you _with_ the truth.

 

and what IS 'the truth'?

here are some of my philosophical musings on the subject, for your enlightenment/entertainment:

"To Tell the Truth..."
http://www.saysmom.com/maia/content.asp?Writing=131

"Truth in Advertising: The Ultimate Oxymoron"
http://www.saysmom.com/maia/content.asp?Writing=135

"...and Nothing But"
http://www.saysmom.com/maia/content.asp?Writing=178

 

philosophy isnt supposed to make you smarter, it is supposed to open your mind and allow you to use tools in your brain that where already there all along. It helps you to think outside of the box.

So will you get smarter.... no
will you think diffrently... probably

 

That's not really what philosophy is. It's not about studying people and their behaviors, that's psychology and psychiatry.

It deals with topics such as "What is existence?" "What is Justice?" and other mostly abstract concepts.

 

Experience + Intelligence = Wisdom

 

being a 'practicing philosopher' is not the same as 'studying philosophy'... it entails a lot more than just studying abstract concepts... those concepts all involve people, you know... studying the human race and its history/behaviors is not the same as studying individuals' behavior, which is what psychology and psychiatry consists of...

 

Well, as others have mentioned, wisdom is built through experience.

But philosophy can definitely open your mind and change the way you think. I know it's played a crucial role in shaping how I view the world.

And there's nothing wrong with studying it in an academic environment. Philosophy professors are usually very passionate about what they teach, and that passion has a tendency of rubbing off onto interested students.

 

Formal logic, which is really the basis of modern analytic philosophy, doesn't have very much at all to do with people, no more than abstract math does.

 

Hi,

I've done some philosophy courses and I don't know if they made me wiser, but they did open my mind to a whole new world of thought.

Wisdom is a tricky thing to define. The best quote I've heard about it is that - knowlege is knowing that a tomato is a fruit, wisdom is knowing not to put it in a fruit salad. Philosophy won't automatically tell you not to put a tomato in a fruit salad but it will give you some tools with which to decide for yourself whether you want to.

My advice would be, as I do, contribute to some philosophy forums. That more than anything else will teach you the cut and thrust of reasoned arguments, how to put forwards a case for a position, and often enough, how to lose an argument. It may also introduce you to some of the more well established philosophical positions, many of which are centuries if not millenia old.

Cheers, Greg.

 

Studying anything really does have the potential to make you a wiser person, but wisdom itself is not knowledge. Wisdom describes a person's ability to apply what they know to make the best out of any situation, or learn from it for the next scenario. Collecting a repertoire of quotes from acclaimed men and women does not make one wise. What will make you wiser is accepting the message in your own life so that some day when faced with a problem, you can provide your own quote of wisdom for others. Wisdom is beholden to experience, and all experience is useful.

Wisdom looks beyond the immediate circumstance and seeks to understand before deriving a solution. Wisdom uses all resources available. Wisdom recalls one's own experience. Wisdom Listens to the experience of others. Reading Philosophy may expand your view on the world and many interactions we have in it, but you become wise when having studied all you can, you have the judgement to face what arises in your life, without the pride to call yourself wise