THE PROBLEMS OF PHILOSOPHY

by Scott F. Aikin and Robert B. Talisse

An existentialist, a modal realist, and an eliminative materialist walk into a bar; the bartender looks up at them and says, “Is this a joke?”  

It should come as no surprise that a discipline that was founded by an ancient Athenian urging us all to “know thyself!” should still be in the business of self-examination.  But one may be stunned to find that, perhaps more than ever, theprofession of Philosophy is fixed on questions of its existence.  Perhaps everyone agrees that philosophy, the everyday activity of trying to think clearly and critically about things that matter, is essential to a properly human life.  And maybe it’s not too controversial to say that we all should philosophize.  But, as Socrates shows, there could be philosophers without there being Philosophers; there could be clear and critical thinkers without there bring a profession of Philosophy. So, why does Philosophy – capital “P” – exist? 

This question comes in two related versions, institutional and internal.  The institutional question about Philosophy’s existence is about why there are, and should be, departments of Philosophy.  What is the curricular purpose of Philosophy?  What is the role of Philosophy within the Humanities (assuming that it belongs among the Humanities at all)?  Why do students need Philosophy courses?  Presumably students could learn philosophy outside of Philosophy, so why bother with Philosophy?  The institutional question is increasingly urgent: in an environment of severe fiscal uncertainty and shrinking academic budgets, Philosophy has been forced to confront its own institutional mortality.  These days, Philosophers are called upon to defend both philosophy and Philosophy to Deans, Provosts, and Boards of Trust.  The internal question, by contrast, is less about the fortunes of Philosophy within colleges and universities and more a matter of soul-searching among Philosophers: What is the point of being a Philosopher?  What are we Philosophers doing?  Should we encourage students to become Philosophers?  The dominant view seems to be that the answer to the institutional question depends upon the answer to the internal one.  Consequently, much of contemporary Philosophy is devoted, at least in part, to examining Philosophy itself.

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