Dear Jeyamohan,
What is the use of philosophy for an ordinary person? I am not ashamed to say I am an ordinary person with very ordinary tastes and lifestyle. I would rather not be a scholar or intellectual. Why should I read and learn philosophy? Can you explain?
Ramraj
Dear Ram,
Indeed, this is a very common question I often face from so-called ordinary people. Let us accept the notion of an ordinary person for this discussion. An ordinary person has many responsibilities and duties today.
First, he is a voter, and he has the responsibility of selecting a government. So he has to learn about politics. He is a taxpayer, so he has to understand where his tax is actually going. So he has to listen to Economics. As a common man, he has to select the correct education for his children. Therefore, he needs to pay attention to the educational challenges his children face. He must deal with his wife and children in his private life, which requires a minimum understanding of psychology. Above all, he must have a basic understanding of health, correct?
Therefore, an ordinary person must possess essential knowledge about contemporary life. Philosophy helps him to learn these areas with logical clarity and define things with some certainty. Yes, without knowledge of philosophy, he can survive. He must depend on others’ ideas, from the media or family. He has no choice but to believe them on a random basis. If he has a minimum training in philosophy, he can think for himself and take decisions on his own.
Above all, everyone has their philosophy on life, death, justice, the universe, and God. Generally, people are getting these ideas from their parents or schools. They just rely on them and live their lives. If a man wants to accept an idea with a minimum understanding of it, he must have a basic training in philosophy.
I know a person can be very adamant about not knowing anything because of his laziness and can make excuses like, “I am an ordinary man.” There are no solutions for laziness.
Jeyamohan
