By V. Krishnappa
Philosophy, the noblest pursuit of all’, wrote Plato in The Republic. The noblest pursuit has had very few takers in India. It is changing, however. Across Indian universities, more and more students are showing interest in the study of philosophy. How are we to understand this growing interest in philosophy? One way to answer this is to suggest that India is witnessing a dramatic expansion in the ‘leisure class’ that can afford to experiment with the education of their children.
The leisure class can afford the risks that go with more academically rigorous, intellectually rewarding, and meaningful educational experiences. It could also be that the field of philosophy itself has changed over the past decades — a change defined by a shift from abstract theorising to an interest in life itself, or away from an excessive focus on metaphysics to ethics, from theory to practice.
It could also be said that cultural globalisation is fuelling not merely the aspiration for the material achievements of the West but also a desire to imitate the West’s cultural forms. Whatever the reasons for this emerging trend may be, it is an encouraging development. For, no nation can rise to its greatness without producing great philosophies!
Beyond being one of the oldest and noblest pursuits, philosophy is also increasingly seen with favour by persons of practical interests. Among the academic disciplines, it is most focussed on training attention to everyday life; enhancing self-awareness; developing skills that enable creative expression; critical thinking; logical reasoning; empathetic understanding; and coping with complexity, ambiguity and uncertainties in professional and personal contexts. Besides this, philosophy prepares the learner to orient authentically, which is crucial both for enduring success and a happy life.
Philosophical training and orientation also enhances learners’ capacity to cope with the anxieties of existence and search for meaning in a world of increasing material abundance but diminishing traditional sources of meaning. As the oldest academic discipline, undergraduate training in philosophy will lay the strongest possible foundation for further studies in social sciences, humanities, and applied fields such as management. A degree in philosophy will enhance learners’ chances of excelling in any field of study.
The rigorous imparting of transferable skills such as reading, creative interpretation, critical thinking, questioning, dialogical mode of reasoning, and writing will prepare students in taking up leadership positions in the public sector and in businesses. Philosophy graduates are seen with favour not only in other academic disciplines such as literature, anthropology, sociology and political science; they are also increasingly preferred in new entrepreneurial cultures as their rigorous training prepares them well to cope with the inevitable uncertainties of business contexts.
Leo Tolstoy once wrote that ‘it is easier to write ten volumes of philosophy than to put one principle into practice.’ For a long time, philosophy was seen as a discipline that had very few practical implications and added very little to the life of non-specialists. That may well be changing; philosophy is taking greater interest in practical living and increasingly addressing the practical dimensions of life. Let’s say cheers to that!
The author is professor at RV University, Bangalore. Views are personal.