Free Thinking

Socrates once said according to Plato, ‘The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing’. Perhaps that is what it is to be a Philosopher, the realisation that there are no answers but merely infinite questions.   

The Oxford Dictionary defines Philosophy as ‘the study of the fundamental nature of knowledge, reality, and existence, especially when considered as an academic discipline’. This might seem restricted to only those who are academics or scholars, so for most humans an irrelevancy for living.

However, this would be wrong and far from what it is to be a human being. From the point of birth through to death itself, we are constantly making decisions. From the moment I awake and get out of bed I make choices, even to the point of continuing sleeping to a later time.

Such ‘choices’ can only be made when we are conscious. Our neurological processes and physical actions are autonomous, for example, we don’t need to decide when to breathe, consequently ‘choice’ is not applicable.

In certain nations and states, some decisions are restricted but that doesn’t mean there are no actual ‘choices’ to be made. Obviously, the outcome of making a wrong decision will result in the individual being penalised for doing so.

Every day we are faced with decisions that can be political, simply because they involve choice. For a Philosopher establishing the reason for a given choice is a question which might not necessarily have a precise answer.

In some ways, a Theologian (that is someone who studies the nature of God, religion, and religious beliefs) is the opposite. Rather than asking questions, they begin with the answers and then put the questions to them.

The analogy can be described like this: Philosophy is like being in a dark room and looking for a black cat. Metaphysics is like being in a dark room and looking for a black cat that isn't there. Theology is like being in a dark room and looking for a black cat that isn't there, and shouting "I found it!"

Perhaps this is a rather harsh analogy but as a Philosopher and Theologian, I have often as a Christian, struggled to reconcile both. I seem to walk a tightrope between ‘reason’ and ‘faith’, the latter often being the default answer to ideas that seem irrational.

Nevertheless, Socrates' words always give me comfort, The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing. This quote reminds me that true wisdom is not about having all the answers, but rather about recognizing our constraints and seeking to learn and grow from them. It is only by accepting our ignorance that we can truly become wise.