PHILOSOPHY
BAKES NO BREAD BUT I LIKE IT
(By:
Jojo C. Pinca)
"Philosophy
bakes no bread" but I like it, I prefer wisdom over knowledge.
Yet, is it really worth the effort to study philosophy? Why pursue
Philosophy when there's no money in it, what material gain will you
achieve if you pursue your ambition to become a philosopher?
Philosophy is for fools, for lazy people for people who hate manual
labor. Nobody will support you if you declare in public that you want
to take up a vocation in Philosophy. Look you have to be practical
dude; even Socrates was scolded by his wife because of his addiction
to philosophy. Worse, he was condemned to death because of his
philosophy. These are the questions and arguments that I've heard
and read about the pursuit of Philosophy. People will think you're
weird if you study Philosophy. Now, is it really impractical for me
at my age at my status to practice the art of Philosophy?
I'm
forty-three (43) years old at the time of writing this document
(February 2019) and I'll be turning forty-four (44) on May 4, 2019
a father of two lovely daughters and husband to a faithful and very
understanding wife; I am working in a security agency here in Quezon
City, Philippines as Operations Supervisor for Investigation and
Inspection. I'm not rich neither middle class, I am not ashamed to
say that I'm poor, that I belong to the ghetto. I was born and grew
up in a poor family and many of my relatives are poor like me. When I
was studying from elementary to college I wasn't a good student; my
academic life was filled with pain and sorrows but I don't want to
discuss it here in details. When I was starting in my career I
dreamed to become a security manager, to earn big salary, to work in
a multinational corporation, to have a fat bank account, to own an
expensive car, to travel to abroad and to possess a house and lot in
an exclusive subdivision. All these didn't happen; I'm still
living in the ghetto up to now. Now, I'm forty-three (43) years
old, with diabetes, my vision is blurring and my two daughters are
still very young. So, this is the summary of my life and I believe
there's no need for me to discuss my whole life in details, since
this document is not intended to be autobiographical; this is about
my philosophy.
I have
frustrations, failures and disappointments in life but in the final
analysis at this stage I can pompously say that there are two things
of which I am proud about myself. I'm happy to say that I'm a
book lover and I love writing, I'm not a professional writer
but I like writing. I loved reading books from contemporary novels,
classics of literature, history, law, philosophy, psychology, poetry,
religion, occultism, Satanism, atheism, Marxism, banned books, books
about leadership, self-help books, books about stock market and
investing, books about entrepreneurship and almost any type of book
that would catch my interest I voraciously devoured it. My penchant
for reading started when I was in my 1st year in college
and the insatiable thirst for books is still alive in my system right
at this very moment.
My love
for writing started when I was working; it started as an obsession to
excel in report writing. The rule of thumb in the corporate world is
that, if you want to shine you have to be good in report writing.
From there it was developed and so I started experimenting; I dabbled
in writing poetry, daily journal, essays and articles. I also joined
various writers group in the internet where I posted my works. I
always do my writing in the English language because English is the
universal language.
The good
thing about being a human being is that you can be anything you
wanted to be. In my case I decided to become a philosopher at my own
right. I choose Philosophy because I want to be happy and satisfied
and the only way to achieve these two is to understand life and
myself. This is what I want to accomplish now before my time of
departure from this life comes. "Philosophy bakes no bread"
but according to Jesus Christ who is vividly described by the Bible
as a philosopher and revolutionary "man does not live by bread
alone" and I agree with him though I don't accept the myth
that he is Lord and Savior. Yet, I agree with Christ when he said
that because I believe that man is a thinking mammal that needs to
feed not only his stomach but his brain as well.
Philosophy
bakes no bread nevertheless every civilization is created by the
power of philosophy; every empire is a product of philosophy.
Philosophy is the reason why there are nations and government; it is
philosophy that gives order to mankind. Philosophy bakes no bread but
philosophy separates man from the animal. Philosophy is behind every
scientific and technological breakthrough; it is the motivating power
behind every novel or poetry; philosophy is the inspiration at the
back of any songs. Philosophy bakes no bread yet it is the catalyst
at the rear of every progress. You want to be happy? Sad to say
Mathematics will not help you. You will be entertained by the lyrics
of the song and the beauty of the painting at the museum but if you
want to understand the true meaning of these artistic works you have
to understand the philosophy behind these masterpieces.
The
older you become the more you seek understanding, you want to
understand the circumstances surrounding you. You want to know why
the world is full of assholes and why idiots are everywhere, why many
people are so stupid and why cruelty, treachery, hideousness and
horrible injustices are pervasive all over the globe. You can ask all
kinds of logical and even stupid questions and you will hear the
explanation and rhetoric of many people; in the end believe me you
will not be satisfied. This is because your perspective is different
from the perspective of other people; your experience is not the same
with others. In the end it is only you who can answer all your
questions. You can only do this by applying the art of Philosophy. By
using your own thinking, emotion and analysis you will ultimately
arrived at the right conclusion, only then you will be satisfied.
Once you're satisfied you will be happy and you will no longer fear
loneliness or even death because you've finally made peace with
yourself; you did it by answering honestly all the questions inside
your head. This is what the philosophers called the "Sommum
Bonum" or the highest good. Knowing yourself and understanding
the happenings in your surroundings for the philosopher is the
highest good.
Philosophy
bakes no bread but I don't care; I like philosophy. I like it very
much; I know that by pursuing this vocation that I've chosen I will
find peace and happiness. Philosophy will give meaning to my life
before I die as all mortals are destined die. I shall start my
philosophical journey not by reading but by writing; majority of the
philosophers are writers. I shall answer the philosophical questions
in my writing, I shall have it documented. Who will read my work? I
don't know and I don't give a damned about that. With or without
his audience the ghetto philosopher shall finish the task; he'll do
it for himself. Philosophy bakes no bread but it will complete my
life, it is like being one with the universe. Much has been said,
enough of the rhetoric; it's time to work. Life is short and time
is gold. I shall now start my philosophizing by answering the
following questions, to wit:
What harsh truths do I
prefer to ignore?
Sickness
and disease are harsh realities in life and like many people as much
as possible I want to ignore these certainties. These are the ugly
sides of life; the two great destroyers. Mentally speaking we can
ignore these two; we can pretend that it will not happen. However,
the fact remains the same, one day death and disease will one day
knock at our door. One day these two great destroyers will take away
from us our love ones; one day these monsters will dragged us to the
grave. No matter how strong and how health your body is, one day it
shall be destroyed by sickness and death. If we cannot escape death
and disease what shall we do now? The Stoic philosophers (Marcus
Aurelius, Seneca and Epictetus) believe that the
remedy to all the sorrows in life is "acceptance". One
must accept his fate no matter how painful it is in a calm manner.
Resist not the Stoic said, don't go against the flow because in the
end you will find solace. Beyond pain and sorrow there is still
redemption. The philosophy of Stoicism is similar to the message of
the Algerian philosopher Albert Camus in his philosophical
essay called "The Myth of Sisyphus". According to Camus if
we will juts learn how to accept the harsh realities in life
eventually we will find the true meaning of our existence and
ultimately we will be happy. I've learned through experience that
there are harsh things in life that I cannot ignore; that there are
situations that I cannot change. Like Sisyphus I've learned how to
push my own boulder without complain and without asking why.
Is free will real or just
an illusion?
The
doctrine of free has actually emanated from the Judeo - Christian
doctrine. According to this doctrine god gave man (his creation) the
free will to choose between right and wrong. In his magnum opus,
"Summa Theologica" the theologian and philosopher Thomas
Aquinas provided a pompous and complicated explanation about this
doctrine of free will. Now, if this religious dogma is true why there
is hell or eternal punishment that waits in the afterlife, what is
that for? If I choose not to obey god, if I choose the path of evil,
why punish me? I thought I was free to choose? In analyzing deeply
the doctrine of free will, we will see that the writers of the "holy
books" are just playing with words - that there is really no free
will at all. I don't believe in god hence I'm not covered by this
doctrine of free will from the religious point of view. For me free
will is real not in the spiritual realm but in practical life. I
believe that man can always choose what he wants to pursue in this
life though he has no control of the outcome of his adventure.
Nevertheless, the choice is always his to make. Man can be whatever
he wants to be (through his mind) even without the approval of
anybody. For example, if you love writing you can be a writer anytime
you want to be; just write anything that enters into your head as
simple as that. Nobody can stop you from writing, write and write to
your heart's satisfaction. Be happy and contented, never mind if
your work is not publish or appreciated by the people. What matters
is that you love writing, you decided to write and you have written
something, mission accomplish.
Is there a meaning to life?
If so, what is it?
Life is
like a Tabula Rasa (blank sheet), it has no meaning, it is we who
will provide the kind of meaning that we want to assign in our life.
It is the individual who creates the meaning in his life. What you do
define the meaning of your existence. Some people define the meaning
of their life by the amount of money they accumulate; others
associate their life with power and prestige. For Robert Kiyosaki
the best-selling author of the phenomenal book "Rich Dad, Poor
Dad" and financial guru the meaning of his existence is
identified with the amassing of wealth and building business empires.
Mr. Kiyosaki was so obsessed with the idea of getting rich that he
intentionally maligned and ridiculed his biological father (Poor
Dad) in his book in order to praised and disseminate the gospel
of money making that he learned from the father of his best friend
whom he reverently called Rich Dad. The meaning of life
depends on what we value as individual. What is valuable to me may
not be valuable to others or vice versa. According to Ms. Ayn
Rand the author of the novels "The Fountainhead and Atlas
Shrugged" and chief proponent of the Aristotelian philosophy of
Objectivism (which she dubbed as Rational Selfishness)
if you want to determine what you really want in life you have to
check your premises. There's no contradiction in reality according
to Ms. Rand, check the basic idea behind your emotion and you will
learn what really it is that you value in life, then go for it. Only
then you will find the meaning of your existence; the moment you find
the meaning of your life only then you will be happy.
Is the meaning of life the
same for animals and humans?
No. The
meaning of life for human beings is much higher compared to the
perception of the animals. Man can always re-invent himself according
to the meaning that he wants to assign to his life. On the other hand
the awareness of animals is limited and solely confined to their
basic necessities such as food, drink, habitation, sex and instinct
for survival.
Where is the line between
art and not art?
Art is
about self-expression, it is manifested in artistic forms such as
music, poetry, paintings, sculpture and other forms of
self-expression. The expression can sometimes be vulgar and it can
also be deemed obscene. The basic thing that differentiate art from
non-art is the message, artistic expression conveys message. A nude
painting can be artistic if it conveys a significant meaning;
pornography on the one hand is plain and simple animalistic, erotica
and rubbish.
If
someone you loved was killed in front of you, but someone created a
copy of them that was perfect right down to the atomic level, would
they be the same person and would you love them just as much?
My loved
one and the person in the picture are not the same literally since
the former is a warm body while the latter is just a product of
technology. Nevertheless, the emotion inside my heart will always
connect the two and yes I will always love the deceased person and
the picture of that person. The good thing about picture taking is
that it preserves things (good or bad).
Does
fate exist? If so, do we have free will?
There
are things that're beyond our control thus we call it fate; like
death and disease for example. Nevertheless, in general man is always
free to choose whatever he wants to do about his life.
What
does it mean to live a good life?
Be good
to yourself, be good to your loved ones, be good to your neighbors,
be good to your co-workers, be good to the society and be good to all
men in general. Seek wisdom by listening to your heart. Life is
short, fleeting and mundane don't waste it in harboring ill
feelings towards other people; always live by the golden rule.
Celebrate life everyday by enjoying good moments with your loved
ones. Read good books, go to the park and restaurant be merry while
you're still alive. In bad times be staunch like a Stoic; in good
times be merry like an Epicurean.
Why
do we dream?
The
emotions and thoughts that we suppress when we are in the state of
consciousness, manifest when we are unconscious; this why we dream
according to psychologists.
Is
it possible to live a normal life and not ever tell a lie?
Telling
lie is part of a so called normal life, so to speak, therefore, it is
impossible to live and never tell a lie. I think the real issue is
not about lying itself but rather it is the reason why people tell
lie that should be the concern. People lie for various reasons; some
lie because they want to cheat while other lies for good reason.
People who claim that they don't lie are actually the biggest liars
in the world.
Does
a person's name influence the person they become?
A name
is just a name, nothing more. The name of the person cannot influence
him or her for whatever reason. Judas Iscariot became a traitor on
his own volition and not because of his name in the same manner that
Hitler became a monster because of his racist and twisted political
belief and not because of his name.
What
should be the goal of humanity?
Sharing
the world and its resources is the number one problem of humanity;
greediness is the main problem of the people. Therefore, I believe
that the goal of humanity is to learn the art of sharing. The
resources of the world are sufficient to sustain the needs of all the
people however because of covetousness poverty and misery are on the
rise. Greed must be defeated that should be the goal of humanity.
If
you could become immortal on the condition you would NEVER be able to
die or kill yourself, would you choose immortality?
No, I
don't want to be an immortal because what is the use of eternity if
you will have to live with it alone. I would rather be a mortal and
live with my loved ones until my time of death comes. I've read the
novels of Anne Rice about vampires; despite of their immortality
they're miserably lonely creatures.
How
will humans as a species go extinct?
Man is a
cruel being, his murderous habit often directed against his fellow
human being and his propensity to abuse Mother Nature will ultimately
result in his own demise. Because of his own foolishness man invented
weapons of mass destruction that can wipe out the entire humanity.
Therefore, man the perennial problem of this world shall go instinct
because of his own stupidity.
What
actions in your life will have the longest reaching consequences? How
long will those effects are felt?
I am now
actively engaging in money investment activity through PAGIBIG M2
program and this is scheduled for five (5) long years. This action
will definitely provide a positive financial effect in my life after
I accomplished this project. Aside from that, I also embark for the
second time in my life in a full swing reading of books therefore I
expect a lot of good things (ex. more knowledge, expand my awareness
and became more fluent in writing and speaking) to happen in the
succeeding months and years through this productive endeavor.
How
long will you be remembered after you die?
I have
no idea how long people will remember me since I am not a celebrity
nor did I accomplished something worthwhile for humanity. Yet, I want
to be remembered by my daughters as a loving father. Though my
writings (like this one that I am writing right now) I want people to
remember me. How long? That I cannot answer since normally when a
person dies normally he or she goes into oblivion, except for the few
with outstanding achievements.
If
a child somehow survived and grew up in the wilderness without any
human contact how "human" would they be without the influence of
society and culture?
This
question reminds of the fictional hero called "Tarzan" the lord
of the apes. The human attributes of a human being will always be the
same whether he grew up in the jungle with the apes or in the heart
of the metropolis. Man is man, period.
Where
does your self-worth come from?
From my
writing, this is where my self-esteem comes from. I am not a good
speaker but I am a good writer compare to other people; far better
compared to my contemporaries in the private security industry. I am
not rich, handsome, and charismatic but I can write. I can always
express my emotion and thoughts through my writing. I find happiness
and contentment in my writing; I'm proud about my ability to write.
With or without the approval of other people I am a writer and I will
always be a writer. The people that I work with appreciate and praise
my writing skill. The appreciation and praise that I receive is like
an accolade that inspires me to keep on writing. I am writing not for
the sake of fame and money; I am writing because I like writing, this
is my life.
How
would humanity change if all humans' life expectancy was
significantly increased (let's say to around 500 years)?
We will
live like immortals just like the vampires of Ann Rice. Sounds
exciting but it would be probably boring to other people. If this
happen it will drastically revolutionized the system of living of all
human beings. The system of penology in imposing prison sentence to
convicted people will have to be dramatically increased too to
hundred thousand of years up to millions unlike today.
Where
do you find meaning in your life?
By my
experience I can vouched that I always found solace and happiness in
reading good books; books are cold they say but sure friends. I've
learned lots of things from reading. Vis-vis, through reading I
can study humanity and everything that is connected with it. Aside
from my writing I also find meaning in life through my reading habit.
What
do you think would be humanity's reaction to the discovery of
extraterrestrial life?
They'll
definitely be shocked by this discovery. There's been a lot of
scientific theory and speculations about the possibility of other
living species outside this world but up to now it hasn't been
proven. Despite of the numerous explorations in the outer space the
NASA hasn't yet found single conclusive evidence that there is
another form of life beyond this world that we inhabit.
Will
religion ever become obsolete?
Eventually
it will become obsolete. Religion is one of the biggest bullshit in
the world. Religion is the cause of many troubles, dreadful wars,
killings and horrible executions, religion is also a money making
organization that is untaxable. Religion thrives on the fear and
ignorance of its members. Personally speaking I believe that religion
especially the Abrahamic religions must be destroyed and their
leaders should be hanged in public.
If
you could teach everyone in the world one concept, what concept would
have the biggest positive impact on humanity?
Love is
the greatest concept in the world yet it is so elusive. If the idea
of love is well indoctrinated in the hearts and minds of the people
there will be no wars, revolutions, starvation, monopoly and all
kinds of evils will be eradicated. The concept of true love if
properly applied it will ultimately emancipate mankind from all its
troubles; true love is like a panacea.
Is
suffering a necessary part of the human condition? What would people
who never suffered be like?
Suffering is not really necessary in life; the idea that man needs to
suffer was just propounded by religious leaders as part of their evil
doctrine to enslave man. In reality suffering occurs whether we like
it or not it is wrong to say that it is necessary part of the human
condition. Suffering is an abnormal state and it shouldn't be
welcomed by any normal thinking person. Philosophers devoted their
time in thinking how to resolve the issue of suffering, if suffering
is a normal condition why dealt with it? Philosophers like the Stoic,
Buddhists, Epicureans and other school of thoughts (including
sensible theologians like Thomas Aquinas) are working in their own
different ways on how they would deal with the problem of suffering.
They're like a doctor who's endeavoring so much to find a cure;
because suffering is a disease like cancer. As a sensible human being
man one must face suffering using the art of philosophy if he wants
to survive. However, it is an act of tremendous stupidity and
diabolical foolishness to rejoice in the midst of suffering just like
what Jesus Christ taught to his ignorant followers.
To be
continued..............
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