More To That

Philosophy Has Lost Its Way

We need philosophy more than ever, but it has drifted too far from the issues that matter

I was a late bloomer when it comes to philosophy. The first time I read the work of a philosopher was less than five years ago, but I was hooked right away.

My first purchase was a collection of letters written by Seneca, a prominent Stoic thinker who lived 2,000 years ago. His clear writing and timeless wisdom made an indelible impression on me, and I brought this book with me wherever I went.

Illustrations courtesy of the author.

Seneca’s words provided applicable advice on leading a life well-lived. Inevitably, his work led me to those of other Stoics, which then led me to Buddhism (the two schools of thought are similar), which led me to Taoism — all of which further solidified my love for philosophy.

I thought about enrolling myself in a few philosophy courses at a nearby college to study it officially. But before doing so, I wanted to check out what topics philosophy professors were addressing today. After all, my love for philosophy primarily revolved around ancient thinkers and that would only be a small portion of the curriculum.

Well, what I found was disappointing.