Philosophy as an activity

01/02/2024, Journal

For a long time, my heart was devoted to philosophy. I felt lost, relentlessly pursuing answers to fundamental questions like ‘What is the meaning of life?’ or ‘How should I live?’

No matter how eagerly I searched, the world remained silent. Frustrated, I grew furious with life and the indifferent world.

Encountering Wittgenstein transformed my perspective. I realized I’d been asking unanswerable questions all along. Unfortunately, human beings can only meaningfully answer questions of how, not questions of what.

Wittgenstein said, “Philosophy is not a body of doctrine but an activity.”

Yes, he is right. Philosophy isn’t a subject like physics or economics—it’s a continuous activity aimed at logically clarifying the workings of science. Philosophy merely provides logical clarity for questions of how.

Farewell to philosophy as a set of doctrines—ethics, political philosophy, aesthetics—and welcome to philosophy as a rigorous activity driven by logic.