C.I. Lewis Professor of
Philosophy
Stanford University, CA, USA
After
having discussed the role formal methods can play in philosophy I will
now turn to the role philosophy can play in relation to other
disciplines.
One
classic view is that philosophy is a metadiscipline different from all
other disciplines. It is supposed to provide a priori foundations for
the other disciplines, or to tell us what is the task and nature of
these other disciplines. Another traditional view is that philosophy is
a quite different enterprise that has nothing to do with other
disciplines.
My own view
is that philosophy can play a role in all other disciplines. But which
role?
General
problems
Philosophy is a reflection on all aspects of us humans
and the world in which we live. The various disciplines tend to
concentrate on one particular sphere or one particular issue, while
philosophy takes up very broad and general problems, problems that are
not covered in one particular discipline. Often philosophy will seek to
clarify notions that play a role in other disciplines but are not
themselves objects of study in that discipline. Examples are notions of
causality, explanation and justification.
Problem
awareness
Another kind of contribution that philosophy can make to
other disciplines is to make them aware of fundamental problems that are
overlooked. A good example of this is the notion of time. Time is
studied and used in very many disciplines. Time is used as a parameter,
and in many disciplines one reflects on it, how it should be measured,
etc. It is hence an example of the kind of general notions that we just
mentioned. However, time also illustrates another distinctive feature
of many applications of philosophy in other disciplines. Saint
Augustine expressed it very well when he wrote: “What then is time? If
no one asks me, I know; if I wish to explain it to one who asks, I know
not.” This is typical of the kind of questions that engage
philosophers. Philosophers will tend to ask questions when others do
not ask them. They will make us aware that there are obscurities and
problems where we thought that everything was well. In fact, what
characterizes the good philosopher is problem awareness. It is
good if a philosopher has imagination and creativity and can communicate
clearly and well. However, problem awareness is a sine qua non
for a philosopher.
Of course
many people from other disciplines take up such issues and reflect on
them. They are then doing philosophy, I would say. There is no clear
line to be drawn here, and I do not regard it as important where we draw
the line, or even whether we draw one.
Clarity
Another important goal of philosophy is to help to
clarify issues. A large amount of intellectual activity aims at
clarification, but philosophers have a special responsibility here. Our
contribution does not consist in collecting empirical material or making
experiments, but in dealing with abstract and complicated issues. What
I enjoy the most are philosophers who address issues that are important
and complicated, so-called "deep" issues, and who do it in such a clear
way that they provide insight. I do not regard obscurity as evidence of
depth. Obscurity is enough to turn me off. However, clarity by itself
is not enough to turn me on. It is easy to be clear about simple
issues. What I enjoy the most are clear discussions of "deep" issues.
Our main challenge is to think about these issues in such a way that we
come to understand them better. And I agree with Nicolas
Boileau that
"What one understands well, one expresses clearly."
Clarity is
so important in philosophy that philosophers should regard it as part of
their calling to help clarify issues that are of importance for the
society in which they live. And the training of philosophers should
reflect this. I become highly suspicious of philosophers who when they
write on simple issues are not able to express themselves clearly. How
shall they be able to think clearly about the difficult and complicated
issues one deals with in philosophy?