Understanding the Relevance of Philosophy in Modern World

The word philosophy derived from the ancient Greek word philosophia, which means love of wisdom. During our studies in college, we were quite surprised that philosophy was included as an obligatory subject that we must take. Besides being the hardest (for me at least) subject to learn, it made us wonder, is philosophy still relevant today? Why were we obliged to learn about Plato and Descartes in this modern day and age?

You might be surprised at how relevant those theories are in today’s society. So, in this article, we will try to cover the different reasons behind the relevance of philosophy in the modern world.

Western philosopher’s critical thinking

As university students and general humans, we were urged to master the art of critical thinking. It is our ability to understand different sides of perspectives in an equal manner, without regarding one perspective as less than the others. While our society is completely different from the age of old Western philosophers, we are still facing the same problems. Therefore, critical thinking, which is the core of modern philosophy, is required to solve the problems in our modern society.

Science is good, but not enough.

Is philosophy still relevant today? It can’t be denied that we are highly dependent on science and technology to thrive in the modern age. This can be seen from the entertainment we watch to the vehicle that we use to commute. However, this doesn’t mean that philosophy has lost its relevance in the face of science. In fact, both of them work together in a beautiful pattern.

So, how is philosophy still relevant today? As argued by Gabriel del Carmen via Odyssey Online, unlike philosophy, science cannot determine the value of humanity. On top of that, empirical science cannot determine our moral value. So, it is quite clear that philosophy still has its place in our modern world.

Philosophy For business

You might be tempted to think that philosophy has no place in the world of modern business. But in reality, modern business practices and politics are still highly dependent on philosophy. So, why is philosophy important? As explained by Prof. Dr. Christine Tiefensee in a 2016 Frankfurt School article, crucial skills are needed in the realms of business and politics.

These crucial skills may include being able to solve complex issues, identifying problems, and providing relevant arguments. She further adds that these complex analysis skills are complementary elements of philosophy. This is because philosophy has the ability to train our ability to be consistent and systematically think.

Besides politics and business, these skills can also be applied to different realms. This solidifies philosophy further in our modern world.

In conclusion

So, is philosophy still relevant today? Of course, it is. Philosophy will always influence our lives in the modern world. Ancient philosophical theories will provide answers to the most relevant questions that we have today. For instance, Aristotle in his Politics said that our society's goal is to enable each individual “to attain a higher and better life by the mutual exchange of their different services.”

Aristotle's thousands-year-old statement is pretty much the foundation of every e-commerce, start-ups, and the internet that we have today. So, saying that philosophy has lost its place in our modern world is far from the truth.

Image source