MANALO, Matthew Lorenzo M.

Ethics TFI2

2018- 11854 August 24,2018

The skeptic of nature

Philosophy is a very broad subject to discuss and think about. It deals with an
unimaginable number of factors and concepts that keep increasing every single time.
Because of this, some people see philosophy as this essential burden that someone
should carry once they delve into its realms of thought and skepticism. One may assume
that by opening their mind one may also be imprisoning themselves into the goose chase
that is complete understanding our world. However, as it may seem ignorance to be a
benefit, I believe that it is much more satisfying to be aware of the possibilities and
probabilities rather than simply closing your mind even if that means sacrificing the
concept of complete satisfaction.

This is the case with the story of the Brahmin of which the struggle I truly did understand
and relate with. In this philosophical dilemma, I believe that in order for us to advance our
minds and progress further in mind, body, and spirit, there needs to be a great sacrifice
of satiation. Through the pursuit of knowledge in a vast endless ocean it is inevitable for
us to readily want more and keep wanting more not only of answers but of questions and
thus never truly being satisfied. Such as is with a child who is allowed to experience the
wilderness rather than being disciplined but sedentary at home. I think that this is a worthy
cost in order to keep exploring and to keep our wandering minds active.

According to Brandt, the existence of philosophy is not to give definite answers but to give
way for questions themselves. Unlike the sciences, it aims to purposefully widen the
skepticism and curiosity upon a certain subject. Philosophy itself is for the people who
choose not to enclose their mind with willful acceptance of the certain dogmas of life. Its
purpose is to challenge each and every concept that arises and give indefinite answers
in order to increase the capacity to think freely and openly. It may seem that philosophy
is too problematic and chaos inducing, however, through continuous questions we can
better train our minds to think farther and in a much more unique and interesting way.
Philosophy in a way is an outlet for minds who need to wander in the midst of the natural
laws and theories of this world. It provides an avenue for critical thinking of which will
probably never end with a simple and rigid answer. Frustrating as it may seem to some,
I think that philosophy can be seen as a playground for the curious and the skeptics while
at the same time advancing our thoughts and ideas throughout each discussion.

Then again, it is stated by Armando Bonifacio that every one of us have their own view of
philosophy. This view is shaped by different experiences, values, judgements,
knowledge, etc. It may not seem that we have such a philosophy but internally it is built
within our system of thought. The concept of having factors that affect our view makes
possible the uniqueness that we ourselves possess. The ethical, metaphysical, and
epistemological notions that come with our philosophical views carry our stature in
philosophy. All of this is built from our own thinking process and mindset varying from
person to person. Incidentally, the difference we have in our philosophies is also the
reason as to why we progress through it. The flow of different ideas and perspectives is
what keeps the beating heart of philosophy pumping therefore it is important for one to
formulate his or her own philosophical thought.

In summary, philosophy is in itself a natural train of thought. To delve deeper would mean
a great amount of effort and reflection of our natural world of order. It is vital however that
we continue to pursue philosophy especially in areas where there is no real answer so as
to expand our reaches towards areas that are deemed closed by the natural laws we
have today. As conceptual as it may seem, philosophy is really a complex and interesting
avenue that has proved to be critical in the advancement of our species.