Starting to think about philosophy
One philosopher, I forget who, answered the question, “what is philosophy?” in this way: “Thinking about thinking to improve thinking.” I’ve thought about it, and I agree. I would imagine that many people shy (sprint?) away from philosophy feeling that it’s not practical. However, if philosophy is understood to be a way of improving one’s overall thinking in a manner that can then be applied to all other areas of life, it’s a very practical way to spend one’s time.
So let’s get started.
Since philosophy is all about thinking - thinking specifically about problems and possible answers, let’s start with a riddle. I love riddles.
Richard is a little boy. He and his parents live on the tenth floor of an apartment house. Each morning Richard rides down to the lobby in an elevator. Then he walks to school. When he returns home in the afternoon, he takes the elevator to the third floor. Then he walks up the rest of the way. Why does Richard get off at the third floor instead of the tenth floor?
Answer: Richard is too short to reach the button for the tenth floor. The button for the third floor is the highest button he can reach.
