The word "philosophy" originated from the ancient Greek word pheophia – philos means "love", sophia means "wisdom", and together it means "love wisdom". Since ancient Greece, out of the pursuit and love of wisdom, many thinkers have meditated on the origin of the world, the fate of mankind, and the standards of morality, resulting in a thousand-year-long philosophical history.
In his new book "50 Classic Philosophical Thinking Lessons", Yu Zhejun recounts 50 fragments of this long river of thought, and connects with contemporary life to let the thought enter reality. Seemingly lofty philosophical thinking, often prohibitive, can it really be useful in life?
In 399 BC, Athens conducted a trial that was not sensational. An old man was charged with "blasphemy" and "misleading youth." This old man was the ancient Greek philosopher Socrates. He liked to ask questions in the city square of Athens. The questions he asked were often embarrassing, such as: ask a rich businessman who made a lot of money what is wealth; ask a politician what justice is; ask a general, what is bravery...
These questions may seem simple, but after a series of questions, Socrates can always deduce contradictions or unexplainable points from the other person's own answers. Many felt ashamed and turned to resentment towards Socrates. According to Athenian law at the time, a grand jury of 501 people was to be selected by lot from among male citizens. The first round of voting is used to confirm whether the defendant is guilty or not, and if the defendant is found guilty, then the second round determines the corresponding punishment. As a result, in the first round of voting, the jury found Socrates guilty by a slim majority — just 18 votes apart. At this time, Socrates himself went to court and defended himself...
As a result, in a second round of voting after Socrates defended himself, the jury sentenced Socrates to death by an overwhelming majority. In other words, Socrates' self-justification has the effect of "death". But his defense is enshrined in the history of philosophy. For it is in this defense that Socrates utters a sentence: "The unexamined life is not worth living." ”（A life which is unexamined is not worth living. Apology, 38a) the word "scrutiny" here can also be translated as reflection or reflection.
Why was Socrates charged? Because he was resented. Why is he resented? Because he asked embarrassing questions. But why is his question embarrassing? Because most of the questions he asks are so-called "second-order questions." Those questioned by Socrates were, by today's standards, mostly successful people with successful careers—big businessmen who made money, successful politicians, famous generals, and so on. That is to say, the original achievements of these people show that they must be good at "first-order problems"—how to make money, how to get into politics, how to fight, etc. Socrates, however, did the opposite, turning to a very different way of asking questions: his question was not "how to make money", but "what is wealth?". Even the people on the rich side may not have thought about such a second-order problem.
It's a universal question that pierces the here and now. Many people in modern times, who have read a lot of books, have a high degree, have made a lot of money, and have seen a lot of knowledge, but they still have a bad life. The problem is likely to be a lack of ability to ask second-order questions. For example, you ask a person: Are you willing to live a happy life? I'm sure almost everyone will answer yes. But if you ask again: What does happiness mean for you? I reckon that few people can answer exactly what happiness is. "What is happiness?" is a typical second-order question. Such a question may seem abstract and grand, but for some people it is concrete and personal, and it is also unavoidable.
Many people may believe that there is a "standard answer" to questions like "what is happiness" in a given era. However, this may not be the case. Many times, when one thinks that one can pursue happiness according to the template of the only standard, it may be the beginning of their misfortune. The way of education received from childhood to adulthood makes many people too superstitious, thinking that there is a single correct standard answer to all the problems in this world - sincere people will realize that there is no answer to many questions at present, that is, aware of "no solution"; wise people will see that there are many answers to other questions, and none of them are more correct than the other, that is, aware of "multi-solution"; in addition, there are some people who believe that the answers to the fundamental problems of life can be "outsourced". That is, find other people and experts to answer instead of yourself. For example, a person who does not understand legal issues can consult a lawyer; a person who does not understand health can find a fitness trainer, a diet consultant and a family doctor... The so-called "outsourcing" is the purchase of services and the appeal to experts.
However, can you outsource the fundamental problems of your life? Are there fundamental questions that others can't answer on your behalf, because they can't make decisions on your behalf? Here, the logic of consumerism is not a panacea. Because there is no other person in this world who knows himself better than you do, and no one else can completely catch the pot you throw out. Thus, the philosopher Socrates was also known as the "mind midwife"—to help others find their own answers to second-order problems through cross-examination. Babies born are not midwives.
"The unexamined life is not worth living." This sentence is only Socrates's answer to himself, you don't have to accept it all, you can give your own answer - for you, what kind of life is worth living? What kind of life is not worth living? If you can give yourself an answer that convinces you, and live sincerely and accordingly, it is already very difficult. Ultimately, though, this requires irreplaceable scrutiny from others— scrutiny, reflection, and reflection from within. In this sense, philosophy is essentially a "self-help" science.
"Self-help" does not mean easy and casual. In an age of the Internet and digitalization, everyone has access to the information they want at any time – philosophy books are there, and many courses and programs are readily available. Still, many people don't know where to start when faced with a feast of full tables – what to read first and how to read it. Teaching philosophy to the masses is not a simple matter, and if you don't do it well, you will end up with Socrates.
In general, the attitude of the masses towards philosophy is to stay away. Difficult concepts and tongue-in-cheek writing scare most people off. Generally speaking, in the professional education of philosophy in the Academy, there can be a large number of hours to ensure the teaching of a complete history of philosophy, philosophical schools and the ideological background of philosophers. However, when it comes to mass readers, the above conditions are not met. And everyone already has some "preconceived" views on philosophy. This book attempts to use the questions of philosophers in their classic writings as a theme, which is simply a thankless approach to seeking the near and the far. But philosophy may be appealing to questions that lie deep in the hearts of almost everyone—questions asked in their own childhood, in critical moments of life, at the moment of major choices. To be able to recount the arguments and reflections of philosophers in their writings, even hesitation and contradiction, is like writing a step-by-step derivation process on a blackboard, tested by the public eye—what matters is not its conclusions, but the whole derivation process. Only then can everyone learn philosophy as a way of thinking (Denkweise) rather than dogma. Thus, Kant once said, "Philosophy cannot be learned, man can only learn philosophy (Philosphie kannman nicht lernen, man kann nur lernen zu philosophieren). To this end, I try my best to take myself out, because "my" attitude and position are not related.
It should also be reminded that the volume of this book is relatively large, and you do not have to read the whole book from beginning to end, but you can find your own questions, chapters, or familiar philosophers and works, and read them selectively. If you feel like your heart, mind, and hair volume are OK, challenge yourself with some chapters with a higher "baldness index." After all, fruitful reading and interaction is not completely comfortable, it must be accompanied by discomfort and even pain.
The book originally originated from the audio course "Yu ZheJun Fudan Philosophy Lessons" launched at Himalaya FM in 2017. During that year, it was a challenge to keep updating 200 episodes, but it also allowed me to reach out to and meet a lot of friends who loved to read and think online. Background data after the course went live showed that after 12 midnight, there was an open peak. One explanation for this is that many people like to listen to such a difficult lesson in the dead of night; another explanation is that such a philosophy lesson is really "hypnotic." But I personally feel that if an audio course can help everyone fall asleep in an irritable society, it is also a merit.
In the years since, there have been many people who have been "urging" to hear me launch an updated course or program. But I didn't "hit the iron while it was hot", but I still wanted to be silent for a while. This is because in today's market, similar courses are constantly emerging, and individuals who want to learn can always find the right books and online courses. However, I also found that similar programs have a tendency to converge, always grasping for "big numbers", and failing to make people "climb the ladder" very well, and even enter the room.
In "Zhuangzi Foreign Objects", it is said: "Therefore the fish are in the fish, and the fish is forgotten." The "basket" mentioned here is a bamboo fishing tool. People who love to think will also have the feeling of Zhuangzi, the target is fish, and after catching the fish, the raft as a fishing tool can be forgotten. This book is a "basket" in this sense. After a preliminary understanding of the names, genres, propositions, and general ideas of some philosophers, one of the goals that cannot be avoided is to read the original texts directly. In this way, we can go deep into the thinking context of philosophers, to experience the original speculation, and no longer have to accept second-hand, third-hand or even N-hand referrals. However, there are many gaps between the popular curriculum and the reading of the original. This book actually wants to be a ladder to help you climb the stairs, get carried away, and step into the main hall of philosophical speculation. The meaning of the philosophical classics is irreplaceable. Nor can one eat only complementary foods for the rest of one's life.
Excerpt from the author's prologue "Why Is Life Yet to Be Examined?" 》
Venue Acknowledgement: HA Design Centre's Inaugural Exhibition "Design Debate"
Book Highlights
A philosophy lesson from the Himalayas that was played more than 5 million times!
The author Yu Zhejun is known as Fudan 'Little Prince of Philosophy'
5 major thinking sections, 50 philosophical classics, 160 subdivided knowledge points, 235 further reading
In-depth interpretation helps you absorb the essence of the original work and make your thoughts more interesting
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Editor: Aero
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