I am, I exist – but for how long? For as long as I am thinking. –Descartes
As I noted in PART I, most of the ‘Big Questions’ I framed were not empirical questions. The questions I framed invited deep reflection – over-time reflection. How, in fact, do we humans even come up with the ‘Big Questions’?
In a word: self-reflection. We humans are relentlessly capable of reflecting upon ourselves (now whether we do and to what extend we choose to do is another matter). How often do you-I-we do something out of ‘habit’? When we act out of ‘habit’ how often do we go back and reflect upon our actions?
We humans are capable of thinking of things and also of reflecting upon our own thoughts (again, ‘being capable’ does not equate with ‘engaging in’). How often have you, Gentle Reader, been asked: ‘What are you thinking? Do you know what you are talking about?’ How often have you offered one or both of these questions to another?
On a good day we might actually pause and reflect upon the questions – we might engage in ‘self-reflection.’ On not-so-good days we will not respond with self-reflection (an understatement I know).
In order to respond to these two questions (not react to them), we will need to reflect on our own positions. We will need to reflect upon our own understanding of what we are saying – leading us, hopefully, to why we are saying it. We will also need to explore our own ‘authority’ – am I saying what’s on my mind or am I saying what is on another’s mind (some authority, for example). Am I willing to ‘own’ what I am saying? AND, am I willing to be able to rationally defend what I am saying? [As essentially emotional beings we are not well-versed when it comes to rationally defending.]
On another good day we might begin to wonder whether we actually know what we mean. We might wonder whether what we say is ‘objectively true’ – perhaps it is a reflection of our assumptions, prejudices, non-reflective beliefs, etc. We might also begin to reflect upon the idea/concept of ‘truth.’ Am I speaking ‘my truth’ or someone else’s truth? How do I know I am speaking MY truth?
When I search rooted in reflection and critical thinking (two processes I can do well or poorly) I am ‘doing philosophy’. The point, of course, is to do reflection well. Easy to say – challenging to do.
How can these thinking skills be acquired?
[Lincoln] forces consideration upon the mind. –D.H. Donald
Searcher-Seeker 