In his article, The Value of Philosophy philosopher Bertrand Russell (1872-1970) examines what it means for something to be practical.
Practical affairs dominate our modern-day activities.
If something doesn't lead to instant 'measurable' results, it is deemed impractical, and therefore, useless. E.g. philosophy.
This emerges from a misconception about the ends of life.
Russell distinguishes between two different kinds of goods that humans pursue:
Goods of the body
Goods of the mind
Philosophy attends to the goods of the mind.
Its effect on the goods of the body is indeed difficult to gauge because the results are not immediately visible.
As such, philosophy can be rendered useless if we think that we should only attend to material needs.
Similarly, the goods of the body might be perceived as useless if we only cared about intellectual activities.
According to Russell, the value of philosophy lies in its uncertainty.
It allows us to question our beliefs to avoid the trap of dogmatism in our pursuit of a 'good' life.
Building on Aristotle's concepts, the notion of moderation becomes a crucial factor in both our practical and intellectual pursuits.
Next up, a brief introduction to Aristotle’s virtue ethics.
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