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Christopher Kenn Navarro St. Mark Philosophy I

Reaction Paper (Of Philosophy and Life) “Philosophers should be judge not by the standard of what they know but by the measure of how they live.” In our future tombstone, what is more important is not only our name;it is not the date of birth nor death. One significant thing that we can see in a tombstone is the symbol being placed between those dates. The dash (-) that separates our beginning and end in this earthly life. This sign signifies the time which we have lived. It doesn't matter how long nor short our life but how we live it, for as we decay and return to soil, what left behind us is our history or legacy. Philosophy has something to do with this that can help us. Philosophy teaches us lessons that we can live, for Philosophy is not.... “a remote and abstruse subject which can only be profitably studied by brilliant few”.(Learning to Philosophize;preface). The late Pope John Paul II also noted that “all men and women are in some sense philosophers”(Fides et Ratio; number 30)....and by that we should learn to have a pattern in life. Julian, educated in Athens and was given a monkish education beforehand,showed an example of a person living some truths in Philosophy. He even pointed out the “falsity” and the “hypocrisy” of Christian in his time. He also proved trough his action that he had the capacity to lead the empire. He possessed a good judgment in some circumstances, such as forgetting his loyalty to Constantius to impose justice in the province of Gaul. Through this act, I think that he gain the name “Julian the Apostate”. “In his short reign, Julian was able to strike a salutary balance between the concerns of practical life and the interests of speculative pursuit.” His high regard to Philosophy made Philosophy itself instill “the lessons of just rule, merits of virtue and learning and the fleetingness of all things earthly”. Through Philosophy, Julian, who never thought to be an emperor, excelled and became popular. His works made him put his name in History, and made people mourned for him in his death;moreover,he left a legacy to the hearts of many. Anicius Manlius Severinus Boethius was the next philosopher, a century or more from Julian's death. He was a philosopher who used Philosophy as his strength. He was the one called by Lorenzo Valla as the “last of the Romans” and the “first of he Scholastic philosophers”. A statesman who had a broad view of things. Boethius once served King Theodoric the Great of the West Empire. However, he was later accused of taking part in a plot together with Justin I, Catholic Emperor of the East, against King Theodoric. It was because of this accusation that Boethius was brought in the tower of Pavia. In spite of his imprisonment, he was able to make his best known work, the Consolation of Philosophy. Consolation of Philosophy explains that as Boethius laments his cruel fate, he is comforted by Philosophy in a form of a beautiful woman. “She tells him that happiness is not to be found in the transitory possessions, power, or pleasures that fortune provides on earth but with God in eternity which is simultaneous whole and perfect possession of unending life. She assures him that wickedness is always punished and virtue rewarded and that Consolation reflects the influence of Plato, Aristotle and Plotinus. In this work Boethius also reflects Christian thought although it is not formally Christian.”(Encyclopedia Americana; Boethius, Manlius) In this way also, Consolation explains what he “Enduring Questions” says about “Wisdom as Knowing How to be Happy”. In this treatise, Boethius explains that we can be “strong and bold in the midst of trial and distress” if we rely on Philosophy. It is because “Philosophy never allowed herself to let anyone go upon journey unbefriended”. Julian and Boethius are among those few who tried to answer life's questions. They used their knowledge to guide them in their lives. They lived in accordance to what Philosophy aims which is to live a good and just life. Through philosophy, one can gain wisdom; not only learned but also a lived wisdom. In this way, we can be happy even without those earthly things. This is what the dissertation of Festin, J. would like to point out; what philosophy all about and what it can do with someone's life. The dissertation talks about the role of philosophy which is to search for answer to the yearnings of humanity rather than just accumulation of data. However, it does not only deal with answers but also the questions per se. As what Bertrand Russell has said, “In philosophy, what is important is not so much the answers that are given, but rather the questions that are asked.”. In this manner, as we ask questions and try to answer it, we might have something that would give meaning to our lives. Immanuel Kant once said to his students-“You will not learn from me philosophy, but how to philosophize, not thoughts to repeat, but how to think. Think for yourselves, inquire for yourselves, stand on your own feet.”. With this idea we should think and make a self examination so that we might live according to what is the truth. Living the truth, we will have a meaningful life, leaving a history not only in books but on the hearts of people. Thus, we will be proud of ourselves to have that meaningful symbol, dash (-), when time comes. Now, how would you like to live your own dash?

wawa
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