Comprehension

What ever philosophy may be, it is in the world and must relate to it. It breaks through the shell of the world in order to move into the infinite. But it turns back in order to find in the finite its always unique historical foundation. It pushes into the eternal. But even the profoundest meditation acquires its meaning by relating back to man’s existence here and now. Philosophy glimpases the highest criteria, the starry heaven of the possible, and seeks in the light of seemingly impossible the way to man’s dignity in the phenomenon of his empirical existence . Philosophy addresses itself to individuals. It creates a free community of those who rely on each other in their will for truth. Into this community the philosophic man would like to enter. It is there in the world at any time, but cannot become a woridly institution without losing freedom of its truth. He cannot know whether he belongs to it. No authority aceptance possible. But how does the world relate to philosophy ? There are chairs of philosophy at the universities. Nowadays they are an embarrassment. Philosophy is politely respected because of tradition, but despised in secret. The general opinion is : it has nothing of importance to say. Neither has it any practical value. It is named in public but does it really exist? Its existence is proved at least by the defence measures it provokes. We can see this in the form of comments like : Philosopy is too complicated. I don’t understand it. It’s beyond me. It’s something for professionals . I have no gift for it. Therefore it doesn’t concern me.-But that is like saying : I don’t need to bother about the fundamental questions of life : I can diligently bury myself in some special field of work or scholarship without thinking or questioning its meaning, and, for the rest, have “opinions and be content with that. The defence becomes fanatical. A benighted vital instinct hates philosophy by something new and totally different. It is mistrusted as the utterly mendacious end product of a bankrupt theology. The meaninglessness of philosophical propositions is made fun of. Philosophy is denounced as the willing handmaiden of political and other powers . For many politicians, their wretched trade would be easier if philosophy did not exist at all. Masses and functionaries are easier to manipulate when they do not think but only have a regimented intelligence. People must be prevented from becoming serious. Therefore it is better of philosophy to be boring. Let the chairs of philosophy rot. The more piffle is taught, the sooner people will be blinkered against the light of philosophy. Thus philosophy is surrounded by enemies most of whom are not conscious of being such Bourgeois complacency, conventionality, the satisfactions of economic prosperity, the bonhomie of politiciansm the fanaticism of ideologies, the literary self-assertiveness of talented writers- in all these things people parade their anti- philosophy. They do not notice it because they do not realise what they are doing. They are unaware that their anti-philosophy is itself a philosophy, but a perverted one, and that this anti-philosophy, if elucidated, would annihilate itself.

CAT/1995

Question . 282

According to the author, the existence of philosophy is proved by