During my research into philosophy, I've noticed an interesting trend. Several influential philosophers didn't formally study philosophy and were drawn to the subject on their own. Descartes studied law, Nietzsche studied philology, Popper and Foucault studied psychology, and Wittgenstein studied engineering. I could go on and on. Given the contributions of these thinkers, why is it that philosophy seems to have become a "members only" society where admission requires a degree in philosophy?
As I've said before, I am not a philosopher. However, as someone interested in the subject, I thought I'd look for groups of like-minded individuals to further my philosophical studies. After all, the dialectic approach is an excellent way to broaden one's understanding of things. A Google search for "Philosophical Society" delivered a host of choices. Now, I wasn't surprised to find that some societies are a bit choosy when it comes to membership. Groups such as the American Philosophical Society are by invitation only and that's understandable. But, they do draw from every conceivable field of study, which is staying true to the spirit of philosophy. However, groups like the American Philosophical Association are a different story. Below are the requirements taken directly from their site:
Regular or International Associate membership is open to persons whose training in philosophy has been advanced and systematic enough to make them competent to teach the subject at the college or university level and/or to persons with special achievements in philosophy. To qualify for Student Associate membership, persons must be actively engaged in the study of philosophy at an accredited college or university.
So, basically you have to have a PhD in philosophy, or be enrolled in the organized study of philosophy at a university. So what about everyone else? Would this group tell people like Descartes to take a hike? What about good old Socrates? At what point did philosophy cease to be the love of wisdom and become a pretentious clique for ivory tower academics only? Are they saying that wisdom cannot be gained by the study of the arts and literature? What about history and human culture? What about the mathematics that was so dear to so many philosophers in the past?
There's another point I'd like to make. Considering that so much importance within philosophy is given to the ability to find new ways of thinking about issues, it makes sense that some of the best philosophers would come from outside philosophy departments. How can you expect a person to think originally when all they've studied is how their predecessors thought? Doesn't strict instruction in how to read and interpret philosophical writings extinguish the flame of free thought? The "love of wisdom" is reduced to writing what your professor wants to hear so that you can pass the class.
But, all is not lost. There are groups out there that endeavor to bring philosophy to the masses where it belongs. The Society for Philosophical Inquiry is one such group "devoted to supporting philosophical inquirers of all ages and walks of life." There is also the Dallas Philosopher's Forum, a group that organizes philosophical discussions that are designed to engage the academic and the Regular Joe - now, that's good shit.
In short, I say we all need to study a little philosophy - or a lot of philosophy. This is not some arcane and dead discipline that has no bearing on modern life. This is life. You engage in philosophy everyday, whether you know it or not. Don't let a bunch of effeminate elitists tell you that you don't have philosophical worth - you do. Philosophy is a living, breathing entity and it belongs to all of us, not just those that have had their creativity systematically squashed by chasing academic accolades.
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