Sharin N. Elkholy - Philosophy Wise: Timeless Ideas for a Meaningful Life

Copyright 2021 by Sharin N. Elkholy, PhD

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or used in any manner without written permission of the copyright owner except as permitted by US copyright law. For permissions contact:

First paperback edition October 2021

BOOK DESIGN BY

Letcia Naves

ILLUSTRATIONS BY

Helena Cintra

PRINTED BY

ISBN 978-1-7374257-0-0 (paperback)

ISBN 978-1-7374257-1-7 (eBook)

ISBN 978-1-7374257-2-4 (audio)

philosophywise.com

For Leilah

Whose Wisdom Truly Surpasses Her Years And For Which I Am Grateful

CONTENTS

ALSO BY SHARIN N. ELKHOLY, PhD

The Philosophers Deck and Guidebook

Heidegger and a Metaphysics of Feeling: Angst and the Finitude of Being

The Philosophy of the Beats, ed.

COMPLETE LIST OF PUBLICATIONS

https://uhd.academia.edu/SharinElkholy

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Distilling the philosophical ideas that have guided and given meaning to my life into what is now Philosophy Wise has been an ongoing project of mine. I would like to thank my professors at Antioch College and The New School for Social Research, especially Dr. Pat Linn and Dr. James Dodd, for putting me on the path of questioning and allowing me to grow as a thinker. I thank my students at the University of HoustonDowntown for helping me demonstrate the practical relevance of the ideas discussed here. My daughter Leilah, I thank for her patience and work in helping me to clarify my thoughts. I thank Gillian Murphy, Sam Antoci, and Mike Diamond for their feedback and proofreading. Most of all, I thank my former student Joe Singleton for his editing help, with providing endnotes, and invaluable support in helping to bring this project to completion. I would also like to dedicate this work to Magda.

PHILOSOPHY WISE

INTRODUCTION

People used to think that philosophy could tell them how to live a more meaningful life. Not many people believe that today. Our conversations are less and less concerned with philosophy and its pursuit of wisdom, self-examination, and ethical practices, and more and more focused on the values of material and financial reward. Modern culture seems to have forgotten what philosophy can do, and the gifts it offers the soul. Perhaps philosophy has forgotten its own wisdom. Obscured by over-specializations and professional jargon, philosophys messages remain mysterious, shrouded by complex language, and hidden within university walls. This is concerning because with the loss of philosophical insights, we lose valuable guides that have helped us navigate life for thousands of years. Philosophy should not be reduced to a laborious academic exercise available to only a few. Philosophy belongs to all of us. It is a tool with the power to radically inform and transform our lives.

At heart, to philosophize is to practice the art of living well. In Ancient Greek, philosophy simply means the love (philos) of wisdom (sophia). Of course, philosophers dont have a monopoly on lifes big questions. But the ideas that arise from contemplating the good life are the materials with which philosophers work. And ideas matter. They shape how we think and how we see ourselves, others, and the world. We might say that philosophy is to the mind what physical exercise is to the body.

Philosophy Wise brings the wonder of philosophical ideas into your everyday life. Re-invigorating philosophys initial purpose to provide guidance for better living, this book invites you to join in conversation with seekers of wisdom who will help you flourish and build your own philosophy of life. Written for philosophers and non-philosophers alike, Philosophy Wise demonstrates how your concerns and questions can be approached philosophically to allow you to think more clearly and consciously about nearly everything. Philosophy doesn't just provide answers, it teaches you how to think for yourself. At times, simply understanding your circumstances without even changing them can significantly improve your life. Some ideas in this book will be inspiring, some will elicit a deeper level of realization, and some will incite you to action. All the ideas presented here will expose you to more enduring ways of thinking, living, and seeing the world.

Philosophy Wise introduces 20 philosophers whose ideas have stood the test of time to serve as models of wisdom and practical conduct. Each thinker will offer different formulas for good living presented here in an accessible style. At the end of each chapter you will find a section illustrating how to apply the ideas to your life, followed by a series of thought-provoking questions. Pick and choose from among the kaleidoscope of ideas to provoke clarity, guidance, and inspiration. Philosophy Wises unique approach emphasizes the reader as it repurposes complex ideas into tools for daily living. The only thinker that this book asks you to go deep with is you. If you want to engage with these ideas more playfully, you can turn to the Philosophers Deck. There you will find a beautifully illustrated set of cards depicting each philosopher, including an extra two thinkers and an accompanying Guidebook. The Deck may be used to spark intuition and meditation through art and visualization; the Guidebook to further advise on how to incorporate philosophical viewpoints into your journey.

Embrace who you are and become the artist of your own life. Use these philosopher guides to clarify your reflections on what matters most to you. Engaging with the thoughts in this book will strengthen the muscles of your mind and empower you to live a richer and more fulfilling life. These philosophers were indeed mavericks; many of them risked their lives and reputations to develop new possibilities for how to live. Lend them your ear and experiment with their radical ideas. From Socrates to Camus, from Eastern to Western thought, the insights in Philosophy Wise can endow your life with meaningand meaning makes a remarkable difference to the thinking and talking beings that we are.

Socrates

470 BCE GREECE 399 BCE GREECE

The Unexamined Life Is Not Worth Living

Socrates is a philosopher of self-examination. He asks us to engage in regular dialogue with ourselves and others to examine the values that guide our lives. Two of his most fundamental beliefsthat the unexamined life is not worth living, and that a good life is a virtuous lifehave come to define what it means to live a philosophical life. They present us with a bold challenge to live our lives with conviction by putting the truths and values we take for granted to the test. By identifying our beliefs and knowing why we believe what we do, we come to understand what we deem important and what makes our lives worth living. Self-examination allows us to live more purposeful lives. Without it we would not know who we are, or the meaning and value of our lives.