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Does Philosophy Matter?

Philosophers: Weird Insects or Extraterrestrials?

Sometimes when people ask me what I do, I tell them that I am a philosopher. Big mistake. They usually look at me as though I just sprouted antennas on the top of my head. They must think I'm either a weird insect or an extraterrestrial. The common assumption that philosophers are weird has to do with misconceptions about philosophy and philosophers.

A philosopher, so goes one misconception, is someone who is detached from the everyday issues of life that "normal" people face. Others seem to think that philosophers really only belong to the past — ancient, toga-wearing curmudgeons usually associated with the likes of Socrates, Plato and Aristotle. Certainly, the skeptics say, philosophy doesn't really matter in a contemporary context. Naturally, they continue, we've progressed beyond the need for philosophy or at least have realized that its value to daily life and reality is peripheral at best. Let's just leave philosophy to the academics and unemployed, some might add.

Is it true that philosophy has no real practical relevance to everyday life? Doesn't the Bible warn against the dangers of philosophy? What is philosophy, anyway? In this article, I'll explore these and other questions, as well as highlight the important connection between ideas, philosophies and worldviews.

Hollow and Deceptive Philosophy

Some Christians argue that the Bible is opposed to philosophy. The most common passage cited to support this position is Colossians 2:8: "See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ" (NIV). The King James Version seems even sterner: "Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit."

Much more can be said about this passage, but for our purposes I have only two comments. First, the verse does indeed warn Christians about philosophy, but the warning is specifically against "hollow and deceptive philosophy." The implication is that not all philosophies are of this flawed kind.

Second, other biblical passages support the rigorous life of the mind, which includes philosophical thinking. God calls us to reason (Isaiah 1:18), the Bible refers to Him as "the only wise God" (Romans 16:27), Jesus tells us to love God with all our mind (Matthew 22:37, Mark 12:30, Luke 10:27), Romans 12:2 calls us to "be transformed by the renewing of your mind," and 1 Peter 3:15 says we need to "[a]lways be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have." Giving answers and reasons for our beliefs requires an understanding of competing philosophies. Christianity, in short, supports philosophical inquiry and the life of the mind.¹

By the way, the misinterpretation of Colossians 2:8 as an argument against philosophy highlights at least two important principles of biblical interpretation (hermeneutics). First, passages must be interpreted in context; this principle of hermeneutics helps avoid the common error of pulling Bible passages out of context and, in the process, misinterpreting the text. Second, passages need to be interpreted in light of what other biblical passages have to say on the matter.

What is Philosophy?

Before delving too deeply into the role of philosophy in relation to Christianity, philosophy needs to be defined. The word "philosophy" literally means "love of wisdom." Philosophers love wisdom and pursue it passionately. These days the root meaning of "philosophy" is not always taken into consideration. As philosophy grew as a formal discipline, and Christianity diminished as a worldview influence, the concept of "wisdom" and its pursuit in relation to philosophy became muddied. At its core, though, wisdom involves the ability to make correct judgments based on a proper understanding of reality. Biblically, wisdom is viewed as being rooted in God and His nature (see, for instance, Proverbs 2:6).

Traditionally, philosophers address three primary issues, summarized by the following questions:

1. What is ultimate reality? (metaphysics)
2. How do we know? (epistemology)
3. Why does it matter? (ethics)

Douglas Groothuis, who also writes for TrueU,, defines a philosopher as someone with "a strong and lived-out inclination to pursue truth about philosophical matters through the rigorous use of human reasoning, and to do so with some intellectual facility."²

Philosophers, of course, are also responsible for creating or developing philosophies and philosophies are really worldviews. Like philosophies, worldviews also address questions regarding reality, knowledge and ethics. Also like philosophies, worldviews consist of ideas. In many respects, philosophers significantly influence the marketplace of ideas, for better or for worse, on a global scale.

Major worldviews active today include naturalism (the material world is all that exists), pantheism (everything is divine), polytheism (many gods exist), and Christian theism (a personal God exists). Each of these worldviews may be subdivided, such as including atheism, scientism and secular humanism as philosophies within naturalism. The point, though, is that philosophies are worldviews and worldviews shape our world and daily lives.

Is Studying Philosophy Practical?

There are a number of practical reasons for studying philosophy. First, an understanding of various philosophies helps us have a historical perspective. Philosophies have historically shaped cultures and civilizations, impacting such varied fields as art, literature, music, politics, and more. Having some understanding of the philosophical influences that have shaped human history is part of being culturally literate. From a distinctly Christian perspective, having a historical perspective is helpful in gaining a better comprehension of the worldview struggles that have shaped our world.

Second, having knowledge of philosophical errors helps us avoid the same or similar errors in our day. When the author of Ecclesiastes wrote, "there is nothing new under the sun" (Ecclesiastes 1:9), he wasn't thinking of inventions like the paper clip or iPod. Instead, we can apply this passage to philosophical ideas. Bad ideas have a habit of recurring. Knowing what these ideas are and recognizing elements of them in contemporary philosophies and worldviews can help us better critique these perspectives.

Third, in the case of the study of ancient philosophy, it is instructive to study humanity's search for truth in a pre-Christian era.³ Understanding the extent of truth that philosophers were able to grasp on the basis of general revelation alone (such as their inner conscience and the world around them) will help Christians better understand the thinking of contemporary ideas that also base their philosophies on general revelation (Romans 1:20, for instance, tells us that we have enough evidence for the reality of God just on the basis of creation).

Engaging in the Battle of Ideas

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What do you think the biblical relationship between Christianity and philosophy should be?

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C.S. Lewis said, "Good philosophy must exist, if for no other reason, because bad philosophy needs to be answered."⁴ Philosophy matters because philosophers and their ideas radically shape the world we live in. Christianity needs great minds because we are in a great battle of ideas.