Philosophers in the World :: Philosophy Philosophers Paperes

Philosophers in the WorldPhilosophers are often thought of as hopelessly inept in the real world, the theoretical counterparts of the 90-pound weakling on the marge of the material world. Nothing could be more mistaken.As mentioned, Alexander the Great studied with Aristotle and then went on to conquer the world (well, the parts of the world the Greeks knew). concomitant? Perhaps, but the extent to which other ancient figures were influenced by philosophy is far less ambiguous. To take the most obvious example, Socrates was committed to a life of favorable criticism and public debate, so much so that he was tried and executed by Athenian officials who felt threatened by his influence everyplace the young. Consider also the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius (the guy Richard Harris played in the movie Gladiator). As a young man, Aurelius was so motivated by his lamb of truth (the Emperor Hadrian nicknamed him Verissimus) that he turned from studying rhetoric to philosophy. Cons cientious to his subjects and magnanimous to his enemies, Aurelius sold off personal items rather than raise taxes to fund the lofty expansion into Eastern Europe. Despite his dis ilk of violence (he made gladiators fight with blunt tips), Aurelius spend much of his reign on the battlefield fighting German tribes on the Danube front The Meditations was written down as notes, sometimes in military camp at the end of a weary and bloody day. uniform many other ancients, Aurelius took the philosophical life to be one lived in the world according to philosophical principles and values, drawing on Epictetus admonition Eat like a man, drink like a man, get dressed, get married, have children, lead the life of a citizen Show us all this, so that we abide see whether or not you have really learned something from the philosophers. (Discourses III, 21, 5)One important thinker who exemplified Epictetus ideal was John Locke. Bored with the scholastic curriculum during his studies at Chris t Church, Oxford, he spent much of his time as an undergraduate reading French literature. After receiving his B.A. in 1656, Locke plunged into the study of medicine and chemistry, later supervising a surgery to drain an abscess on Lord Ashleys liver (the operation probably saved Ashleys life). Locke saw his Essay Concerning Human Understanding, the venue classicus for modern empiricist philosophy, as providing part of the conceptual framework for the new scientific advances of Boyle, Huygens, and the incomparable Mr.