Philosophy and Practice

I got once again a reply such as:

This can be a philosophical discussion but my goal is to get practical.

I am of course not the only one receiving such answers, and whom they frustrate deeply. George Lakoff noted in Women, Fire, and Dangerous Things:

Philosophy matters. [And later] There is a major folk theory in our society according to which being objective is being fair, and human judgment is subject to error or likely to be biased.

Within philosophy, there has been several attempts to get rid of metaphysics, and to claim various kinds of empiricism or pragmatism.

The recourse to practice is (in practice) just a way to close the discussion, precisely by alluding to a mythical (folk theory, says Lakoff) universal and inescapable reality. (Whereas the idea itself of the existence of such a universal reality has philosophical roots, that may be deep and not even noticed: "... the philosophical ideas that have developed over the centuries enter our culture in the form of a world view..." --George Lakoff).

-- MarcGirod - 25 Jul 2007

In my experience philosophy is a very practical activity. However, some people don't like being challenged or have a vested interest in the status quo and so peddle the myth that philosophy is wholly impractical. It can be difficult to engage with such people.

-- MarkDalgarno - 27 Jul 2007

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