Clearly, as a philosopher, Albert Knox tries to awaken us to our indifference to the philosophical world questions that he believes to be the “central part” of our lives. It is true that as we grow up, the world we live in becomes more of a “habit” to us that we cease being stunned by things like seeing a dog. This, however, does not mean that we lose the ability to wonder about the world, but merely decide that our daily issues take precedence over this kind of wonderment.
A child who first sees a dog is amazed and thrilled. Yet the more important thing is that he/she learns that this four-leg creature is a “dog” through this experience of amazement and gradually becomes used to this universal fact. As we grow up, the same happens. We wonder, learn and absorb.
As for philosophical questions, we wonder and wander and become enigmatised; and we come to discover that we will never “get to the bottom” of these questions, just like the police who tried to solve the crime. As a result, we stop wondering these deep questions. Instead we put our focus on elsewhere. For me, I take interest in biology. I am intrigued by the flawless design of the human body and I wonder about the how the body functions rather than the origin of the world. If I have a goal in life to make the world a better place, should I be concerned more about wondering where the world comes from or pursuing my goal?
Also is it real that by not wondering these philosophical questions and “making ourselves comfortable deep down in the fur of a white rabbit” that we live in “triviality?” I disagree that other than philosophy, everything else we do in life is simply “trivial”. Knox depreciates those “getting caught up in everyday affairs”; yet sometimes it is exactly these “affairs” that determine our lifestyle, our personality, our future… For example, will meditating on the confounding question of “who am I” help me with my IB grades? Or with my relationship with my family?
I was first convinced by Knox how the philosophers “embark on the perilous expedition…” But as I further wondered, I questioned: should “figuring out who we are and why we are here” occupy the whole course of our lives? Is it not better that we remain down in the fur and perhaps occasionally climb up to the tip and inquire? I believe that being stimulated into questioning “who we are” and “where we come from”, or being astonished by the existence of this world and ourselves, or pondering the “huge mystery” of life is quite a good exercise. However if we put our entire lifetime in investigating the world yet never “getting used to it” and accepting it “as a matter of course”, will we not miss out the real purpose of life?
Therefore in my opinion, no, we do not lose the ability to wonder about the world. In fact our growth in intelligence and maturity should increase this very ability. We just feel that there isn’t a need anymore to wonder about the world since our daily affairs concern us more, so “the astonishment at the world is pushed into background”.
4 comments:
Fair enough, Ann: a well-argued take on the task... but is that REALLY how you think given the place you're at in your life?
Consider, for example, this anonymously-attributed quotation: "Life is not measured by the breaths you take, but by the moments that take your breath away." Is that still possible if we become resolved to what you end your post with?
Mr Jabal, you may have mistaken what Ann's point was. She said
"we wonder and wander... we come to discover that we will never “get to the bottom” of these questions"
I take this to mean that we realise the fruitlessness of "wondering".
Side notes:
Does enigmatised mean confused? I am confused.
Does the human body have a " flawless design "? What about aging? Cancer?
Ann, nice p.o.v
Perhaps Knox doesn't mean actively 'wondering/philosophising' out loud in the literal sense, but rather 'wondering' - an appreciation of life and keeping an open mind.
I agree with you - everyone has different values, it all comes down to self-reflection and knowing ourselves. I also agree with you that there should be a balance between acceptance and thinking non-stop about 'life' -orelse you miss out on it.
But 'goals' and 'finding answers' are really just the same; because we all strive to make life purposeful. We all want to live for a meaning.
Thank you for your comments. =)
I've been contemplating hard and reading others' posts after i posted my own blog and i came to disagree with some of the my original thoughts. At least on the personal level, some of what i have written just do not seem to concur with what i actually believe the more i read it.
My reasons for disagreeing with Alex Knox are no longer "we have the ability to wonder but we just don't use it because we do not feel the need to explore the world with questions that have no answers". In fact I believe that a number of grown-ups, not merely philosophers, wonder more deeply about the meaning of life (i.e. what are we here on earth for?) in the process of growing up. I previously said that "we wonder and wander... never get to the bottom of these questions... as a result, we stop wondering..." but that is not true for everybody, even including myself. In my own experience, it is exactly my growing ability to wonder about the world that allows me to discover what i believe to be the truth: the universe has an Intelligent Creator whom we call God. We all come to different conclusions (or uncertainties) after thinking and wonderment in depth, which demonstrates our increasing ability to think, wonder and WANDER =P
I can't write another new blog of my ideas again, but I'll make sure that i think thoroughly before i post for my next assignment.
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