It’s the first week of classes and it’s during this time that I attempt to sell my kids on philosophy. I want them to know what philosophy is and what philosophers do way before we actually get deep into material. What I do in class is also what I’m interested in doing outside of it. I want everyone to not only know what philosophy is but how it aids us in answering and asking questions, improves our critical thinking skills, provides the space to engage in ideas, empowers us to critique society and systems, and equips us to have rational justification for our beliefs. Philosophy makes us informed and rational human beings and citizens. I believe philosophy is something that we all should attempt to do.
Philosophy is everywhere and there is always an opportunity to see how relevant it is to our everyday lives. Popular culture is a great medium to see this take place. That’s why I love College Humor’s The Philosophical Bouncer. In the humorous skit a bouncer at Club Clever is questioning a patron who is trying to get into the club. The bouncer prevents him at first and proceeds by asking him multiple questions. The questions soon become philosophical with a few answers provided along the way. After all the chatter the bouncer still does not allow the patron to get in although he has allowed others. The video clearly shows discrimination that is often practiced at nice clubs, but the clip also gives us some important information about philosophy.
1) Philosophical questions have the tendency to build and emerge out of everyday conversations
The conversation between the bouncer and the patron begins with general questions about his identity and then the questions take on a philosophical nature. There is a difference between basic questions and philosophical questions. A basic question can be “what is your name”. However a philosophical question could be “what is a name”. (Wittgenstein has a way of answering questions like these). An everyday question could be “where are you located”. A philosophical question could be “is where you are real or simply a part of your dream state”. Philosophical conversations come out of everyday conversations. One can began to talk about beautiful celebrities and then transform the conversation into one about the nature of beauty. Socrates was good at this. He had the ability, as we see in Plato Dialogues, of finding philosophical issues within everyday conversations. His conversations with his companions started out as something very basic like “what are you doing at this courthouse or what have the benefits of old age been” into questions about the nature of justice, piety, and our commitment to the state.
2) There are a variety of philosophical topics and questions
In the video the bouncer poses a variety of philosophical questions each touching on popular topics of philosophy. What is the meaning of life? Philosophers Albert Camus, Schlick, Nozick, and Richard Taylor all had some interesting responses. The bouncer even throws in the problem of evil by asking why god allows suffering. The patron provides a Leibniz response and suggests it’s for soul-making. There are a variety of philosophical topics to explore in philosophy that ranges from ethics to philosophy of language, from metaphysics to social and political philosophy. The topics are endless partly because what we want to know is also endless.
3) Philosophy can be done by anyone
What makes the video humorous perhaps has to do with the person that’s posing the questions. Some may look at bouncers at parties as big former jocks who only care about beating people up and watching sports. However in the video it is this person who is doing philosophy. We can all be philosophers. To be one does not require a Ph.D. The only requirement that one have is the courage to ask and attempt to answer these philosophical questions and also engage with the ideas of others, access their arguments, and perhaps create one’s own.
4) Philosophy can be done anywhere
You will notice in the video that this philosophical dialogue is taking place in a line outside of a club. Philosophy doesn’t have to be done only in college classrooms. We can all engage in philosophical conversations and do philosophy no matter where we are. It can be at a bar, club, or on the subway. Most of my philosophical conversations that I have with people are usually on facebook or while hanging out with my friends. The space does not matter. The only requirement is minds filled with questions and the patience and mental rigor to wrestle with the answers.
So I make a challenge to you. This weekend you should attempt to start a philosophical conversation with someone. You can start out by discussing an ordinary subject and then attempt to move it into something more philosophical. Do not have the conversation in a school. Move it out of this space into somewhere more distant like a restaurant, on the street, or in a car. Listen to your companion, challenge them with more questions, ask them for clarification, critique their response, and try to provide an answer of your own that makes sense. Use reason and respect as the only criteria. I’m sure it will spice up your life and your encounters.