Being a Philosopher

by David W. Hamyln, D.W. Hamlyn

Philosophers often find that the response 'I am a philosopher' when given in reply to the question 'What do you do?' produces a puzzled silence. The puzzle is not one simply about the nature of philosophical thought, it is one about what philosophers actually do. David Hamlyn's enjoyable and illuminating account is the first to consider the history of the practice of philosophy, or of philosophy considered as an institution. Being a Philosopher examines the main trends of that practice and how philosophers have been regarded at different times. The Greek philosophical schools provided the first professional philosophers. While philosophy played a significant role in the setting up of the universities in the Middle Ages, it was severely limited by its subservience to theology. He considers the great philosophers of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, exploring the issues of why so few had anything to do with teaching or any other institutional arrangements. The later part of the book outlines the progressive professionalism of philosophy, the emergence of philosophical journals and societies, and current arrangements for the practice of philosophy in higher education. In his conclusion, David Hamlyn draws certain morals from the history provided, emphasizing the importance of philosophical teaching and the institutional backing for it, while noting the implicit paradox that many of the major philosophers had no interest in teaching.

Genres: Philosophy

198 pages, Unknown Binding

First published July 21, 1992

Reviews

[Realini Ionescu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Being a Philosopher by David Hamlyn



You may have an enthusiasm for philosophy. I know I do. Alas, this keen interest on philosophy is not coupled with a deep understanding of the field. As I tried to start Kant, I got dizzy and understood that the complexity of the language, the approach beyond me.

So I am stuck with reading about philosophy, not the great books themselves, but the philosophy of Descartes, Aristotle and others. It is easier even if it is not the best of all possible worlds. There is an advantage, in reading a book like Being a Philosopher – apart from getting the point of view of the major philosophers, in an accessible way, we can understand what the author feels and what his perspective on the major works is.

Some of the books that explain philosophy add humor, anecdotes and make the major figures more humane. I have been entertained by the anecdotes with Thales, who was accused of not seeing the holes in the ground on which he was walking, but on the other hand predicted an eclipse and had the foresight to buy olive oil presses and good make a fortune out of the bumper harvest.

There is the ordeal of Descartes, who had to wake up at five in the morning to teach the queen of Sweden, Christina. The cold weather and probably the fatigue got the better of Descartes who died in Sweden, among strangers.

Aristotle asserted: “Philosophy begins with wonder”.

There are tales about Marx, the philosopher I hate, because with his “contribution” he helped bring about communism, which affected my whole life. Even today, in my part of the world, we still suffer the consequences of this cruel, stupid and false “Philosophy”.

Another intriguing fact that I have learned from this book is that Sophists are regarded today as the first university professors. The adversity that Socrates had for them, and which made me think Sophists were bad, was caused by completion, some kind of rivalry…