
The study of philosophy boosts a person’s problem-solving skills and opens one’s imagination to aspects of life beyond material science. Philosophical skills allow scholars to examine ideas, definitions, arguments, and issues that directly affect the perception of life (Blanshard 12). Such skills add to the ability to organize thoughts and concerns, cope with matters of worth, and extract what is vital from vast volumes of information. Through its demands on intellectual engagement, philosophy contributes significantly to the educational endeavor. This essay is based on the theme that philosophy is crucial as it opens the scholar’s mind in higher education to world views on thought frequency, vibration, and energy. In higher education, philosophy entails becoming acquainted with significant figures and improvements in antiquity, mastering current techniques, and accepting philosophical issues. Exposure to the concepts in philosophy helps scholars develop critical, analytic, and observational abilities that may be considered the most valuable in the greater scheme of life.
Fundamental Traits of a Philosopher
Philosophy makes a critical contribution to achieving four criteria that should be foundational to any institute of higher learning. The foundational skills include instilling basic thought patterns in students and improving their text interpretation, writing, and good communication skills. These skills are essential in developing cultural identities and encouraging scholars to engage critical questions about reality, knowledge, and relevance (Rick 583). Specific fundamental traits make a scholar a good philosopher ready to engage in constructive arguments that shape decisions in daily life. The most common characteristics include open-mindedness, skepticism, and a systemic thinking approach.
Open-Mindedness
Open-mindedness is one of the important that s that define a scholar as a philosopher. Open-mindedness is better understood as a predisposition rather than an occurrence. Open-mindedness is not about one’s honest opinions but about one’s willingness to revise them under suitable conditions. It requires genuine humility in the face of admitted fallibility and adjusting the perception of existing problems (Blanshard 32). Open-mindedness is a constructive virtue in a philosophical framework. It acts as a correction to confirmation bias, an epistemic fault. In this context, open-mindedness is the epistemically virtuous inclination to resist the detrimental consequences of confirmation bias on our capacity to reason correctly and analyze facts and arguments.
Skepticism
A good philosopher is also supposed to have some levels of skepticism that provide for more research invalidating the information provided in a discussion. Skepticism is the attitude of disputing knowledge claims made in several fields of Western philosophy (Rick 571). Skeptics have questioned the sufficiency or dependability of these statements by inquiring about the principles upon which they are founded or what they genuinely establish. A critical mindset will aid the scholar in requiring a rationale for the ethical claims of others. Additionally, the scholar will eschew appeals to authority in favor of considering all perspectives.
Systemic Approach to Thinking
A good paradigmatic philosopher must also show signs of systemic thinking in their approach to issues in life. Consistent with systems philosophy, systems thinking is concerned with comprehending a system by examining the relationships and interactions between the system’s constituent pieces. Systems thinking is especially beneficial when confronted with complicated or wicked problems (Blanshard 12). In philosophy, systems thinking better predicts future outcomes based on a deeper grasp of the surrounding structure and its constituents than on previous occurrences. A few philosophers have demonstrated some of these trains, including Socrates, a Greek philosopher from Athens credited with establishing Western philosophy.
Argumentative Case for Socrates
Socrates emerges as a paradigmatic scholar who understands philosophy as applying logic and reason to pursue knowledge. According to Socrates, such knowledge may be gained by contact with the surrounding (Blanshard 22). Socrates established that philosophy is concerned with the topic of investigation, even though such a study seldom understands the subject. Plato’s Socratic dialogues demonstrate that philosophy is a process of self-examination, examination of other aspects of life, and recognition of known limitations.