there is a sense about philosophy, that philosophy is
done by the solitary man, thinking his solitary thoughts,
Rodin thinker, just sitting there and thinking, alone with
his thoughts and that is the modern context of the
modern philosopher but that is not the Greek or Roman
idea of philosophy…the ancients thought that philosophy
had a communal, group context…
philosophy wasn’t done like Nietzsche or Spinoza did it,
alone, thinking their thoughts separate from other people…
no, the ancients felt that philosophy was done with other people,
in contact with and for and by other people… philosophy was a social
activity, not an individual activity…
the group participated in philosophy… recall Plato’s School and
Aristotle’s School, they were involved in philosophy together,
discussing philosophy together as a group… they lived together
and ate together and had classes together and discuss philosophy
together… philosophy wasn’t a solo event done by one person,
people engaged together to discuss philosophy as a group,
not an individual thinking their thoughts alone, apart…
philosophy is a social event with other people…
and this in part, is another failure of philosophy…
thinking philosophy is a isolated, individual event where
engaging in philosophy is really a social act with other people…
and this engagement is engaging in…
we go to baseball games and watch baseball…
we are not engage in baseball, we are watching baseball…
but if we go down to the field and engage in playing baseball,
then we are engage in baseball…
philosophy has the same aspect to it… if we watch or read about
philosophy but don’t engage with it, we are just spectators
of philosophy…
philosophy is not a spectator sport, it requires us to engage within
philosophy and with philosophy… it must reach us emotionally,
with passion to be philosophy…
to do philosophy, you must play philosophy, just like baseball,
if you are passively watching philosophy, you aren’t doing philosophy…
philosophy requires active participation, it isn’t a spectator sport…
it must be engage with, with your whole soul, body, mind…
philosophy requires, demands participation or it has no value…
no point… understanding must come from participation,
not just watching it… philosophy requires engagement,
not passivity…
philosophy is not a spectator sport…
Kropotkin