Philosophy has more to offer than a soul supplement

Le Regard Libre N° 78 - Antoine Vuille

Prejudice against philosophers« series, episode #5

Each month, a guest editor examines a cliché about a philosopher. For once, this article focuses on a prejudice about philosophy itself. To understand what this discipline is and what it's for, we need to break down two clichés about it: the first concerns its object, the second its method.

Philosophy, as taught at university, is not well known to the general public. So it's only natural that prejudices should circulate about philosophers, who are often perceived as benevolent sages, a little artistic, a little marginal, who like to isolate themselves in nature to meditate on the fate of humanity. According to this cliché, the purpose of philosophy is to