Why Do We Need Philosophy? • Truth, Self-Examination & Social Change

Описание: Why Do We Need Philosophy? • Truth, Self-Examination & Social Change
Philosophy and contemporary issues Methodology of philosophy IB Philosophy HL Extension

Philosophy isn’t just ivory-tower speculation—it’s a living, global conversation that shapes how we search for truth, question ourselves, and build fairer societies. In this episode we sift through classics (Plato, Confucius, Descartes) and contemporary voices (Beauvoir, Fanon, Nussbaum) to ask:

What is philosophy really for—certainty, wisdom, flourishing, liberation?
Why do philosophers disagree so fiercely on even that question?
How do wildly different methods—dialectic, systematic doubt, phenomenology, genealogy, linguistic analysis—each open unique windows on reality?
Can philosophy make progress, and what kind of “knowledge” does it actually produce?
Why does injecting diverse cultures, genders and disciplines matter for the field’s future?

Whether you’re new to the subject or a long-time thinker, you’ll leave with fresh frameworks for understanding yourself and the world—and one challenge: Which ultimate question is calling you?

0:00 Welcome & the age-old question: What is philosophy?
1:01 Goal #1 – Pursuit of Truth: Plato → Descartes → A.J. Ayer
2:45 Goal #2 – Critical Self-Examination: Socrates, Mill, Nussbaum
3:58 Goal #3 – Human Flourishing: Confucius, Utilitarianism, Nietzsche
5:40 Why philosophers disagree: culture, history & perspective
7:00 Toolbox tour: dialectic, doubt, phenomenology, genealogy, logic
8:55 Philosophy in action: public discourse, policy & liberation movements
10:40 Solitude vs dialogue—can thinking happen alone?
11:53 What kind of knowledge does philosophy create?
13:40 Does the field progress? Optimists vs pessimists
15:35 Methodological pluralism & the interdisciplinary turn
17:25 Opening the canon: diversity, situated knowledge & bias-busting
19:20 Philosophy of the self: identity, narrative, recognition
21:52 Big picture—locating humanity in cosmos, history & community
23:55 Key takeaways: truth, self, society & the spiral of progress
25:45 Final reflection: Which ultimate question guides your life?
26:53 Outro & next-episode teaser