A long while ago, I studied philosophy. That means the different eras of thought, individuals and their followers, and traces of their ideas in modern culture. Also very interesting to me was the history of ideas, which means that an idea, such as the equality of all mankind, has certain ramifications through subsequent generations. Specifically, I read a lot about Nietzsche in relation to the German nation in the twentieth century, bits about Socrates and then got into a book called Modern European Thought by Frank Bauman. It is an overview of major streams of philosophy, with more attention on French thought, as I remember, Voltaire and such. I wrote down one interesting bit, perennial questions. These are questions that all civilizations ask in all ages, but answer in different ways, of course.
1. God
Does God exist? How do we know that He exists? And if He exists, what are His attributes? In particular, how does He relate to man?
2. Nature
What is the order of creation? How are we to function within it?
3. Man
What is man? What is his nature?
4. Society
How should society, which is a community of men, be conceived? Is it fundamentally alterable or unalterable?
5. History
How significant is the past? Does history move in any visible direction? Does it have a design, as subject to a law, to be moving toward a goal? What are its chief driving forces, free will or fate?
The answers to these questions form a person's view toward his surroundings and himself. They can also be answers that will steer a nation. I find society very complex. How do men relate to each other? How can they function in harmony in a group, with their different opinions? How can they create harmony, to lead them into the future with prosperity? I just thought all of you might like to think about your own answers.
Philosophy is very intriguing to me. It explores our thoughts, and the deep, deep issues of the meaning of life, and how best to live. It deals with the abstract many times, the things that we can't see, the energy behind all life.
