The Process Leading There. Book Review of [Philosophy as a Weapon]
Hello. This is Mamo-taro from the General Affairs Section of the General Affairs Department.
I am also a working student. This time, I am writing a book review of [Philosophy as a Weapon], which is an introductory textbook on philosophy.
Unlike previous introductory books, this one introduces 50 key philosophical concepts that were personally useful to the author.
I don't think I would have picked this up on my own. I'm glad I encountered it in class.
Philosophy was the most useful thing in the field of consulting—.
Philosophy, often considered the 'quintessential useless academic discipline,' can become a powerful weapon for business professionals. A book that explains 'how to use philosophy,' written by a management consultant.
*As an Amazon Associate, Mamo-taro earns income from qualifying purchases.
The prologue is already wonderful.
Prologue
—An uneducated business professional is a 'dangerous existence.'
・Uneducated experts are the greatest threat to our civilization
・Just because someone is an expert, does that mean it is acceptable for them to be uneducated or ignorant of various matters?
From the Aspen Institute Japan website
Honestly, as someone who lacks education, I am not fully convinced. However, there was something that struck a chord in my heart. I felt that if one unravels the many histories and liberal arts, one would likely arrive at this conclusion.
Furthermore, this book emphasizes learning from the process. I will quote the reason for this.
There are two types of learning we can gain from the observations of philosophers:
・Learning from the process
・Learning from the output
The process refers to the thinking process and the way of framing problems—how that philosopher thought and arrived at their final conclusion. On the other hand, output refers to the answers or claims that the philosopher ultimately proposed at the end of their discourse.
If we think within this framework, the point reached by ancient Greek philosophers that 'the world is made of four elements' is an output, but if we ask whether we can learn anything from this output today, the answer is, of course, nothing. At most, the only lesson is that even the brilliant ancient Greek philosophers were spouting such nonsense.
However, on the other hand, the same cannot be said for the process of how they observed and thought about the world. There is a fresh lesson there that serves as a great stimulus for us living in the present.
The origin of all things is water, the origin of all things is fire, all things are in flux...
'I think, therefore I am,' 'God is dead'
I felt that I, too, had been paying attention only to hearsay outputs.
I had never paid attention to the 'process of how they observed and thought about the world.'
After finishing this book, I felt that 'philosophers are masters of insight.' 'Insight' is a word I have been thinking about a lot lately.
Insight
1. Seeing through things. Looking through. Penetrating view. Clear perception.
2. In psychology, an important function of intelligence that solves problems without relying on trial and error when facing a new situation. Foresight.
How do we observe and interpret a certain phenomenon? One's strengths, weaknesses, and natural traits are also characteristics within the context of relationships with society, and it is difficult to recognize them oneself. My own thoughts that have not been verbalized, words that drift further from my heart the more I speak them—I feel that, in the first place, true intentions are often just temporary emotions.
Consistency between words and actions is an ideal, but it is difficult for an ordinary person like me. I feel that not having consistency between words and actions is what it means to be multifaceted, and that it is what makes us human. The other person might not even understand what they are doing themselves.
I am sure you would all agree that 'vicious cycles are bad'.
However, vicious cycles never disappear.
For that reason, I feel that insight is extremely important.
In this book, one can learn the 'process of how to observe and think about the world,' and there were several key concepts that I could even apply to my own work.
I recommend it.
Thank you for reading.
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