A new philosophy book explores how reason and philosophy can provide practical solutions to modern problems.
The Problem
It is always tempting to take the shortcut in life—to find the easiest solutions and live with the most minimal conflict. Unfortunately, modern technology has made this path more fraught. Online disinformation, media bias, and the rise of charismatic leaders have made it harder than ever for people to trust others and know what is true.
This is an issue philosopher Dr. Julian Baggini attempts to address in his new book How To Think Like a Philosopher: Twelve Key Principles For More Humane, Balanced, And Rational Thinking.
Backing Up A Bit
He argues that studying reason itself gives his readers a path forward with practical solutions to modern problems—helping readers to “watch your steps; follow the facts; watch your language; be eclectic; be a psychologist; know what matters; lose your ego; think for yourself, not by yourself; only connect; and do not give up.”
Dr. Baggini is the editor of The Philosophers’ Magazine, a research fellow at the University of Kent, and works for the Institute of Public Policy Research. He previously published The Godless Gospel, How the World Thinks, the Virtues Of the Table, and The Great Guide: What David Hume Can Teach Us About Being Human And Living Well.
A Short Excerpt
“If we want to promote better reasoning, we can learn alot from the philosophers who have been specialists in sound thinking for millennia. In an age which fetishes novelty and innovation, there is a need to relearn the greatest lessons from the past and appreciate that what is timeless is always timely,” says Baggini.
“Another thing that I hope distinguishes this book from other smart thinking tomes is that I do not shy away from the sheer difficulty of thinking well. An invitation to think like a philosopher would be disingenuous if it disguised the challenge of the task. When sugar-coating goes too far, you end up with sickly confectionary and no nourishment. In our time-pour attention economy, we are seduced by the promise of hacks. We want shortcuts, time savers, and cognitive accelerators. But thinking reaches limits of efficiency very quickly, and every corner cut comes at a cost.”
