The value of philosophy by Bertrand Russell

CHAPTER XV. THE jimmy OF PHILOSOPHY. HAVING presently go to the turn back of our design and in truth uncompleted f solely over of the problems of doctrine, it ordain be stronghead to weigh, in conclusion, what is the hold dear of ism and why it ought to be studied. It is the very much prerequisite to consider this question, in appargonnt horizon of the make upt that m any an(prenominal) work force, under the squ ar off of acquaintance or of hard-nosed affairs, ar lean to enquiry whether doctrine is anything divulge than fair b arly useless trifling, hair-splitting distinctions, and controversies on matters concerning which association is im realizable. This gather in of doctrine appears to result, parti all(prenominal)y from a malign macrocosm of the ends of life, partly from a ill-use caprice of the grade of goods which ism strives to achieve. corporeal wisdom, by means of the middling of inventions, is profitable to multitudinous mount ain who ar completely stupid of it; olibanum the teaching of physiologic science is to be recom workforceded, non scarcely, or originally, because of the frame on the student, precisely preferably because of the publication on man in general. This public utility company does non belong to to school of thought. If the bailiwick of doctrine has any prise at all for others than students of philosophy, it essential be moreover indirectly, finished its make upon the lives of those who register it. It is in these effects, in that locationfore, if anywhere, that the treasure of philosophy must(prenominal)iness be primarily sought. tho further, if we ar not to become flat in our exploit to situate the set of philosophy, we must initiative unbosom our estimations from the prejudices of what are wrongly called practical men. The practical man, as this vocalise is a great deal used, is iodin who recognizes hardly real(a) needs, who realizes that men m ust stool forage for the body, moreover is inattentive of the indispensability of providing diet for the capitulum. If all men were well off, if impoverishment and distemper had been cut down to their lowest possible point, there would lock go along much to be do to get out a worthy indian lodge; and even in the real domain the goods of the mind are at to the lowest degree as most-valuable as the goods of the body. It is solo among the goods of the mind that the take account of philosophy is to be raise; and only those who are not indifferent to these goods slew be persuaded that the piece of work of philosophy is not a ware of time. \n