The Real Philosophers - Poem
Updated: 2 days ago
A poem that argues philosophy doesn’t only belong to books and classrooms. In “The Real Philosophers,” Greg Luti looks at ordinary people who keep asking the hard questions while going about their everyday lives.
The real philosophers, at least the ones I have met, are those who question the world, wherever they go.
They whisper of truths in the office.
Silently speak of questions in the grocery store.
They philosophize as a part of their life.
They question because that is what they see at the moment.
As we are throwing out the trash for the day,
Moving the carts out of the aisle.
Picking up the boxes from the truck.
They ask questions; those who call themselves philosophers boast about it.
You speak of great minds and think of the books they wrote.
What wise words did they write, and how did they form their argument?
What school are they from?
The minds I know don’t know any of that.
They care not about writing their thoughts in books, nor would they say their words are even wise.
They are not forming an argument, but seeking the truth in the world as the world tries to hide from them.
And don’t mention schools of philosophy to them. They don’t know what that means.
The greatest questions can’t be answered in a book, or even a poem.
They cannot be formulated, studied, and dissected as though they were an equation.
The great minds of today put all their thoughts down as they sit in their ivory tower and reflect upon the great minds of the past.
What did that person think of what I view of the world?
How do I respond to them?
But my philosophers don’t do that.
As we are sitting in the break room, eating some pizza, they present questions about the world.
Not for their next book, or lecture, or even to be right,
But because they wanted to know the truth.
They asked not for themselves, for they gain nothing for asking the question.
They asked because they were compelled to.
We would be working on some boxes, and my co-worker would present an idea he has of the world, which, of course, takes up most of our time.
Then we learn of the world, and ourselves from it all.
Are you ever going to be taught about that exchange in school?
Will my working buddies ever be remembered for the questions they posed to the world?
No. No, they will not.
For we value the minds in the ivory towers.
Those who can support their claims, rather than those who randomly ask questions of the world.
But I ask, is there not a difference between a student of philosophy and an actual philosopher?
Why must I study to be a philosopher?
Am I not born with a brain to question and think?
If I do that, wherever I go, how then can I not be a philosopher, no matter what my degree says?
Why must I attend classes to prove I question?
Is the modern philosopher fooling us all with their very knowledge of the history of the field?
Are they questioning because they are well-versed in the field or because they are philosophers?
If you spend all day defending your point and learning about the history of the field, how can you ever call yourself a true philosopher, or one who lets their heart guide their way?
Question…
Question the world.
That is the trick to being a philosopher.
All that other nonsense they tell you about in school and try to teach you is wrong.
You can question the very world we live in wherever you go.
Want to wonder about life’s purpose at the gym? Go ahead.
Want to ponder the proper form of government while working at the bank? Right on.
Want to speculate on the nature of humanity as you clean up the room? No one is stopping you.
We are killing philosophy by making it all about books and words, and not about the heart and feeling of the mind.
Live your life as you would and should.
And when the time comes for you to wonder about life, don’t be afraid to ask.
You may not like the answer, but you should not be afraid to ask the question.
If an ivory tower philosopher is reading their books, defending their points, how can they truly know enough about life to question it?
They live in books and in their own heads.
Do they know the struggle of the average person?
Do they live among us, as we all struggle with paying bills?
Do they truly know how to live a life?
If the answer is no to any of those questions, then how can we say they are the best thinkers for the field?
I recognize the irony in my statement, and for that I apologize to the reader.
What is my solution to this problem?
To have the real philosophers replace those in the ivory tower?
That solves nothing.
To remove all the ivory tower philosophers?
We both know that is practically impossible.
To have a culture where questioning and philosophy are accepted by the public?
As much as I want to say that can happen, I know it won’t.
I complain about the ivory tower philosophers for being too involved in books and not enough in life, but I fail to accept that without those minds, philosophy would not even be written down.
Where does that leave me?
Where does that leave any of us?
We need the ivory tower philosophers because we all know the real ones would never do it anyway.
Yet, we all want more from the real philosophers who inspire the truth to be found in the world.
The only solution to this philosophical question is right in front of me.
We are to use what we know of philosophy to figure it out.
Question it.
If we do that, philosophy shall always be in good hands.
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