Cracking Philosophy: You, This Book and 3,000 Years of Thought (2016) by Dr. Martin Cohen, This-Is-Not-A-Review

Why Learning Philosophy Is Important?

In 2014, the late Dr. R.C. Sproul’s book Everyone’s a Theologian was published. He argues that any time we think about God and/or the teaching of the Bible and strive to understand it, we are engaging in theology. “No Christian can avoid theology,” he said, “Every Christian is a theologian. Perhaps not a theologian in the technical or professional sense, but a theologian nevertheless. The issue for Christians is not whether we are going to be theologians but whether we are going to be good theologians or bad ones.” In the same way, I think, everyone is a philosopher. We might not be a formal one or called as one but we are a philosopher nevertheless. If you ask questions or think intentionally about specific problems and ideas or engage with others on particular issues or challenge assumptions and concepts to generate new perspectives, you’re a philosopher (philosophy comes from the Greek roots Philo- meaning “love” and Sophos- meaning “wisdom” and so is defined as “the love of wisdom”). If you philosophized, then, you’re doing philosophy. Or to put it generally, no one can avoid it because everyone has a life philosophy. However, in the same way, similar to what Dr. Sproul said about being a theologian, the issue is whether we are going to be good philosophers or bad ones.

There are many things in life - or the universe, seen and unseen - that are yet to be discovered. As Christ-follower and Bible-believer, the essentials like who is the living God are already settled in my mind and heart. Faith in Him triumphs all my doubts about Him (see, I’m philosophizing here). Unashamedly, I’m very close-minded in this matter. But in almost everything else, I remain curious and open-minded. That’s why I love science because science is about discovery. Yet it has its limit. As scientific knowledge and discoveries grow rapidly, it is impossible to know what to do with them without reflecting on what they mean to us and how to use them for the greater good rather than for self-destruction (as predicted by Ultron in MCU’s 2015 Avengers movie). From the humanistic perspective, answers to all these questions depend on what conception we have of ourselves as human beings and what we think that means for the best way to live. None of these issues are questions for science but for philosophy (I wanted to write “philosophy and theology” but I’m still struggling with the relation between these two. But to limit the scope of this short article and to show the importance of philosophy, l will just focus on one). Science gives us facts but philosophy gives us reasons. Science can create robots but philosophy makes us humans. Science deals with cause and effect but philosophy deals with ethics.

Again, everyone is a philosopher. So don’t be a bad one. Learn and study philosophy. Of course, not everything can be solved by philosophy (in fact, sometimes it can make things more complicated) but since we are philosophized about everything anyway, why don’t be a better one at that? Philip Strokes, author of Philosophy 100 Essential Thinkers, says it best in the introduction of his book: “Since philosophers are engaged in exploring every avenue of thought, it should cause no surprise that many of their conclusions strike us as unacceptable in some way or another. At least one of the merits of such work is that it can indicate what we should NOT believe. But it should be equally appreciated that the conclusions of philosophers have also had profound effects.” Yes, the ripple effects of philosophy from the dawn of civilization to the present day cannot be undervalued and overlooked. That’s why I appreciate Dr. Martin Cohen’s Cracking Philosophy very much. He provides a good introduction to the subject in a very easy-to-read format (I do not imply that it is easy to understand though), written in somewhat chronological order and filled with amazing illustrations from start to end. I have to admit that I’m not good at remembering the terms and names mentioned in the book. So Google and Index are my constant companions. The 3,000 years of the history of thought is divided into ten (10) chapters, namely:

1. Mysteries and Wondering: Where It All Started - The First Philosophers
2. The Golden Age of Philosophy
3. Seeking Wisdom Through God
4. The Renaissance and the Triumph of Reason
5. Enlightenment, Philosophy, and the Rise of Science
6. Sniffing Out Empiricism with Locke, Berkeley, and Hume
7. Capitalism and the Rational Man
8. A Fork in the Road: Philosophies of Romanticism and Human Striving
9. Language, Truth, and Logic
10. Beyond Science: Philosophers Still Searching for Wisdom

☕ #ServeToLead #LeadersAreReaders #EveryoneIsAPhilosopher #CrackingPhilosophy #LetsMakeReadingCoolAgain

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THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

How To Think Like Einstein (2015) by Scott Thorpe, Book Review

How To Think Like Einstein: Simple Ways to Break the Rules and Discover Your Hidden Genius (2000, 2015) by Scott Thorpe

Three primary materials sparked my interest in the life of Albert Einstein, namely, Walter Isaacson's Einstein (2007, an extensive volume biography that I didn't get to finished), a TV series Genius: Einstein (2017, based on Isaacson's book), and John Gribbin's Einstein's Masterwork (2015). I also watched lots of documentaries about his life and works. Thus, I can boast about having general knowledge about Albert Einstein. Still, I cannot say the same when it comes to an understanding of how the general theory of relativity really works (Yes, YouTube videos are helpful. Thank you). Although Albert Einstein wasn't the only gifted intellectual during his lifetime, his accomplishments, especially the 1905 papers, make him the poster-child or the symbol of GENIUS. The words Einstein and genius are synonymous. So no wonder many authors who want to write books on being a genius or discovering your hidden genius will go to Einstein for reference or as the chief model. But I think we shouldn't want to be like Einstein or think precisely like Einstein because Einstein is one of a kind. We are created by God (not evolve) wonderfully and uniquely from everyone else. However, we can - and should - learn from others, including Einstein, even if we disagree with them. When I approach this book with this attitude, I get more from it.

The essence of Einstein's secret to think like a genius, according to the author, is that "you've got to break the rules." I know this is not a piece of top-secret information. But I agree with Scott Thorpe when he writes: "Rules are not always bad things. They are like railroad tracks. If you want to go where the track goes, they are perfect. But like destinations without a rail line, some solutions cannot be reached by following our rules. The only way to get there is to leave the tracks. Rules stunt innovative thinking because they seem so right. They hide the numerous superior solutions that exist but are outside our rule ruts. These great solutions will only be found by breaking the rules." As I observe myself and others, I find that most of our rule ruts are in our heads: we are trained to obey the rules mindlessly, we refuse to think differently when we become 'experts', we hold on to our limited perceptions, we don't stop to notice external forces that influence us, we quickly rejecting contrary evidence, we tend to conform to groupthink, the fear of rejections paralyzes us, etc. A world-class problem-solver and master of rule-breaker, Albert Einstein said, "We must recognize what in our accepted tradition is damaging to our fate and dignity - and shape our lives accordingly."

But even Einstein is not immune to rule ruts. Imagine this: Einstein's intelligence was consistently high throughout his life, and as he grew older, his vast knowledge of mathematics and science increased steadily. At the beginning of 1905, the young Einstein made significant discoveries in physics in his spare time, especially when he developed his special and general theories of relativity (and don't forget the formula, E = MC²). One of the rules that he broke was Isaac Newton's 'time is absolute' rule. When most scientists think that time is absolute, as decreed by Newton, Einstein believes otherwise, saying that time is relative. His productivity and problem-solving skills are in the beast mode. But as he gained reputation and acquired more knowledge, the old professor's spark was diminishing (Ronald William Clark's remarked in his book, Einstein: The Life and Times, another book that I didn't finish, "…later years, he moved his interest from science to politics"). He was still brilliant, but he didn't solve any more critical scientific problems after that. Why? Thorpe explains, "If rule-breaking was the secret to Einstein's genius, then we should expect his problem-solving decline when he didn't break the rules - and that is exactly what happened." Isn't this is sad but true? When you first enter the Christian ministry, you're so full of revolutionary ideas, but after few years of service, you are settling for the old-unchristian rules? When you were appointed leader, you wanted to make a difference, but now it seems like you're stuck in the same situation as before? Perhaps it's time to rethink and examine your current physical and mental rules and start to break the rules! Read this book is an excellent way to know-how.

#ServeToLead #LeadersAreReaders #GrowingLeaders #ThinkLikeAlbertEinstein #BreakTheRules #LetsMakeReadingCoolAgain

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Be Street Smart AND Book Smart #1Book1Week March 2021

 

"I want to do what you do," said a well-meaning student to me. So, I asked, "What is your growth plan?" In less than 5 seconds he replied, "What is a growth plan?" Well, some people are gifted with intelligent minds; some with rich parents; some with astoundingly high levels of ignorance (pitiful but bless their hearts!); and some - me or you, if you too - are average people but have the determination to grow in whatever talents or skills or gifts and mind that God given to them. I use to say: "If you're not beautiful or handsome or good-looking, which is an advantage in an image-driven world today, at least, be smart."

People nowadays want us to choose between Book Smart vs. Street Smart. They said, "Street smart is better than book smart." Or in the religious circle, "Experiential Christianity is superior to intellectual Christianity." To me, it sounds pious but I think it's an anti-intellectual facade. Why not strive to be both Book Smart AND Street Smart? The Webster's Unabridged Dictionary defines wisdom as “knowledge, and the capacity to make due use of it.” How to gains "knowledge"? Study, and - my purpose of this post - read books! That's Book Smart. How to "make due use of it"? Well, by practicing and applying (based on your contexts) what you have learned or/and read! That's Street Smart. If you combine both, by Webster's definitions, that's wisdom.

Let us come back to a personal growth plan. Do you have it? If not, don't be discouraged. Start smart, start today  To my young friend, you cannot do what I do today not because you cannot do it but because you have to do it from the start. There is no shortcut to growth. In your plan, don't forget to include these four areas: 1) Intellectual, 2) Physical, 3) Spiritual, and 4) Financial. Try it for a year and be practical. As for intellectual growth, you know what I would say, right? One of them is to READ BOOKS! Be Book Smart!  

#ServeToLead #LeadersAreReaders #GrowingLeaders #LetsMakeReadingCoolAgain #BeBookSmartAndStreetSmart #PersonalGrowthPlan

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THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.