We love democracy. As a nation we emphatically declare the importance of granting power to the people and even promote the international spread of democracy as one of our nation’s greatest missions. But I’m not convinced it’s really all that great of thing. In fact, when it comes to moral and political matters of right and wrong – you know, the stuff that really makes a difference in our lives – I’m quite suspicious of “majority rule.” Sure, we can take votes, raise hands, and cast ballots to find out what the majority of people think, prefer, or want, but that’s not what the heart of democracy is all about. Democracy is about acting on behalf of and in accordance with those thoughts, preferences, and wants.
But since when has the majority ever been a reliable source of determining what is valuable, right, and good? Continue reading
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One of my favorite things about studying philosophy is that the practice of critical thinking and argumentative analysis develops one’s skills in thinking outside of the box. It helps one see how one idea connects to another, how one assumption leads to a certain conclusion, and in life, it helps us better understand how and why things are the way that they are. But the best thing about better understanding how and why things are the way that they are is that this helps identify, more precisely, where we can direct our energy and attention in order to makes some dramatic changes. We can see that our lives and experiences haven’t always been as they are and they don’t necessary have to remain as such. In other words, the real value of engaging with a type of philosophical thinking does not derive from generating descriptive accounts of what is but rather from wondering what could be. And in many ways, this practice takes us far beyond any dependence on “Truth.” 
