November 19 celebrated as the World Philosophy Day. The day was proclaimed by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) General Conference in 2005 with the objectives to renew the national, sub-regional, regional and international commitment to philosophy and foster philosophical analysis, research and studies on major contemporary issues so as to respond more effectively to the challenges that are confronting humanity today. Some of other objectives of the day include raising public awareness of the importance of philosophy and underline the importance of the universalization of philosophy teaching for future generations.
There is no doubt in the fact, that philosophy can guide individuals and nations towards better destinations and can support them in creating a life that can be more meaningful and blissful. It can also lead them towards the new vistas of knowledge by developing a thirst for knowledge and curiosity to ask more and ultimately know more.
It is important to realize the fact that it was the philosophical curiosity that solved some of the very basic questions about human existence, life and about the universe as a whole. It then culminated into science and then the scientists took the difficult task of running after the truth. However, the role of the philosophy and philosophers is still very much imperative as there are many areas that can never be touched by science but philosophy has a big part in them. And, it is philosophy that supports the faculty of wonder and appreciates human beings to strengthen it in their search for the truth.
Unfortunately, there have been authorities and teachings that have seen the philosophy with doubt. They argue that doubts and questions will lead human beings astray and may even lead them to the paths that can never reach to some destination. They on the other hand favor blind beliefs. Their arguments seem to have some strength but in fact fail to address the exact issue. If questioning, as they believe, does not necessarily lead to the fact and may even lead to infinite paths of questions, how satisfied would human beings be without knowing the truth and without asking questions? Can human beings be totally contended with the knowledge that cannot go through the simple test of their thinking and their rationality? And, what can human beings build on the beliefs that may be totally wrong?
Inaccurate knowledge may not compel human beings to be really forceful against others and may not make them make others follow their thinking, but beliefs, whether right or wrong, will compel the believers to be forceful against others and force them to follow their blind beliefs.
Those who possess blind beliefs are, as a matter of fact, deprived of the true awareness of life. They are the ones who themselves have locked their minds and do not know that their minds are locked and the keys are with themselves. Nothing is able to change such people as they are not open to any view or any discussion. Even education cannot change such people. If such people even go to educational institutions, there is no chance that they would improve as they take with themselves their dogmatic beliefs.
It is also important to note that the type of education the educational institutions are disseminating in our society is really controversial. The educational institutions have become the factories, where robots are generated who, themselves, cannot think anything, but act as per the commands that are fed into them. There is no room for doubt and questions in our educational institutes. Those who have the faculty of wonder and ask philosophical questions are punished in the severest way. Such institutions can only produce students who get education to negate education, and unfortunately such people are the most suitable for our society and most educated for our so-called education scholars. However, they are those puppets who play in the act based on education but themselves do not know the purpose of their act.
This is really weird that our youth is being kept away from better and thought-generating attributes of philosophy. The endeavors are being made to keep the young and capable minds away from the food that can nourish them and make them discover the world, universe and their mysteries. True philosophical education can even reduce hatred in the hearts of the youngsters and teach them the lessons of love and brotherhood for the fellow beings. In fact, there are certain people who strive to keep such education away from youngsters because they know that it would generate so many views and perspectives which can even unveil the realities that they want to keep hidden.
Our youth have to be emancipated from following the forced ideas. They have to be given the freedom of free thinking and their faculty of wonder must be nourished through philosophy. The educational institutions must first of all develop a tolerance for philosophy and philosophical attitude. If they are able to do so, the students will themselves yearn for more and more knowledge and make their education and knowledge more meaningful for themselves and for the society as a whole.