What does it take to move the human heart?

There was a time when public discussion was awash in meta-questions like: What is our purpose?  What is right and what is wrong? What matters most? There is less moral conversation in the public square now. 

Intellectual authority has drifted away from theologians, poets and philosophers to economists, psychologists and "experts". And the more they talk, the more confused we become. Public debate is overpoliticised. Everything is controversial. We agree on nothing. We respect no one. We are no longer defined by the content of our character but by what we own. Truth, goodness and beauty are passé. Where do we go from here?  

One way of escape is by philosophical contemplation. But the 'practical man' sees philosophy as having little value to him. And who is the 'practical man'? One who recognises only material needs and is completely oblivious to the goods of the mind, of course. 

Such a life is meaningless in this interdependent world. Unless we can so expand our mind as to include the whole outer world, we remain like a fortress surrounded by thick walls. "In such a life there is no peace," Bertrand Russell says, "but a constant strife between the insistence of desire and the powerlessness of will."  

The study of philosophy makes us citizens of the universe, rather than those of a walled city that is at war with the rest. It teaches us that it is irrational to expect peace at home while people elsewhere die for freedom. This citizenship of the universe liberates us from the prison of hate and prejudice, making the point that it is not sufficient to confine our benevolence to those we find congenial – to our own ethnic, national or ideological group. We must have what an ancient Chinese sage called jian ai—"concern for everybody."

Like all other studies, it aims primarily at knowledge. "It aims at knowledge that gives unity to the body of all knowledge," Bertrand Russell says. For example, it makes clear at once the scope and the limitations of scientific knowledge. Some people are so impressed by what science knows that they forget what science does not know. They tend to think that skill—which these days include the ability to kill or sing a song—can take the place of wisdom.

It is the morality of philosophy that reminds us that keeping each other alive by old-fashioned methods like empathy and compassion is more important than killing each other by the latest technology. "We have to develop a combined code of knowledge that embraces perception, reasoning and intuition," Dr Aminul Islam, Professor of Philosophy at Dhaka University says.  "Knowledge has to include all the segments of the human mind."

What kind of knowledge is the education system producing? To find that out, we have to inquire into the meaning of life, of living.  We are producing students who may be smart and talented and driven, yes, but also anxious and lost, with little intellectual curiosity and a stunted sense of purpose: trapped in a bubble of 'efficiency' and 'success', heading meekly to an unknown destination, good at what they are doing but with no idea why they are doing it. What good is knowledge if it fills our pocket but empties our mind? 

Philosophy cannot offer any definitive answers to these fundamental questions and probably never will. "Your search for answers may not always be successful but you will learn many things along the way," says Dr Abdul Matin, Professor Emeritus of Philosophy, Dhaka University.  "It is also worth learning why the universe is mysterious. It is also worth knowing why we cannot find answers."

Is this beginning to sound like an exercise in ambiguity? Let's get 'practical' then. In How Philosophy Makes You a Better Leader, David Brendel, MD, PhD renowned executive coach writes in the Harvard Business Review, "Drawing on ancient philosophers of Eastern and Western traditions (from Socrates to Confucius), as well as contemporary philosophers, it supports people's development of their own personal philosophies and empowers them to reach their highest human aspirations and ideals." Interestingly, a number of American CEOs studied philosophy at university. Damon Horowitz, philosophy professor and serial entrepreneur has two jobs at Google: in-house philosopher and director of engineering. 

Young people, raised in today's hypercompetitive environment, are desperately looking to find ideals that will give meaning to their lives in an interconnected, intercultural world. UNESCO, by celebrating World Philosophy Day each year, on the third Thursday of November, recognised the enduring value of philosophy for intercultural relations, durable peace and lasting development. 

"With the advent of new technologies, new ethical complexities are arising. Man is conquering space but there is no peace on earth. We are appalled by the cruelty," Professor Aminul Islam says, "We have to defend and restore the dignity of man. We must, therefore, take philosophy out of its ivory tower and bring it to the lives of teachers, students, natural and social scientists, journalists and the public. Life without ethical values is not worth living." 

The writer is a member of the Editorial Team at The Daily Star.