Wonder is the beginning of philosophy
Philosophy is seen by many as a worthless subject. Either the masses don’t want to understand or can’t understand it. Maybe, the ideas seem too trivial or too overwhelming. However, to understand philosophy, one must understand its essence. What it is and, most importantly, where it comes from. Philosophy asks simple questions that no one cares to ask, but experiences. Everyone in the world has a life. If this page is being read, it is by a living being. Philosophy may ask questions like “What is life?” or “Where does life come from?” The average meaning of life changes when one ponders over these questions. A usual human would never ask these questions. Because a usual human is busy living without properly understanding living.
It is safe to say that philosophy is the inquiry about basic things. This inquiry leads to truth. Truth that guides us and gives meaning (or takes meaning) from our life. But it enlightens nonetheless. One may also ask, well where does philosophy come from? In hindsight, this is a dumb question. Many believe it comes from the minds of madmen. But this question is not dumb. On the contrary, it reveals a lot about our minds rather than those of madmen.
Plato, one of the greatest Western philosophers, wrote “Wonder is the feeling of a philosopher, and philosophy begins in wonder.” Plato not only says that philosophy begins in wonder but also mentions it is the feeling of a philosopher. Curiosity kills the cat but makes man a philosopher. It is due to wonder that wisdom arises. Any form of education has its roots in wonder.
Humans are inquisitive. And inquisition leads to unending whys and hows. All that we know of ancient philosophy comes from people who asked. For the most part, religion and mythology were answering questions about the world’s origin and the universe. Yet a good portion of people were not happy with these answers. They wanted answers based on reason. Hence, they thought. About the sun, the earth, the universe, justice, equality and life. Many of them came up with answers. We remember those philosophers not because they gave answers, a lot of them were proven wrong by science, but we remember them because they dared to wonder. Their inquisition is the path that brought us here. These questions later morphed into physics, mathematics and biology, answering more and more questions along the way, and enlightening the world.
The trait of wonder is amazing. It is innate to humanity. Humans are beautiful because they can think. We have an unmatched cognition that is thirsty for more knowledge. The best way to get knowledge is by asking. Commonly, children ask a lot of questions. But does that make them philosophers? Not really. To be a philosopher, one must be willing to ponder more and produce logical reasons. And not all children do that. But they keep asking. And that is what makes them different. Asking a dumb question is not a sign of immaturity, but rather a sign of a fresh mind that has not been shaken by the tides of conformity.
Wonder also emphasises the aspects of life we overlook. The things we feel are trivial and useless may hold great value. It is just the ignorance of a human that leads to bad conclusions about a topic. The devil lies in the details and it takes an observant and curious mind to pick out those details and expand on them. It is attention to detail that separates a great artwork from others and a great mind from others. Moreover, it is the courage to speak fearlessly about the things that you think are important. Even though they may be trivial in the eyes of the blind, they are the light in the eyes of the sighted. It is the sight precisely that deciphers the good from the bad. The sight that catches the truth.
Even the Holy Quran talks about curiosity. The Ulul Albaab or the people of intellect in the Quran. They are those who reflect and think. That is what leads to the ultimate truth. That leads to wisdom. This has led many to believe that the Quran can be understood using reason. Philosophers like Averoes believed in this idea, shaping the way for more investigations and pondering over the matters of religion.
Wonder is the beginning of philosophy. And the next you have a question, in class or with friends, that may sound dumb, go for it. Ask it. Many may laugh, but you will learn more by the end of it. And that is what matters.
(Abdullah bin Zubair is a student of Humanities at DPS Srinagar)
