It is said that one day Gautam Buddha went out in the city and saw a dead body, a patient and an old man. He was much perturbed to see their miserable condition. His thinking was disturbed and he felt that the world is momentary and full of mystery. His faith in the life was disturbed. He began to meditated upon the cause of misery in the world. He deliberated on various alternatives in this connection. For years together he remained wandering in the connection. For years together he remained wandering in the forests, meditating on the causes of misery and the ways to remove it. Though in the beginning he was much disturbed at the state of misery in the world but while meditating on its cause, his attitude was detached and unemotional. His mind was open and his view comprehensive. He meditated on the experiences of his life and tried to find out the root cause of misery and the ways to remove it.
The above mentioned situation shows the fundamental characteristics of philosophical attitude. Sometimes one finds a bit different philosophical attitude than that the Buddha. When the ancient sages of the age of Vedas wondered at the phenomena of Nature, their philosophical attitude was that of wonder. On the other hand, the philosophy of the French philosopher Descartes began in doubt. He doubted in the efficacy of his sensations and perceptions. How can I know that my senses are not deceiving me? What is the proof that I exist? How can I be sure about the existence of the world around me? Thus, failing to find any solid proof of the existence of things around him and also of his own, Descarte’s mind was full of doubt. This doubt was fundamental in his philosophical attitude.
Characteristics of philosophical attitude
The above mentioned example of the philosophical attitude of Gautam Buddha, the seers of the Vedas and Descartes, the father of modern Western philosophy, shows the following main characteristics of philosophical attitude.
Sense of wonder
Most of us are so much used to the world around us the we do not wonder even at things which are marvellous otherwise. The philosopher is a man who is given a childlike sense of wonders at the system, sequence, variety and mutually contradictory phenomena in the world around him and tries to find out the cause behind all this. This was the beginning of philosophy in India and elsewhere.
Doubt
Philosophical attitude is against dogmatism. It examines every belief, it doubts in everything not because doubting is a philosophical habit but because the philosopher is in search of some solid proofs for the existence of things around him and also that to himself.
Criticism
Thus, the philosophical attitude is critical. The philosopher does not accept a thing as it is but examines it and arrives at rational conclusions.
Reflection
Critical thinking involves reflection. Hence the philosophical attitude is reflective.
Tolerance
The philosopher is prepared to see every aspect of a problem. His mind is open an his standpoint is liberal and tolerant.
Acceptance of the guidance of experience and reason
The philosopher thinks in the light of his experience and with the help of his reasoning he has no prejudice and preconception of his own. He is prepared to go whenever his reason might take him. However, this may hit at his hitherto held beliefs. It is hence that the great social reformer Shankara of India declared the world as maya.
No urgency for conclusions
The philosopher does not arrive at any conclusions unless he has some solid proofs for them. He does not worry about the amount of time involved in the process as he is in no hurry to reach the conclusions.
Detachment
The philosopher is neither a sceptic nor a dogmatist. He reflects with a detached and unemotional attitude.
Persistence
The philosopher ceaselessly persists in his thinking unless he arrives at some satisfactory conclusion. And because his conclusions are never final, his search continues throughout his life.
To conclude, the philosophical attitude involves a sense of wonder, doubt, criticism, reflective thinking, tolerance, acceptance of the guidance of experience and based on, absence of hurry in arriving at the conclusions, detached attitude and a persistent efforts for the search of truth.
As a comprehensive science, philosophy has two aspects—critical and synthetic. This synthetic aspect of philosophy is known as speculative aspect because the philosopher has to take recourse to speculation in his philosophical synthesis.
The philosophical synthesis is not merely putting together of bits of knowledge. It involves a speculation. It is hence that the philosopher arrives at new truths and sees father than the scientist. The critical philosophy critically examines the postulates and conclusions of different science. On the other hand the synthetic philosophy presents a world-view by a synthesis of the conclusions of different sciences. The former types of philosophy is inadequate without the latter. The critical philosophy is discursive. The synthetic philosophy is constructive. The critical philosophy finds out the validity of the postulates of different sciences and examines their conclusions. It solves the problems which fall in the field of more than one sciences. On the other hand, the synthetic philosophy presents a total picture of the world arrived at by a synthesis of the conclusions of science. Thus it synthesizes, various sciences and also points out to those fields of knowledge where no research has been made so far. Thus it leads to the birth of new sciences. It is not that the critical philosophy examines the postulates and conclusions of sciences only, the philosopher also examines, postulate and conclusion of other philosopher and presents a more comprehensive world-view by a synthesis of different philosophies.
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