There was a time when philosophers were seen as essential members of society. Their role wasn’t to hoard knowledge or win arguments. It was to ask better questions, challenge assumptions, and help communities stay anchored in truth and meaning, especially during uncertain times.
Philosophy, at its root, means "love of wisdom." Across cultures, from ancient Greece and India to Indigenous traditions throughout Africa, the Americas, and the Pacific, philosophers, sages, and wisdom-keepers held critical roles. They helped guide decisions, resolve conflicts, preserve traditions, and lead communities through change thoughtfully.
In those times, knowledge was rare and precious. Most people had little access to education or written material. To seek truth required both discipline and humility. Thus, philosophers were trained rigorously — not simply in memorization of facts, but in the sharpening of particular skills:
Critical thinking: the ability to rigorously examine assumptions, expose contradictions, and refine ideas.
Dialectical reasoning: the art of dialogue that moves toward a higher synthesis rather than just debate.
Ethical discernment: the careful weighing of actions against values like justice, virtue, and human flourishing.
Epistemological humility: a disciplined awareness of the limits of one’s own knowledge.
Pattern recognition: seeing beyond the immediate to perceive larger trends, archetypes, and implications.
The search for first principles: stripping away complexity to find the deepest truths from which everything else unfolds.
Importantly, philosophers were trained not merely to gather information, but to filter it, to distinguish between what was merely fashionable and what was enduring, between shallow rhetoric and genuine insight, and between convenient narratives and the deeper structures of reality.
They were not simply collectors of facts; they were guardians of wisdom.
Why Philosophers Feel Less Relevant Today
Today, information is everywhere. With a few clicks, anyone can access more content than the greatest libraries of history ever contained. But this abundance has created an illusion: many people now believe they have wisdom simply because they have information.
Wisdom is not about quantity. It is about depth. It is the ability to discern, to synthesize, and to stay anchored in reality even when emotions run high or narratives become loud. Having an opinion is easy; understanding is harder.
Because of this, the deeper work that philosophers offer — slowing down thinking, asking harder questions, and grounding conversations in meaning and ethics — often goes unnoticed or undervalued.
But in reality, we need that work now more than ever.
How Everyday People Can Apply Philosophical Training
Philosophy is not reserved for scholars or academics. Anyone can use philosophical skills to navigate life with greater clarity, wisdom, and resilience. Some ways to apply these practices include:
Practice critical thinking: Before accepting a claim or jumping to conclusions, pause to examine the assumptions behind it. Ask yourself, "What might I be missing?"
Engage in genuine dialogue: Instead of arguing to defend your views, approach conversations with the goal of reaching a deeper understanding, even if it means adjusting your perspective.
Use ethical reflection: When making decisions, weigh your actions against your deeper values. Ask not just what is legal or acceptable, but what is good, just, and wise.
Stay humble about what you know: Recognize the limits of your own understanding and stay open to learning and being challenged.
Look for patterns: Notice how events, relationships, and habits are connected. Seeing the bigger picture often leads to wiser choices.
Search for first principles: When faced with complexity, strip things down to the most basic truths you believe. Build your reasoning from there rather than getting lost in surface-level details.
Where Society Should Be Leaning on Philosophers
There are areas today where society could deeply benefit from turning back to its philosophers and wisdom-keepers.
As technology advances faster than ethical frameworks can keep up, we need reflection about what serves humanity, not just what is possible to create. In healthcare, we face complex questions about life, death, autonomy, and dignity; questions that demand more than technical expertise.
In education, it is no longer enough to fill students’ minds with facts. They need tools to think critically, navigate uncertainty, and make decisions aligned with meaningful values. In leadership, both political and corporate, we need leaders who think beyond short-term profits and political wins, and who can hold long-term visions of justice, sustainability, and collective well-being.
Environmental stewardship is another urgent area. Indigenous philosophies, in particular, have long emphasized balance with the Earth and responsibility to future generations. Listening to these traditions could help societies around the world make wiser, more sustainable choices.
Across all these spaces, philosophers are not meant to dictate answers. Their value is in helping ask the right questions, hold the long view, and prioritize wisdom over noise.
Throughout history, across both civilizations and Indigenous communities, philosophers existed because every society recognized the need for those who loved and protected wisdom.Today, we do not need faster answers. We need better questions. We do not need more information. We need deeper understanding.
Philosophers, and philosophical training, are critical tools for any person or community that hopes to move forward with clarity, courage, and integrity. And now, more than ever, cultivating these skills is not just for a few. It is something we all can, and must, do.
