How to Think Like a Philosopher

"Why is there something instead of nothing?" Philosophy isn't just about asking big questions — it's about challenging how we live, think, and see the world.

1. The Unknowability of Reality

Philosophers like Lao Tsu and Spinoza grappled with the notion that reality might be beyond human understanding. Lao Tsu's Tao Te Ching begins by admitting that true reality, or the Tao, defies description. It uses paradoxes and metaphors to hint at truths that are hard to articulate. Spinoza, writing centuries later, echoed this sentiment by blending God and nature into a single ungraspable reality.

Lao Tsu conceptualized Tao as comparable to water—fluid, nourishing, and slipping through our grasp when we try to contain it. Similarly, Spinoza believed everything, including people and their beliefs, is a manifestation of a single divine entity. His bold idea blurred the lines between spirituality and the material world, leaving both devout religious followers and staunch atheists bewildered.

The idea that reality is both knowable and unknowable sparks important questions about how we live. Lao Tsu points us toward mindfulness and simplicity — letting go of desires. Spinoza suggests that in understanding our shared connection to everything, we might cultivate compassion even for our adversaries.

Examples

• Lao Tsu compares governing a country to cooking a small fish — a process that can easily go wrong if overcomplicated.
• Spinoza viewed the universe as an interconnected web of divinity rather than spinning around one detached deity.
• Spinoza's excommunication at 23 underscores how challenging these ideas were to traditional beliefs.

2. Down-to-Earth Thinking: Aristotle’s Practicality

Aristotle diverged from his teacher Plato by valuing the tangible and observable world instead of focusing solely on abstract ideals. He saw rigorous observation as the key to understanding not just what exists but also how to live well within it.

Aristotle’s teachings went beyond academic philosophy – he engaged with everyday life. He argued that human ethics and physical well-being are interconnected and emphasized the importance of flourishing through balance. His perspective rooted itself in the notion that living ethically also means creating harmony with your body and your surroundings.

More than abstract theorizing, Aristotle spent decades wandering and studying real-world phenomena, from biology to politics. His approach reminds us that philosophy isn't just intellectual. It's grounded in living a good, ethical, and balanced life with curiosity.

Examples

• Aristotle studied the differences between living beings like horses, humans, and plants to understand life.
• His Peripatetic school involved walking and talking about philosophy among ordinary people.
• His legacy champions everything from health to ethics as a way to live closer to reality.

3. The Search for Simplicity: Epicurus

Epicurus approached life differently – focusing on materialism and simplicity as keys to happiness. He advocated for the idea that pleasure isn’t found in indulgence but in the absence of pain. Epicurus believed happiness meant living modestly, avoiding excess, and seeking peace.

Modern misunderstandings paint Epicurus as a lover of hedonistic indulgence, but his teachings emphasize modest living. For him, a small vegetable garden or companionship could bring far greater joy than lavish feasts. This materialist view grounded even the nebulous soul as made of particles—undetectable but every bit as material as the body itself.

His advocacy for simple pleasures and deliberate choices teaches us that contentment doesn't lie in 'more,' but in understanding what ‘enough’ is.

Examples

• Epicurus believed that seeking too much pleasure, such as drinking excessively, ultimately leads to pain.
• He valued the modest comfort of simple food and shelter over the extravagance of a palace.
• His concept of the atomist soul set him apart from spiritual thinkers of his time.

4. Alienation in Society: Marx’s Warning

Karl Marx revolutionized the way people think about society. Beyond economics, Marx analyzed the alienation in capitalist systems where workers became estranged from their labor. His thinking highlights how systems dictate personal relationships, happiness, and even identity.

Marx exposed how capitalism pits workers against each other, reducing them to mere extensions of machines. He argued this alienation robs workers of control not just over their work but their lives and relationships as well. One cannot thrive under such systems without feeling disconnected and disempowered.

He also understood history as a guide to understanding society, emphasizing that systems evolve but leave behind patterns. Marx’s philosophical critique of industry goes beyond the factory floor, offering insights into how we relate to ourselves and others.

Examples

• Marx saw factory line workers alienated from the true value of what they create.
• He pointed out competition diminishes shared solidarity among workers.
• His writings like Das Kapital influence conversations about fairness in labor rights today.

5. The Crisis of Morality: Nietzsche’s Alarm

Friedrich Nietzsche’s bold claim that “God is dead” wasn’t an attack on faith but a warning about morality’s erosion in modern society. Nietzsche believed that without religion, the foundation for shared ethics and purpose becomes fragile, demanding new methods for humans to create meaning.

Nietzsche dreaded a society where ‘anything goes’ due to a lack of unifying principles. Without a moral compass, chaos could follow, he warned. His writings were deliberately provocative, mixing aphorisms with biting humor and artful tragedy.

His influence extends past philosophy into arts, music, and pop culture, challenging us to consider how society crafts individual values when collective systems no longer provide purpose.

Examples

• Nietzsche introduced the concept of the Übermensch—a person creating values in a godless world.
• He influenced musicians like Richard Strauss, whose tone poem based on Thus Spoke Zarathustra became iconic.
• His critiques resonate with modern existential challenges surrounding purpose in secular society.

6. The Power of Love: Sappho’s Philosophy

Sappho, the poet often dubbed the "Tenth Muse," brings a deeply personal and philosophical lens to love and desire. Her descriptions of emotion, such as bittersweet longing, elevate personal experiences into timeless truths about humanity.

She described how overwhelming emotions like grief or infatuation can take complete hold, transporting readers across centuries to identify with her vulnerability and intensity. For Sappho, love was both an ecstatic joy and an unbearable pain – two inseparable sides of a powerful human experience.

Sappho pushes us to accept irrationality as part of what makes life vivid and worthwhile. Her poetry suggests that even our deepest hardships stem from love, making it one of life’s defining forces.

Examples

• Sappho uses vivid sensory metaphors, like "fire under the skin," to describe passion.
• Her poems balance joy with the ache of heartbreak.
• Socrates admired her poetry for encapsulating human nature.

7. Ethics and Freedom: De Beauvoir’s Appeal

Simone de Beauvoir’s groundbreaking work, The Second Sex, outlines how systems of power deny freedom. Her existentialist philosophy tied individual responsibility to the broader societal need for equality, showing that true ethics require recognizing others’ freedom alongside your own.

De Beauvoir believed freedom wasn’t just about personal choice; it also meant building societies that empower everyone to live authentically. In a world without divine laws, humans must work collectively to protect equality and justice. Her philosophical ideas inspired the feminist movement though she insisted equality involves both genders.

Her concept of “The Appeal” stresses persuasion over coercion, a core idea about fostering mutual respect and shared responsibility between people.

Examples

• De Beauvoir argued women were “the second sex,” defined by male-driven systems.
• As part of existentialism, she saw moral actions as those preserving collective freedom.
• Her relationship with Sartre reflects a mutual exploration of freedom beyond dogma.

8. Curiosity as a Path to Meaning

Philosophy thrives on curiosity, as thinkers like Aristotle and Epicurus show when they blend observation with questioning life’s meaning. They demonstrate how engaging actively with the world fuels understanding and fulfillment.

For Aristotle, curiosity was a scientific and moral quest—seeking out answers to life’s mechanics and ethics. For Epicurus, it was about embracing simplicity to avoid suffering, striking a balance that many today seek in mindfulness practices or minimalism trends.

Their curiosity teaches us that asking questions isn’t a luxury—it’s a way to connect with the world meaningfully.

Examples

• Aristotle cataloged thousands of plant and animal species to understand life.
• Epicurus observed human impulses to explain happiness’s foundations.
• Both involved themselves in communities, spreading thought beyond academic circles.

9. Humor’s Role in Philosophy

Nietzsche and Marx hint at another thread in philosophy: humor. Philosophy doesn’t just tackle serious problems – it can use wit and irony to reveal truths. Nietzsche’s biting aphorisms, for example, invite readers to see life’s absurdities, forcing them to question without despair.

Humor can lighten even heavy topics, helping philosophers engage people who might otherwise feel alienated or overwhelmed. This balance between satire and sincerity underpins many of philosophy’s most impactful works.

Examples

• Nietzsche’s declaration “Some men are born posthumously” ironically predicts his own popularity after death.
• Marx’s critiques of capitalism often use biting humor to point out exploitation.
• Philosophical humor helps ideas resonate without losing depth.

Takeaways

1. Quiet your mind and explore nature to connect with its wonder, as suggested by Lao Tsu and Spinoza.
2. Seek simplicity rather than excess, echoing Epicurus’s call for modesty as the foundation of happiness.
3. Reflect on your connections with others – advocate for mutual freedom and equality, like Simone de Beauvoir.