Conclusion: the VIsion of philo-sophical practice

(Based on my lecture at the 9th International Conference of Philosophical Practice in Carloforte, Italy, July, 2008)

In the previous eleven lessons we saw that the philo-sophical journey can be seen as being made of two major stages: In the first stage we learn about the perimeter in which we are imprisoned. Then, in the second stage, we attempt to go beyond the perimeter by undergoing an inner transformation. But where does this process take us? What is our goal?

As I suggested in previous texts, the goal of the philo-sophical process is contained in the word “philo-sophia” – love of wisdom. And wisdom is not the same as knowledge or as smartness. Being wise does not simply mean having a certain cognitive capacity, but a broader way of relating to life. In wisdom we have a deeper understanding of reality not just in our thoughts, but in our emotions, behaviors, attitudes, and entire way of being. We participate in greater horizons of human reality beyond our limited perimeter. To put it differently, in wisdom we are nurtured by greater fountains of plenitude, and a greater reality moves us and speaks in us.

But what does this deeper understanding mean? Expressions such as “greater horizons of reality” or “fountains of plenitude” might be inspiring, but what exactly do they say?

To answer this question, let me suggest a metaphor from the field of developmental psychology: If we follow an infant as she develops through infancy to childhood to adulthood, we notice that her world gradually becomes more complex and rich with meanings. For example, what was at the age of 2 months a mere sound, at the age of 12 months becomes a meaningful word.

More specifically, at first the child’s world is focused on her immediate experiential qualities, her own concerns and perspective, her own self. But as time goes by and she develops, her world becomes de-centered. It opens to greater horizons, beyond the child’s specific perspective, interests, and direct experience.

For instance, a three-year old does not have the capacity to understand that another person may have a different perspective from her own. Thus, while talking on the phone, the child might point at her dog, expecting the listener at the other end of the line to see what she is pointing at. Or, she might tell a story that assumes that the listener is familiar with what she knows. Or, she might give her favorite toy to a crying child, without realizing that the other child would not be comforted by what comforts her. It is only at around the age of four that the child usually starts gaining the capacity to understand that there are other perspectives.

The de-centering process continues through additional stages, but the above example would be sufficient here. Several points are worth noting in this example.

First, the new de-centered understanding which the child gains is expressed not only in her thoughts, but also in new complex emotions and behaviors. Relating to another person’s perspective involves new kinds of expectations, hopes and fears, empathy, self-awareness, and communication styles.

Second, unlike a blind person who suddenly starts seeing, the new de-centered understanding does not involve seeing new things. The de-centered child does not see auras or souls. She sees precisely the same faces and gestures, but she now understands their broader meanings, and the broader realities which they involve.

Third, those who have not yet gained the higher-level understanding do not grasp what they fail to understand. Thus, imagine that we are a group of people who have never experienced the transition to a de-centered understanding. We can’t imagine that another person has another perspective, and we can’t even grasp the meaning of “perspective.” To be sure, inexplicable clashes and misunderstandings sometimes arise among us, but we take them for granted: “That’s the way life is.” One day a normal person joins us, one who grasps other people’s perspectives. She astonishes us with her capacity to relate to others. She seems very caring and understanding, sensitive and helpful, but we don’t understand how she manages to do it. Her capacity appears to us mystical. Some of us speculate about her special “energies” or magical powers. But the fact is that she simply understands aspects of the world that lay in front of our eyes.

Fourth, and most importantly, the transition to a higher-level understanding requires a new mental apparatus, a new mind-set. In order to gain the capacity to understand other people’s perspectives it would not help to think harder. A 3-year-old child may be very intelligent, and yet his intelligence would not give him a de-centered understanding - unless he gains the new mental mind-set. Conversely, even stupid children undergo the transition to a de-centered understanding. In short, understanding other people’s perspectives is not simply a natural result of smart thinking. We can expand the horizons of our understanding only after we acquire an appropriate mental apparatus. We can “see” a new dimension of reality only when we acquire a new kind of “eyes.”

I suggest that the process of gaining a de-centered understanding is analogous to the process of gaining wisdom. Wisdom, as I have said many times, means transcending our self-centered perimeter. This metaphor helps us understand what this means.

When we gain more wisdom, we come to realize new dimensions of reality. We participate in greater horizon of meanings – or to put it differently, we become attuned to a greater range of “voices” of reality. They are already in front of our eyes – the wise person does not see mysterious energies or auras. But just as the 4-years-old can appreciate more dimensions of reality than the 2-year-old, a wise person can appreciate an entire symphony of “voices” of reality, while ordinary people can hear only the voice of their own perimeter.

In order to gain this capacity, it is not enough to look harder at the world. We also need to gain new “eyes” – new understanding capacities, and for this purpose we need to transform ourselves and our mental stance.

This is, then, our aim in doing philo-sophical practice: a fuller appreciation of reality. Our reality is much greater than we usually think. We are greater than ourselves, greater than our perimeter. We are normally attuned only to our narrow perimeter, but by opening ourselves we can take part in greater horizons, and be attuned to a broader range of voices of human reality.