This statement of Socratesâ, as told by Plato, is sufficient to explain the necessity of studying philosophy. Everyone is pitched into the world blindly and makes do as best they can with the things they are given. For many, this muddling through is hard enough, and examining their motives and the rightness of their actions is just an added, and superfluous, difficulty. However, if we do not examine our lives and use the wisdom we gain from it to plan the future, we are no better than animals following instinct to survive. To take control of your life you must engage your mind. This is not to say that everyone must become a new Socrates, or study academic philosophy, but to paraphrase Voltaire âwe must all cultivate our own wisdom.â
What is your response to this philosopherâs perspective?
ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION . . .
The introductory statement to this ICD said, if we do not examine our lives and use the wisdom we gain from it to plan the future, we are no better than animals following instinct to survive.
Would you agree? Explain.
.
Getting through this life is hard enough on its own. Could it not be argued that examining our motives and the rightness of our actions is just an added, and often meaningless, waste of time? Does it really matter?
What do you think? Explain.
Sample Solution
iority sector with the vision as âProvision of efficient, economical, comfortable and safe transport facility for the public in Punjabâ. The stated objectives, in the MTDF 2013-16 are: i) To provide accessible and time saving travelling, ii) To develop environment friendly transport system, iii) To regulate, monitor and maintain a robust transport system in large cities of the province. The initiatives include encouraging private investment in urban transport sector in Public Private Partnership mode, provision of subsidy to the urban transporters to facilitate induction of new buses in the urban transport system and capacity building of the department through Transport Planning Unit. The current allocation for the sector is Rs. 6,360 Million. Public transport service delivery was done by government till late 1980s to an acceptable level. The successive governments continued to act as a service provider as well as a regulator. As of 2010, the population of Lahore was estimated at about 9.9 million most of which was concentrated in the center of Lahore, while rest of the areas are mostly rural except for narrow strips along arterial roads where the development has been mostly unplanned. With increase in population of Lahore (7.5 times since 1951) and gradual deterioration in infrastructure, rolling stock and capacity of the Transport Department, a vacuum started developin>
iority sector with the vision as âProvision of efficient, economical, comfortable and safe transport facility for the public in Punjabâ. The stated objectives, in the MTDF 2013-16 are: i) To provide accessible and time saving travelling, ii) To develop environment friendly transport system, iii) To regulate, monitor and maintain a robust transport system in large cities of the province. The initiatives include encouraging private investment in urban transport sector in Public Private Partnership mode, provision of subsidy to the urban transporters to facilitate induction of new buses in the urban transport system and capacity building of the department through Transport Planning Unit. The current allocation for the sector is Rs. 6,360 Million. Public transport service delivery was done by government till late 1980s to an acceptable level. The successive governments continued to act as a service provider as well as a regulator. As of 2010, the population of Lahore was estimated at about 9.9 million most of which was concentrated in the center of Lahore, while rest of the areas are mostly rural except for narrow strips along arterial roads where the development has been mostly unplanned. With increase in population of Lahore (7.5 times since 1951) and gradual deterioration in infrastructure, rolling stock and capacity of the Transport Department, a vacuum started developin>
