A Guide for the Perplexed (Harper Perennial Modern Thought)

Ever since René Descartes redirected philosophy towards a rationalist, individualist view of life (basically kickstarting the Enlightenment), people’s belief in a higher being has steadily been waning. The centuries since have seen a rise in science and determining the world around us via the scientific method, and we have come to see ourselves as the top of the food chain, the all-powerful beings in our universe. But there are some things that cannot be measured and quantified, and Schumacher’s ultimate conclusion is that there must be something spiritually higher than humanity. For how else can you truly answer the existential questions?What does it mean to be human? What is the purpose of life? Where did the initial spark of life come from? There is a distinct reason why there are so many different answers to these questions: there are a lot of people in the world, and every person has their own subjective life experiences that determine their answers. We can only do our best to share our ideas with others via communication, and while communication is good for understanding, it can never substitute for true knowing. “We ‘see’ not simply with our eyes but with a great part of our mental equipment as well,” Schumacher writes, “and since this mental equipment varies greatly from person to person, there are inevitably many things which some people can ‘see’ but which others cannot.” No two people know exactly the same things about anything.Schumacher describes Four Fields of Knowledge loosely broken down as Inner-Personal, Inner-Other, Outer-Personal, and Outer-Other: 1) What is really going on in my own inner world? This we can always know. 2) What is really going on in the inner world of other beings? This we can never know, but can only make educated guesses about based on the clues we gather. 3) What do I look like in the eyes of other beings? This again we can only make educated guesses about. 4) What do I observe in the world around me? This we can know to the extent that we have knowledge about it, but our knowledge is not the same as anyone else’s.Schumacher’s beef with Cartesian theory is based in his disbelief in rationalism. “Sense data alone do not produce insight or understanding of any kind. Ideas produce insight and understanding, and the world of ideas lies within us.” I find this to be a true statement, for two people can watch the same movie and one can love it and one can hate it. Is it a good movie or a bad movie? “The truth of ideas cannot be seen by the senses but only by that special instrument sometimes referred to as ‘the Eye of the Heart.’” Ideas, as our author alludes to, are the most powerful things we know of. When someone says that the pen is mightier than the sword, this is what they are talking about. Swords and the use of violence can force people to change, but that change is always against a tide of resistance. Ideas, on the other hand, (often demonstrated via the form of writing with pens and ink,) are fabulously more transformative and enduring. Ideas change the world.It is dangerous to try and scientifically explain phenomena that cannot be observed and quantified. Some thing are better left to subjectivity, the differences between opinions celebrated instead of condemned for one all-purpose answer. This wonder is the essence of philosophy, for as Socrates once said: “Wonder is the feeling of a philosopher, and philosophy begins with wonder.” Perhaps the human need for certainty in our answers to existential questions isn’t even the right path to travel. Is there a God? Is there not a God? Certainty in either answer closes one off from wonder and further exploration and insight. Perhaps decidedly not knowing the answer is ultimately more enlightening.

I think when it comes to philosophy, I am not interested in any books which I cannot directly apply to my life (in a practical and pragmatic way).Therefore this was a refreshing book to read-- and also a deep insight into the thoughts of the author himself. Having studied philosophy his entire life, he has obvious questions: what does it all mean, and why am I on earth, and why do I do what I do?I often have the same existential questions, and here are some quotes I enjoyed from the book:1. Life is never smooth, we can never truly expect what will happen.>> Ortega Gasset: "Life is fired at us point blank. We cannot say, Hold it! I am not ready. Wait until I have things sorted out."2. Live in wonder and be curious>> Socrates: "Wonder is the feeling of a philosopher, and philosophy begins with wonder."***3. The "art of living" is an important goal in life>> Utilize body, speech, mind to helping greater good!4. Gaining happiness isn't obtaining material goods, but to develop your own capabilities to its fullest>> "Man's happiness is to move higher, to develop his highest facilities, to gain knowledge of the highest things and if possible, to see God."5. Don't aim for physical pleasures, but cultivate the mind>> Saint thomas: "All the more perfect than sensuous pleasure as the intellect is above the senses."6. Become self-aware>> Catherine Roberts: "The very act of realizing one's potentialities might constitute an advance over what has gone before."7. We are who the people we spend the most time with>> "We are made or marred by our relations with other people."8. Be activeWe are meant to be active in life, not lethargic. Doing nothing leads to depression (we were meant to move)9. We can always overcome>> "No matter how weighed down and enslaved by circumstances a person may be, there always exists the possibility of self-assertion and rising above circumstances."10. The need of freedom is part of our biology--hard wired into us11. The limits of knowingYou cannot fully know what you are thinking, let alone what others are thinking12. Don't try to measure everythingScientism is trying to nerdify everything and quantify everything. Steer away from this, some things in life can't be measured.13. Cultivate "Adaequatio"IE: You can't have an opinion on something before you are fully educated on it. Ants can' have an intelligent discussion of the science of how microwaves work, because they are not adequately intelligent enough to do so. By spending a lifetime learning, one can achieve higher levels of "Adaequatio"14. Worst thing is to be uneducated>> They will have "an inadequate and impoverished view of reality"15. Faith and reason don't necessarily contradict>> "Faith is not in conflict with reason, nor is it a substitute for reason.">> Buddhists: "Faith opens the eye of truth.">> Christianity: "Open our eyes to the heart, so we can see God."16. Thoughts on Wisdom- Wisdom as a 'science for understanding'- Using wisdom for the "sovereign good", not for corruption and manipulation17. The concept of "Ockham's razor"Don't contain any ideas or concepts that are not strictly necessary (to cut off unnecessary fat).18. You don't need to justify your actionsMan's highest value: Claims that something is a good in itself.19. Never stop improving>> Plotinus : "Never stop chiseling your statue" to make yourself beautiful!20. Practice mindfulnessDon't live our lives in auto-pilot like we usually do!Buddhism, they call it: "satipatthana" (mindfulness)21. Don't have opinions>> Buddhism : "Opinion is a tumor, opinion is a sore. Overcoming opinion you become a saint"22. No man is his own island23. Religions should be active"Religion without applied psychology is completely useless"24. There is no real answer to life>> "A solved problem is a dead problem"25. Pursue art>>"Art helps us to develop our higher faculties"To sum up, highly recommend this book-- order it now!

This book doesn't stack up to his other book Small Is Beautiful, which is an excellent book on economics and I highly recommend you read it. Small Is Beautiful should be required reading in High School. A Guide For The Perplexed is quite different. It's not what I expected.

It is for those of us who don't seem to understand why we are the way we are.