The Examined Life, Part II

Part One — The Philosophical & Ethical Dance

I recently attempted to make a case that philosophy and ethics should not be seen as mutually exclusive, but that they should function collaboratively; an interdependent dance to aid the journey of living well. But even if we can agree that both philosophy and ethics are important in the existential journey of being alive, we still have a problem — how do we do it?

What we’ve already taken time to explore is that the relationship between philosophy and ethics exists on a spectrum — you can only be concerned about what you do (practices, ethics) or you can only be concerned about knowing a bunch of stuff (philosophy, theory). The intellectual, philosophical side of the spectrum never enacts an informed, examined life and the practical, ethical side apathetically limits what one is able to do. This is the stereotypical trope of street smarts versus book smarts; common sense versus intelligence — but if the goal is to live as best as possible, we need both.

Now, it is worth saying that if you had to pick one, you should pick ethics. For example, in the context of suffering, you can have no understanding of what is happening theoretically or metaphysically and still traverse your suffering well; though it is less likely. However, if you only have the theoretical information and never bother to do anything with it, healing is near impossible.

There are certainly some assumptions here. First, I’m assuming that there is a teleological nature to human existence — an ultimate aim. If true, such an ultimate aim would imply the embodiment of certain behaviors that will enact a particular form of life and a particular form of the world. Secondly, I am assuming — though I think the case can be clearly made — that those behaviors will be influenced by particular beliefs; frameworks that dictate ethical action. One’s identity is the consummation of an adopted perspective manifesting particular behaviors in real life.

Our ideological and cultural narratives provide the structure which not only demarcates ideal ethics but also catalyzes their propensity for actuality. Whether it is through mythological storytelling, philosophical treatises, or scientific explanations, humans have been crafting a view of the world so as to shape how they live for as long as written history exists. For us, then, we could claim the following:

That what you believe will shape how you live and how you live will be crafted by the ideals of your beliefs.

This is why my opinion is that we should take both ends of this supposed philosophical-ethical spectrum seriously — because the meta-narratives we associate with (whether intentionally or by social default) gives the praxis for living. But, again, the destination is not the understanding. The mental framework — the beliefs and perspectives — is a medium to the goal and the ethical life can be achieved without that medium. Yet, by properly approaching life both with intentionality and diligence, our existential journey as humans will have that much better of a chance to be fulfilled.

To put it more plainly — what defines what you do and who you are? Why do you get out of bed in the morning? Call it purpose or identity, but there is a difference between someone who has a vision for where they want to go and someone who simply lets life happen to them; a casual observer to their own story. The awareness you have of your life will shape the life you live. Like an operating system, it sets the standard by which you function.

But if this is at all accurate, it is not worth just making the theoretical point. We must, in good faith to the argument made, offer something to help transition this idea into reality. We must give some semblance of action for how this dance ought to work.

A few illustrative endeavors should suffice.

Part Two — Cartography Versus Travelling

First, we can compare the intertwined nature of philosophy and ethics to traveling. If you are going to begin a journey, having a map or GPS is going to vastly improve the experience of your adventure. Without one, you can certainly still arrive at your destination, but it will be more difficult. At the same time, if you only have a map or GPS and you don’t actually go anywhere, then you’ve failed to travel. The information exists to help you travel better. Also, worth consideration, you can have a bad GPS or an ill-informed map.

Like any art form, knowing the theoretical framework is beneficial to supplement performance. I can pick up a guitar and make noise. However, the musicians that I find to be the most talented also know a tremendous amount of information concerning music theory. Not coincidentally, they play better.

But I’ve also met apparent music aficionados who are quite accomplished in their mastery of theory, but have no idea how to play an instrument.

Or like wine connoisseurs, if the point is to drink the wine (which, I do understand that for some, that is not the point), the more knowledge you have of wine — various locations, various containers and how they aid the fluidity of the drink, how to hold a glass — the more apt you are to enjoy the wine. Spitting the wine out is like the philosophy-only side of the spectrum.

The whole point is to travel.

The information helps you travel better.

When it comes to philosophy and ethics, you can’t do one so well that you don’t need the other.

Part Three — The Center of the Circle

Secondly, I want to illustrate this process by comparing it to a dot in the center of a circle. The dot would be your destination to which you intend to travel. It is the GPS coordinates for the ideal which you intend to pursue.

The point of this illustration is that your life is one of traveling to the center of the circle.

The technical term for this, as we’ve already discussed, is teleology — a final cause, purpose, goal, or destination that sets the trajectory of your ethical intention (also referred to as “virtue” in Hellenistic philosophy).

You, therefore, have to know what that is.

Trying to get there randomly is possible, but taking the time to understand the world, to know the center of the circle, will allow you to better travel there.

This was articulated well by Plato in his Theory of Forms (which is most popularly explored in Plato’s analogy of the cave). Essentially, Plato argued that there is an ideal form of everything — there is an ideal form of love, an ideal form of justice, and even an ideal form of something so basic as a tree. Reality, then, is a shadow of the ideal; which is why we can’t just depend on our singular perspective or limited observations if we are going to live the life possible according to the ideal forms. His conclusion is that you have to take the time to understand the forms (by understanding as much as possible about metaphysics and physics). Even the most ethically driven person would benefit from learning more and discovering the ideal form of everything.

Whether or not you agree with his teleological perspective of there being ideal forms or his emphasis on reason over empiricism, the depiction is one of filling out the map on our GPS so that we can travel accordingly.

We fill our imagination with what comprises the center of the circle so that we can start moving further and further into it.

You can either let your life define your trajectory or you can set the trajectory to define your life.

Part Four — The Graph of the Ideal Versus Reality

Once we know where we want to go, the goal of our journey, and who we intend to be — there is another dynamic that may help us actively travel towards it.

Consider a graph where on the vertical axis you have your understanding — philosophy, theory, information — and along the bottom axis, you have your ethical practices and behaviors.

At the top of the graph, then, would be the ideal — the center of the circle — for every aspect of your life. We could measure how close your current reality is in comparison with that ideal version of what everything is supposed to be like. And I mean everything. I am of the opinion that everything has an ethical dimension — even something as menial as brushing your teeth. It might have a very minute effect, but it is an effect nonetheless.

I would ascertain that there would be a gap between the ideal and your reality of the various pieces of your life. How, then, do we mitigate that gap?

Well, first, you need to know the ideal, but then you need to enact the behavior (or, again, virtues) accordingly. How does one do that? By increasing your awareness of all the factors contributing to your behavior. Essentially, we need to align our beliefs (the top of the graph) with our behaviors (the bottom of the graph) by utilizing the mental frameworks that will help us get there.

The awareness you have of your life will shape the life you live.

That is, I might say, the journey of becoming human.

To take in all the wisdom we can so that we can understand what this world is meant to look like and then live accordingly.

Doing and understanding are dance partners.

Part Five — Tips to Mitigate the Gap

I love the image of incarnational learning — of moving information from your head to your hands — because it implies the notion of having information and assumes that the intention is to practically manifest that information. Therefore, if you find yourself ebbing toward one end of the spectrum of the other, how can you embody this process?

First, if you are mostly on the philosophical side — make your information useful. Beware of the satisfaction that your information is sufficient. Embrace your wonderful mapmaking skills and on-point GPS, but then make sure to travel.

Further, there is a particular gift you have garnered and you might want to consider that, with such a gift of delicate cartography, you have a responsibility to share that gift — to share the information with those of us who would benefit from your intellectual gleanings.

Secondly, if you are mostly on the ethical side of the spectrum — ask yourself this question: “What would help you do this even better?” How much more would you be able to thrive if you were working with all the information.

I deeply admire that the most ethical people I know are very content with life. I would warn, however, that there is a difference between contentment and complacency. I would also warn that a culture that does not promote thinking will elevate inferior thinking.

Essentially, be curious.

And don’t just learn for information’s sake, but learn to help you do what you are already doing — traveling.

Part Six — To Live is to Dance

Understand the world, know what the best thing is to do, and do it.

What is your goal? Who do you want to be? Who are you and why are you here? The process of discovering your identity and becoming more the person you ought to be starts with these questions.

Or, to put it another way, consider this reflective exercise:

One day, who you are will stand next to who you could’ve been.

Will they be the same person?

If you pursue wisdom and act accordingly, then I dare say that, yes, they will be.

Because philosophy and ethics are dance partners and you can’t do one so well that you don’t need the other.

Travel well, my friends.

And enjoy the dance.