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Essay / Research Paper Abstract
A 12 page reaction paper/essay to Christopher Phillips' intriguing text Socrates Cafe. The writer summarizes many Phillips' points concerning philosophy and discusses how this text defines philosophy, shows philosophy to be practical and concludes with an autobiographical comment on the use of philosophy in everyday life. No additional sources cite.
Page Count:
12 pages (~225 words per page)
File: D0_khsoccaf.rtf
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Unformatted sample text from the term paper:
a San Francisco cafe. Phillips explains that he does not bring about such social gatherings to "teach" those assembled about philosophy. Rather, his goal is to create the same sort
of intellectual atmosphere that Socrates stimulated so effectively in ancient Athens. It is intriguing to realize how Phillips largely accomplishes this goal, as the conversation that he relates immediately offers
insight into the modern human condition. The assembled crowd is discussing the nature of insanity and how what is termed "insanity" is closely related to the processes of creativity.
One man announces, "Psychiatry is the rape of the muse" (Phillips 2). When asked to explain, the man indicates how Plato related creativity in poetry to the "divine madness" (Phillips
4). Another man interjects that he is a "psychiatric social worker," and Phillips expects dissension, but the social worker indicates his concern over the propensity of modern society to depend
on psychoactive drugs. He says, "I worry a lot about the long-range effects on people...(and how) psychiatrists try to cure children with attention deficit disorder by giving them Ritalin" (Phillips
4). As this suggests, Phillips, in this opening chapter, defines philosophy by connecting it with the process of questioning the world around us, not simply accepting whatever "truth" authorities,
pundits or the mainstream media happen to be handing out at the moment. This is a process that rekindles a "child-like--but by no means childish--sense of wonder" that looks at
the world with fresh eyes and questions assumptions about social realities (Phillips 8). This take on philosophy is one that acknowledges that "questions often reveal more about us and the
world around us than answers" (Phillips 8). Generally, the public looks at philosophy a dry, intellectual subject in which esoteric thinkers contemplate logic and reasoning on a level that
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