The some of greatest psychoanalysts like Freud, Jung and Rank have rightly concurred that a child becomes a philosopher at a very early age like 5 years or so to figure out ways & means of the world through the primitive intuitions & raw senses. The child soon becomes skilful philosopher after learning new tricks and thus uses ’em to tame this mighty world.
With time, inquisitiveness kicks in and the child begins to question everything. The nature at its best help the child to survive this world which is beyond comprehension to such a tiny being, by revealing itself into bits and pieces (rather discretely).
The child naturally develop himself through keen observation and introspection like close-loop principle, he develops methods of his own for his survivability and begins to get hold on this world.
Soon the society kicks in and comes with it the structures, institutions, dogmas, religion, and state; THE SHACLES…!
Gradually, the world overwhelms the child and he realizes the tricks of his own philosophy appears to be ineffective.
The same child, once skilful philosopher who survived childhood through likes of Oedipus complex, loses its skills, and gives in to the demands of world and submit itself into the resignation. And soon society and its structures, institutions, dogmas corrupt the philosopher in him to the very core.
Thus, the cycle begins and he discards the philosophy and begins to follow the pre-charted path as society carved for him or likes of him for millennia. In this way society kills the philosopher in him and wins at last by turning him into conditioned/ immediate man who hardly questions anything that society has to offer. Thus, he helplessly enters vicious cycle of education, job, house, marriage, children etc.
No wonder why there are no revolutions in the world any more. Hardly anyone ask the eternal question. The society and its structures, institutions, dogmas dictate the world; making its subject more passive and submissive.
Upanishads were revolutionary in ancient India, so were Renaissance and Age of Enlightenment in Europe; followed by multiple revolutions in the past 3-4 centuries. In 21st century, world will hardly see any revolution. The subjects of this world of 21st century are in resignation and passivity. This age of AI and Digital tech. is final nail in the coffin of philosophy and critical thinking.
I wonder what it would have been like being in ancient India where different school of though would debate publicly such as Vedanta & Purva Mimamsa schools among others. Imagine Buddha, Mahavir, Sri Adi Sankara, Kabir and Nanak roaming through the ancient and medieval India, questioning, and debating the prevalent systems and thoughts; weren’t they revolutionaries. I think they were. Period!
I wonder what it would have been like being in ancient Greek where old masters specially like Socrates would debate publicly with fellow Greeks; followed by Plato, Aristotle and later stoics. Wasn’t he revolutionary who was condemned to death by Athenian court for impiety and corrupting the youth. Why, because he questioned their gods?
The modern Europe have seen revolutionary like Dante, Copernicus, Galileo prior to French revolution among others. These events laid the foundation of modern Europe when the subjects begun to question the Church, Pope and their Kings.
The subjects of this world of 21st century have submitted themselves to State and have gone inert. Some have committed, if not physical then psychological suicide and have given up; there are no more deep questioning and critical thinking like our old masters. And thus, the child becomes man, one in many lots.
Years and decades later after achieving everything that society has to offer, something stirs in him and randomly one day sense of absurdity hits him in the face at the corner of street and he cries; oh, the absurdity.!
He sees himself as the Sisyphus, a Greek character. He begun to questions again only to realize that it’s too late. And he realizes that the knowledge he had gained through books and experiences have been proven ineffective in face of absurdity, meaninglessness, and chaos.
At last, he realizes that philosophy has failed him or rather he has failed the philosophy. He ponders on Dylan Thomas lines: Do not go gentle into that goodnight………Rage rage against the dying of light…!!!
With all the knowledge he had accomplished and experiences he had gained in his life, only at last to die at age of 80 or 90, as a person with residual philosophy. Isn’t that a waste of faculty?
Oh, the brutal reality, the society!!!
At last, the philosophy is dead with its master.
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