Abstract

Philosophers traditionally see the task of philosophy as providing rational guidance to thought and action—as answering “the big questions” about the world, ourselves, and our place in its scheme of things. But does philosophy provide such answers? The motto of Phi Beta Kappa, America’s oldest academic confraternity, is the proud dictum “Philosophy is the guide of life”. But is this claim defensible? Does philosophy indeed provide a satisfactory guide to decision and action in the practical affairs of life?