Philosophical Questions Essay Example

According to Raymond Martin, philosophical questions about meaning do not have any psychological importance to us. In Martin’s words, these questions do not have the meaning because when a person’s life is as its “subjective best,” it was “probably sufficient” as the person would have “lacked nothing” (Martin 3). In turn, it means that people do not have to address philosophical questions about meaning to live a “sufficient” and a subjectively great life, giving the questions no psychological importance, proving that these problems are not essential to people (Martin 3). I agree with Martin’s claim about not needing to address philosophical questions about meaning to have a “sufficient” life and how it does not have psychological importance (Martin, 3). Individuals don’t need to address or have to think about these problems as having ideas, beliefs or other interests that fulfill themselves can bring their life to a subjective best without these questions needing to be contemplated.

In the article, Leo Tolstoy’s anguish is described and attributed to trying to deal with philosophical problems (Martin 3). Martin argues that Tolstoy’s issue is that he could not keep his life personal best, a point in his life that left him satisfied, but eventually was able to solve the problem by embracing a radical form of Christianity (Christoyannopoulos, Martin 5). I agree with this assessment. During the 19th and 20th centuries, Christianity was a common way for people to find fulfillment in life, and Tolstoy did not necessarily embrace his new form of Christianity to find satisfaction in “striv[ing] to live up to Jesus’ teaching” (Christoyannopoulos). It allowed Tolstoy to feel satisfied in a different manner; what I mean by this is that he abandoned any intense worries he had before his new religious beliefs about philosophical questions about meaning or its psychological importance (Martin 5). 

Moreover, the attempt to question philosophical meaning disappeared as Tolstoy’s moved on towards using interest from earlier in life on the biblical literature of his new interest (Christoyannopoulos). In embracing the radical form of Christianity, Tolstoy rewrote the gospel and “he eliminated all irrational additives” and also “harmonised any conflicting accounts, and rearranged Jesus’ to create a “logical chronological narrative” (Christoyannopoulos). However, the gospel’s rewriting further allowed him to connect to his career as an author that helped bring his life a subjective best at one point. Tolstoy’s struggle adds to my point and Martin’s belief that philosophical questions about meaning have no psychological importance for us as Tolstoy, as the example here, could find fulfillment and bring his life to a subjective best. That fulfillment is also linked to a new interest and an interest Tolstoy already had. 

While differentiating between challenges that can occur when one tries to figure out the meaning, Martin lists “bad times and death” and philosophical doubts that cause these challenges (Martin 2). In the introduction paragraph, I expressed that philosophical questions about meaning have no psychological importance to us and the role that fulfillment plays in that construct. Philosophical doubt, as Martin states, can occur when life is going well and can block a path to fulfillment (Martin 2). However, this is an issue when people are very “preoccupied with philosophy” (Martin 2). By this, I mean that as part of the process to get to a personal best, the use of philosophical questions about the meaning to find psychological importance might be challenging as one must embrace something that may be unattainable. These answers may not be feasible at all. Adding to the inaccessible nature is that philosophical questions about meaning psychological importance can lead a person down a path of  “anxiety and despair” (Martin, 2).

Nonetheless, What makes a person being fulfilled is subjective. Still, it should lead to the desired personal outcome and believing that philosophical questions about meaning have psychological importance obstructs this goal as they weigh heavy on people’s minds and cause even more distress, as I stated before, instead of providing relief. As humans, we should understand that accepting philosophical questions about meaning has no psychological importance. They do not allow a person to be adequately fulfilled and prevent them from being at their subjective best. 

Along with Tolstoy, Martin writes about Thomas Nagel and his perspective on the “philosophical challenges to meaning” (Martin 2). Arguing that Nagel’s belief is suspect and hard to understand as it is based on is different types of ideas such as alienation and a nihilist idea that there is no solution to deal with philosophical questions about meaning (Martin 2). Nagel also believes that philosophical questions about meaning can cause psychological problems, and as Martin states, it is “psychologically suspect” (Martin 3). I do feel as though Nagel’s argument of there being no answer to the philosophical questions and that they do cause psychological problems is misleading in a sense, due to Nagel’s use of the concept of nihilism, which is based on the idea that “life is meaningless” (Leonard). Whether they Nagel or anyone who believes in his thoughts admits it or not, thinking that there is no answer to philosophical questions about meaning may lead to fulfillment. In turn, they can also bring their life to a subjective best, as a person who engages in nihilism the way an active nihilist would allow fulfilment in their life as they embrace the freedom they receive from this ideal (Leonard). As Martins states, Nagel’s view is “psychologically suspect” as he does not examine this part of his argument from all angles. It adds credibility to the statement that philosophical questions about meaning have no psychological importance for us as active nihilism can provide a person with beliefs, ideas or interests that allow one’s life to be at its subjective best and fulfill a person (Leonard). 

In conclusion, and as stated before, I agree with Martin that philosophical questions about meaning have no psychological importance for us as individuals don’t need to address or think about these problems. Looking at Martin’s arguments and accounts of others, such as Nagel in the article, helps show that ideas, beliefs, or other interests that fulfill people and bring their lives to a subjective best. They make these questions have no need to be inspected, and that makes them not psychologically important.