In Defense of Defense as Defense

by Benny Mattis

"Philosophy?  What are you gonna do with that? Become a philosopher?"

So replied a mildly intoxicated stranger (emphasis his) upon hearing of my current major at a recent social gathering.  Most other responses involve more of an attempt at politeness, but when they still end up saying things like 'Well, at least you're going to finish your degree,' the effect is not much different.  The now-expected grimacing expression usually changes when I tell them how effective a major in Philosophy can be in preparing one for graduate school.

Some people seem to use the word "philosophical" as a synonym for "irrelevant;" philosophical problems are certainly not practical, and everyone knows that practical matters have absolutely nothing to do with philosophy.  I doubt the possibility of a more ridiculous notion in a world where people regularly blow themselves up in public in the name of supposedly "philosophical" differences.  Given the obvious relevance of philosophy in this (and every) era, though, the question still remains of "What is it for?"

My interests in philosophy and martial arts developed largely in parallel and in response to their portrayals in pop culture.  The roles of philosopher and martial expert often coincide in the same character, such as Master Splinter from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the Jedi of Star Wars, or Morpheus of The Matrix.  They're always "wicked cool,"as we say in Massachusetts, and confident in their fighting and thinking ability.  Thus, I came to the conclusion that the purpose of philosophy is to achieve total badassery, which naturally follows from investigating the nature of reality.

Unfortunately, that confidence often translates to total unjustified douchebaggery in practice, and an attitude of elitism among philosophy geeks is a significant cause of its relative lack in general popularity.  So, maybe it would be better to look for answers to this question elsewhere.

Socrates said that philosophy is preparation for death.  I agree with this statement, but not in the way Socrates meant it.  Socrates saw the search for clarity as a way to transcend material existence, but I do not share his contempt for the flesh.

An awareness of death encourages people to give up unnecessary illusions and focus on core issues, or what "really matters."  What is the process of death but the destruction of all the trifling distractions that bog down our everyday lives as time goes by?  Regardless of whether a next life is better, that is no reason to squander one's time here on earth, and the finitude of that time serves as a reminder of this.  The true philosopher, the one who recognizes what is most important in this life and acts accordingly, will have already torn down their illusions to the fullest extent possible, and death's sting of surprise will be lessened if not entirely nullified.  On the other hand, the worldview that relies on falsities and self-contradiction will collapse upon itself when reality closes in.  As Ayn Rand noted, "We can evade reality, but we cannot evade the consequences of evading reality."  And reality, as that which exists even when you stop thinking about it (Philip K. Dick), really does close in on the individual like an experienced martial expert.

So, philosophy for me is like a kind of mental mixed martial arts.  It's a training method by which someone can test the effectiveness of their worldview in making sense of reality, in the same way that MMA tests the effectiveness of various styles in making sense of how best to respond to an immediate threat.  If your style is incomplete or insufficient, you will lose a fight or end up conceding to your opponent in philosophical dialectic, but you can then learn a better style, a new way of looking at things that is more in tune with your personality and that of the opponent (or the truth of reality).

The most serious threats are the street thugs of false propaganda, as opposed to sincere, tournament-registered fellow seekers of truth.  Mixed martial arts may be an attempt to discover the ultimate fighting style, but it's doubtful that one philosophical system or principle will ever encompass all that philosophy aspires to explain.  The original and most relevant purpose of martial arts is reality-based self-defense, and the most relevant use of philosophy is simply to discount various manifestations of nonsensical bullshit.  As C.S. Lewis once said, "Good philosophy must exist, if for no other reason, because bad philosophy needs to be answered."