Philosophy and Life

Author: Fu Peirong
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-08-01
Features: A philosophy course can be boring or engaging, depending on who teaches it. The primary goal of a philosophy class is to ignite a love for wisdom and guide students to think about major questions in the world and life. To achieve this goal, the philosophy teacher must himself be a lover of wisdom with a vibrant intellect. He can create a magnetic field in the classroom, passing on the joy of thinking to his students. He is a witness; when students see him, they believe that philosophy is not a dry subject. Such a teacher would naturally not use a ready-made textbook written by others to teach his class. He must write his own textbook, infusing it with his unique perspective and independent thinking. Professor Fu Peirong's Philosophy and Life is just such a textbook. The course he teaches at National Taiwan University has been enthusiastically received by students and has been ranked as the "Best General Education Course." The author truly understands philosophy and is skilled at expressing it concisely and clearly. For example, when explaining that philosophy is agape, he defines it as a "lifestyle of maintaining a curious nature and inquiring into the truth of all things," summarizes wisdom as having two characteristics—"wholeness" and "fundamentalism"—and explains the "agape" in agape as a gentle and rational "friendship," distinguishing it from fervent "passionate love" and vague "universal love." This approach feels both accurate and innovative.
A philosophy course can be boring or engaging, depending on who teaches it. Who teaches it is important. Unlike other courses that primarily impart knowledge, in a philosophy class, imparting knowledge is secondary. The primary goal is to ignite a love for wisdom and guide students to think about major questions in the world and life. To achieve this goal, the philosophy teacher must himself be a lover of wisdom with a vibrant intellect. He can create a magnetic field in the classroom, passing on the joy of thinking to his students. He is a witness; when students see him, they believe that philosophy is not a dry subject. Such a teacher would naturally not use a ready-made textbook written by others to teach his class. He must write his own textbook, infusing it with his unique perspective and independent thinking. Professor Fu Peirong's Philosophy and Life is just such a textbook. The course he teaches at National Taiwan University has been enthusiastically received by students and has been ranked as the "Best General Education Course," and after reading it, I believe it lives up to its reputation. Professor Fu truly understands philosophy and is skilled at expressing it concisely and clearly. For example, when explaining that philosophy is agape, he defines it as a "lifestyle of maintaining a curious nature and inquiring into the truth of all things," summarizes wisdom as having two characteristics—"wholeness" and "fundamentalism"—and explains the "agape" in agape as a gentle and rational "friendship," distinguishing it from fervent "passionate love" and vague "universal love." This approach feels both accurate and innovative.
I also admire Professor Fu's broad perspective and open-mindedness, free from narrow-mindedness. In his course, he achieves two connections. First, he bridges different spiritual domains, discussing philosophy without limiting himself to the discipline. He dedicates separate chapters to explain the unique contributions of mythology, art, religion, and education to life philosophy, placing life issues within a broader cultural context. Second, he bridges Eastern and Western philosophy. The Western focus is on Socrates and existentialism, while the Chinese part emphasizes the intrinsic logic and value of Confucian and Daoist philosophies. He draws from the strengths of various traditions, maintaining an open attitude toward all intellectual resources when constructing modern life philosophy.
Whether people agree with some specific views in this book is entirely unimportant. The skill of an outstanding philosophy teacher lies not in making students accept his opinions but in inspiring them, keeping their minds active. My lowest and highest expectations for a philosophy class are to lead students through the door of philosophy, allowing them to roughly grasp the charm of its love for wisdom. But is this an easy task! How many philosophy classes end up going in the opposite direction, making students dislike the mere mention of philosophy and turn away from doors labeled with philosophical tags. In fact, those doors are not the path to philosophy at all.
Therefore, while recommending this book to readers, I also hope for reforms in our general education courses, so that we can produce a group of philosophy teachers and textbooks that truly guide students through the door of philosophy.