To what extent is philosophy practical?

Cordia Fivecoat: Depends on the demands of the application on the one hand, and the individuals' need to resolve day to day issues. I think first of "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance". What a discipline it is to administer the upkeep of the machine ('machine' with a smorgasbord of objects.) You might have read it; it's not necessarily about Zen or motorcycle maintenance.Which would explain the interest in philosophy by a huge number of people in the world and the differences and disagreements. It's a hip pocket sort of thing. Every man in every country in the world will differ, and not mind pulling out recent thoughts on God, epistemology, ethics, etc. to air in the arena of public scrutiny. Pride and competition work well in every enclave and oasis. So if the application to the current reality bears out, someone will fill the gap of choice.'Happy Hiram" hit it right; almost every corner of scientific reason went out the door in the twentieth century when B! ohr's philosophy bumped heads with the debate between he and Einstein. The result is trying to find ways to separate the data from the conclusions. The debate took the high road, but there were and is not the cogency of applications. Advancement came from the philosophy, not only of experiment, to which we owe them definition, but to a remarkable lack of error in the numbers. The numbers should take a back seat to truth. This is not the Matrix, nor is it Burger King science. You can not have it your way....Show more

Troy Staton: This one is quite simple my friend!Think of all the information we have in this day and age! Think of all the philosophical and ethical debates that have occurred to come to the "conclusions" we have.Governing laws is a prime example of a practical application of philosophy....Show more

Mel Crapo: The rational investigation of truth assumes that humans are rational beings. Humans are selfish, greedy, backstabbing beings. 1994 Rw! anda Genocide.http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/ev! il...Hungry in Americahttp://www.thenation.com/doc/20030818/liebermanMaybe there is hope... Decades down the road...Long after the Oil profit has been made...Florida Farmers Look to Tropical Fruit as Newest Source of Biofuelhttp://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,367541,00.htmlNo, I see no practical use for philosophy.Unless there is a profit......Show more

Darwin Ecton: In order to live, man must act; in order to act, he must make choices; in order to make choices, he must define a code of values; in order to define a code of values, he must know what he is and where he isâ€"i.e., he must know his own nature (including his means of knowledge) and the nature of the universe in which he actsâ€"i.e., he needs metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, which means: philosophy. He cannot escape from this need; his only alternative is whether the philosophy guiding him is to be chosen by his mind or by chance.“Philosophy and Sense of Life,” The Romantic Manifesto; Ayn Rand...Show! more

Kandi Lough: To the extent that you make it so.I discovered a philosophical principle I call the philosopher's fee. If you go down a well without a bucket you won't come back with any water. If you philosophize WITHOUT a GOAL you won't come back with any wisdom.