Courage to Think for Yourself

This book was written with the purpose of proclaiming the duty of each individual to search for truth and the meaning of existence. The twentieth century produced such monsters as Hitler, Stalin, and Pol Pot who revealed the deadly drive of people who blindly followed these tyrants. Ignorance, passivity, and sheepish readiness to sell one's life into the hands of self-made political "saviors" have created the sad reality of our times. Our world today is characterized by a growing cult of political power. There is an almost complete neglect of the individual person and of moral values in general. We should always remember that those who neglect reflection sentence themselves to repeat the same catastrophes and mistakes. Thinking requires determination and endurance. It is not easy. It demands courage to question the most fundamental convictions that may be accepted by others without any reflection or evaluation. Thinking requires courage because it involves a certain risk and may lead to unexpected conclusions. Above all, passion for truth is necessary for every honest seeker. The Socratic saying, "an unexamined life is not worth living," is as true today as it ever was before.

Leszek Figurski, M.A., Th.L, Ph.D., was born in Poland. He studied Catholic theology and Thomistic philosophy at Gregorian University in Rome, Italy, and received his doctorate in philosophy from Fordham University in Bronx, New York. He has taught philosophy and theology at Mercy College, Felician College, and Seton Hall University. Figurski is currently a professor at St. Peter's College. His interests lie in the history of philosophy, the nature of philosophy, ethics, symbolic logic, metaphysics, and religions of the world. He lives in Manhattan, New York. Please visit his website for more information: www.distanceprofessionallearning.com.

Acknowledgments Preface Introduction Part I Chapter I. Why Philosophy? Chapter II. The Uses of Philosophy - The Incompleteness of Science Chapter III. The Scope of Philosophy Chapter IV. Selected Questions and Answers Chapter V. The Philosophical Attitude Chapter VI. On Thinking - Obstacles and Helps Chapter VII. How to Approach a Philosophical Problem? Part II Chapter I. Man as the Wondering Seeker for Truth Chapter II. Views on Man Chapter III. "Who or What am I?" Chapter IV. Determinism/Freedom - To Live or to be Lived? Chapter V. Human Knowledge Chapter VI. Roads Leading to Nowhere Concluding Thoughts Bibliography