The useless question about the usefulness of philosophy

Abstract

Human beings sustain themselves through myths, half-truths, legendary lies, and uncertain expectations by which they build paths they believe to be safe. These exist insofar as they pursue the goal of overcoming the uncertainty that makes us «fear and tremble» in a Kierkegaardian sense and confronts us with Sartrean nothingness. Camus states that «judging whether life is or is not worth living amounts to answering the fundamental question of philosophy». If, as Deleuze and Guattari claim, philosophy consists in creating ever-new concepts, it should not be subjected to the Western criterion of utility or to the alienating equation between work, study, and remuneration. Human beings create terms suited to their language, feelings, and logos; they should not become functional components of a dehumanizing system of terms.