The Relevance of Philosophy, essay about a Bertrand Russell extract

The value of Philosophy is, in fact, to be sought largely in its uncertainty. The man who has no tincture of Philosophy goes through life imprisoned in the prejudices derived from common sense, from the habitual beliefs of his age or his nation, and from the convictions which have grown up in his mind without the co-operation of his deliberate reason. Bertrand Russell, The Problems of Philosophy. Philosophy is commonly thought of as an activity …

…discussed above. He is akin to a drone bee or a worker ant, obeying orders blindly and working mindlessly. What sets Homo sapiens apart from other species is the ability to question the world in which it lives. Philosophy has a vital rôle to play in the lives of all men, enabling them to realise this ability: it serves as an antidote to the 'prejudices, habitual beliefs and convictions' which threaten their mental freedom.