In Conversation With
nature of the world. Immanuel Kant once said that process of hard work is very painful, why do we
questions such as, “What is the essence of the still have to work hard?
world after all?” are those of belief that cannot be
answered by reason.
There are two kinds of happiness: one is short-
lived happiness, while the other is long-term
The development of philosophy is a process of happiness. This view comes from the ancient
reflections on man’s rational ability, which is very Greek philosopher Epicurus. Epicurus thought that
important. You asked the question of what benefits the most important thing in life is happiness. But,
can learning epistemology bring about. I think that he also mentioned that some happiness has pain
learning philosophy is not mainly to learn knowl- hidden in it. You pursue happiness but only get
edge but to equip you with an ability to think, ask greater pain. Some pain will end up in long-term
and reflect. Such ability to reflect is beyond itself, happiness. I think if you are working in the right
and it is more important than knowledge. direction, it may bring you long-term happiness.
So, this becomes a mathematical problem: which
happiness is bigger and longer? It depends on your
If Philosophical Questions Have No Answers,
choice. Do you think so?
Why Should We Explore Them?
Keystone student: As you mentioned earlier, there
Keystone student: If you become a great philosopher
are many philosophical problems that cannot
and think about philosophical problems all the be answered. Is it because the problems them-
time, will your days become very empty? How can selves have no solution, or rather our thinking is
we be happy? There can be many kinds of happi- inadequate, or existing technology is not well-de-
ness. For example, you are happy because you have veloped enough to solve them?
succeeded. You are also happy when you get a high
mark on an exam. Or you are happy simply because Zhou Guoping: Both situations exist. If we have
you think you are. If happiness is so easy to obtain, thought hard but still find no solution in the end,
why do people still need to work hard at it?
then we will say that this is a real philosophical prob-
lem. If we finally find the answer, then we will say it
Zhou Guoping: Good. You actually asked two ques-
is not a philosophical problem but a scientific one.
tions. Let me answer your first question first. To
be a great philosopher and think about problems
Keystone student: I don’t quite understand what a
all day long can be extremely boring. For exam- philosopher does, because none of his problems
ple, we all know that Kant is a great philosopher, can be answered, and even if he has an answer, it
but we feel that his life must have been very bor- may not necessarily be correct?
ing. If you were to ask Kant himself, he would
say that he is very happy. He would not want to Zhou Guoping: I don’t have an answer to this ques-
exchange his life, which you see as boring, for any tion either. Most philosophers in history did not
other way of living. So, let us live the happy life of have to worry about food or clothing. They did
ordinary people, and leave the philosophers alone not need to work hard to make a living. Then, how
to live a boring life, which they, however, think is should they spend their time? They began to think
very happy. of philosophical questions, because these ques-
tions had no answers and they could continue to
The second question: happiness is very important,
think about them.
but why do we still have to work hard at it? If the
The Keystone Magazine 66