Philosophy Bakes No Bread

[steve_bank]

The poet Novalis wrote: Philosophy can bake no bread; but she can procure for us God, Freedom, Immortality. Which, then, is more practical, Philosophy or Economy? So, even in the old saying, it is suggested that philosophy is profoundly more valuable than bread baking or economics.Oct 11, 2017

Agree or disagree?

Without economics and prosperity there is no time for philosophizing and contemplating profound ideas. '

Witness this forum. Those who post here have the time to do so because of economics.

In kilopascal Greece the philosophers had the time to sit around and think, based on the underlying system. Not much different in form than today, international 'supply chain' networks.

https://study.com/academy/lesson/trade-commerce-in-greek-city-states-the-mediterranean-region.html

This economic system is known as mercantilism, and it served the ancient world well, allowing for the establishment of widespread trade networks. Many people were able to benefit from this trade, which resulted in the spread of goods as well as ideas, information, and people.

 

[pood]

Man does not live by bread alone.

 

[bilby]

Man does not live by bread alone.

^ I came here to post that.

 

[ideologyhunter]

...but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God? Yeah, no. Make mine a tortilla wrap instead.

 

[bilby]

In kilopascal Greece the philosophers had the time to sit around and think, based on the underlying system.

I'm surprised the pressure didn't get to them.

 

[bilby]

philosophy is profoundly more valuable than bread baking or economics.

This is no mere assertion; It's measurably and testably true.

Just as distance is measured in metres, so value is measured in dollars.

Bread baking is of little value, as with most bare essentials. A basic supermarket loaf of bread costs A$2-3 retail, and you can make your own bread far more cheaply than that, if you have the time and some basic kitchen equipment; A mere bachelor's degree in Policy, Philosophy and Economics will set you back A$100,000+ in tuition fees alone (source).

Eating is essential, but basic food is not valuable. Basic food is cheap. Luxuries are expensive, because luxuries are valuable.

This foolish conflation of necessity with value is commonplace, and leads to all manner of stupid and destructive impulses.

Art is valuable. Knowledge is valuable. Vacations are valuable. Bread is cheap. Water is cheap. Air is free.

 

[Politesse]

Absent a practiced, refined manner of thinking, good luck with that wheatfield. It's not actually thoughtless work, you need to model the weather, your local ecosystem, what's known of the plants themselves. Humans have been considering and refining consistent systems of reasoning and prediction for many millennia, and the habit has greatly advantaged our survival. Even someone who despises academic philosophy has a philosophy, they just never learned how to consider and refine that philosophy for themselves, and are thus highly dependent on whatever fragments of thought, knowledge, and ideology happen to come to them through their social networks. I do therefore prefer the academic approach, but it isn't a necessity, communities will cultivate folk philosophies with or without the perceived legitimacy of the academy.