Considerations: Analytic Philosophy and Warrior Thought

I’ve decided to take a long break from analytic philosophy for the moment being. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the term, analytic philosophy concerns itself with logical arguments and is the predominant form of philosophy taught in western universities.

It’s also ridiculously restraining, leaving very little space for any kind of creative input and really doesn’t allow too much space for other forms of thought.

I dunno why, but even though I love philosophy, I really can’t seem to fully appreciate the analytic style. It’s really not the type of philosophy that interested me in the subject to begin with, and really seems to constrict what I can do…. or even think.

In fact, sometimes I look at the 7 year PhD. program and wonder if I would enjoy it at all. I begin to wonder if there is something else I should pursue.

Which leads me to my next topic:

I started reading Gorin no Sho today. For those of you who don’t know what that is, it translates to “The Book of Five Rings” and is the magnum opus of legendary swordsman Miyamoto Musashi. Basically its a staple in understanding eastern warrior thought and a must read of warrior philosophy. In it, Musashi advocates a very buddhist and zen like approach towards life and battle.

Basically, this is another stream of philosophical thought that interests me, and this approach towards philosophy isn’t concerned so much with analytic arguments as it is concerned with a way to approach life. For example, lets take Musashi.

Zen and Warrior Philosophy has ALWAYS interested me. Unlike analytic philosophy which attempts to untangle riddles and clarify things, Warrior Philosophy always seems to address a sort of philosophical attitude or approach towards life. For instance, many warriors will perceive themselves as already dead in order to be able to maintain control of themselves or avoid the stress and panic that often accompanies going into battle or entering a duel.

But beyond finding a coping mechanism for dealing with troublesome tasks, these warriors often strove for Perfection. A Perfect Warrior cannot be one who just knows how to swing a sword, there is much more to a warrior than just being able to cut down an opponent. One must be able to be constantly aware of his surroundings, he must be able predict or be aware and be able to be ready for battle at any moment. In essence, a person who wishes to become a warrior must be a warrior at every moment: aware, with a fluid mind and have the ability to adapt to any situation.

For this, Musashi advocated those who followed his martial art to pursue all ways of art. That includes painting, poetry, writing, and other pursuits. One must be able to become an everyman, and should not constrain himself/herself to only one way of viewing life. And one cannot stop his mind and fixate on single instance, one must keep moving and keep his mind fluid. For if one were in a duel, the moment one’s mind stops and fixates on the sword swinging to cut him down is the moment one is slain.

Anyways, I might have went to town with this post. But this may be just a result of restraining my disgust towards some analytic philosophy for so long. Hopefully I’ll be able to find a way to learn more about it in the coming years, and not be trapped in the structured jail of analytic philosophy.

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