How studying Philosophy helped me

Studying philosophy can be a fascinating experience. I had the opportunity to study philosophy formally during my MBA days. I studied at Goa University and IIT Bombay and I enjoyed the multi disciplinary approach. I could attend classes from any department in both these institutes after taking prior permission from the faculty.

We MBA students were the most boisterous in the college canteen. We would make the loudest din and were a “nuisance” to others. But come the annual sports events or the cultural fest, we would walk away with most of the prizes. One of my friends was pursuing masters in philosophy. She one day commented that although she admired our enthusiasm and intelligence, she disapproved our opportunistic and selfish behavior. I got into a debate with her on the how and why managers should behave in an “opportunistic” manner. At the end of the debate I realized how shallow my arguments were and we went into a long discussion on the role of philosophy in management. She later invited me to attend her class. I never attended her classes but I spent a lot of time with her in the canteen and library discussing applying philosophy to real life.

The first thing that I learnt was that philosophy consists of five tracks – logic, metaphysics, epistemology, ethics and aesthetics. I also picked up a simple definition of philosophy – “logical clarification of the thought process”. I learnt that when studying philosophy you did not study topics but you studied philosophers. So if one is examining issues such as the role of science in society, one would study the views of different philosophers on this topic. It dwelled upon me that also realized that philosophy is different from theology. I was interested in western philosophy that starts from the work of Socrates, then Plato and Aristotle. I then started applying these principles in my MBA courses and viola…I had a totally different view point from the class. This sowed the seeds of me doing a doctoral program… and I went on to top my university :)

An MBA equipped me with the necessary attitude and skills required to become a generalist. However, having exposure to philosophical issues gave my personality a scholastic touch. As I progressed in my career, I realize how I had used my philosophical dialog skills in those key interactions – that last minute pitch for the sale, the last minute review with my seniors, discussions with my colleagues and juniors etc. I picked up skills that helped me:
1. Look at the issue objectively
2. Go beyond the rhetoric
3. Identify “holes in arguments”
4. Generate alternative hypothesis
5. Provide evidence for my arguments and further the thread of evidence
6. Articulate me ideas convincingly

In my forthcoming posts I would like to illustrate how philosophical principles may be applied to real life corporate issues.

What is maieutics?

http://www.wga.hu/frames-e.html?/html/p/peyron/

I was introduced to this word by Prof Sreekumar from Goa University. Maieutics can be compared to intellectual midwifery. A midwife helps expectant mothers deliver a baby. Similarly, maieutics is the act of facilitating a person deliver (articulate) an idea. The origin of this word can be traced to the Greek word “maieutikos” which means midwifery.

How many times in our day-to-day life have we struggled trying to explain a concept at home, school or the workplace? To convey exactly what we have in our mind we need to connect what we think and what we say. Parents, teachers and at times our customers help us articulate our ideas.

Maieutics is important in activities that have an element of newness and creativity. Creative exercises such as writing a story, composing a song or a play, designing a house, developing a new tool etc, involve the creation of something novel. A mentor would facilitate this process by asking questions that force us to look at the basics. This is maieutics.

Like a midwife who facilitates childbirth, to facilitate maieutics, one needs certain skills. These skills can be acquired either by experience or training. A good role model to follow would be Socrates. Socrates the Greek philosopher was considered the wisest person in his times. One of his most thought provoking quotations, “A life unexamined is unworthy of a man”, cited in Plato’s Apology, is a good starting point to examine what maieutics is all about.

Socrates used to roam the streets of Rome and exhort the youth to examine their lives. He would get into dialogs on a variety of topics such as justice, virtue, moderation, friendship, courage etc. This act of facilitating public dialogs ultimately led to the death of Socrates. Ironically, instead of recognizing the role played by Socrates, a public trial led by Anytus, Meletus and Lycon sentenced Socrates to death. Agesilaus II, the King of Sparta at that time, charged Socrates with impiety and corruption of youth. Socrates courageously drank hemlock and embraced death peacefully rather than run away from the situation.

Therefore for a person to facilitate maieutics one needs exceptional facilitation skills and courage to believe in one’s convictions. How many such people do you see around you?

I like another quotation from Socrates, "My advice to you is get married: if you find a good wife you'll be happy; if not, you'll become a philosopher".

My first posting

It is with great excitement and skepticism (can you be excited and skeptical at the same time about the same thing) that I am punching away at my keyboard. I initially was not in favor of blogging; had read somewhere that blogging is the worst form of vulgar self advertising. However, like many things in the world that are necessary, I realized that blogging is one such thing.

In the coming few days I intend to cover various topics that I am passionate upon. A sample list is as follows:
1. Philosophy
2. Innovation
3. Relationships
4. Culture
5. Learning

I plan to add some photographs, put some of my publications and generally experiment.

Rajiv