What is the job of philosophy? Is it to make human beings better? Sundar Sarukkai poses the question

People are often confused about the multiplicity of philosophical views and schools. Why do so many philosophers talk tangentially to each other? Why is it that Ambedkar and Gandhi are not taught as philosophers? Or those working on the ground who mobilise the poor and fight for dignity in society? Is philosophy defined by a style of writing? Is philosophy only about providing arguments and forms of thinking?

We can begin with a simple proposition that might lead us to understand this multiplicity of philosophies: The way we understand the notion of the “human” influences the way we understand the world. To understand the different streams of philosophy is to first take note of the different views of “being human” across cultures and societies.

What is human? Should we understand the human by isolating its essential qualities, those qualities that make it human? The human body cannot be used to differentiate humans from animals. Many animals and humans share similar bodily structures and functions. So if we believe that there is some value to the human that is more than an animal, then we have to isolate those qualities that humans have but animals don’t. These qualities become the defining mark of being...

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