Aristotle, as a philosopher, can impart upon us only philosophical understanding. His ability to reason his way to a deep understanding of the nature of a thing gives him no more power to control or change that thing than one to whom that thing is a complete mystery. In this way, philosophical understanding can be seen as less productive than scientific knowledge. After all, if science leads us to better understand something – genetics, for example – that understanding can impart the power of influence or even control.
For Man the Maker, this is why philosophy is less important than science. Philosophy brews us no beers and builds us no iPhones.
The Maker is not the only archetype of Man, though – and the others aren’t so concerned with being productive. In living our lives and running our societies, we are using our knowledge and understanding in a practical, rather than productive, way. For these pursuits, philosophy is much more useful than science.
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