Philosophy: The Mother of All Sciences Crying for Help

September 16, 2025

Dr. Ankush Mahajan

We live in an era where information is abundant but wisdom often feels scarce. Our lives are increasingly dominated by data, algorithms, and technological efficiency, yet the deeper questions—What is the meaning of life? What is justice? What is truth?—remain as urgent as ever. These are not questions that science or economics alone can answer. They belong to the realm of philosophy, the timeless pursuit of wisdom.

The British philosopher Bertrand Russell, in his celebrated essay The Value of Philosophy, once wrote: “Philosophy is to be studied, not for the sake of any definite answers to its questions, since no definite answers can, as a rule, be known to be true, but rather for the sake of the questions themselves.” His words capture the essence of philosophy’s enduring value—it is not about reaching final conclusions but about cultivating the capacity to question, to think critically, and to see beyond the narrow confines of everyday life.

Yet paradoxically, while philosophy is the mother of all sciences, it now finds itself sidelined in academia and society. Once considered the foundation of all human knowledge, philosophy today struggles for recognition in an age obsessed with specialization, employability, and measurable outcomes. Departments of philosophy are shrinking, enrollments are declining, and the subject is often treated as an intellectual luxury rather than a necessity.

But philosophy’s value is not confined to ivory towers. It permeates governance, law, education, science, ethics, and even personal resilience. It is the discipline that teaches us how to think, not just what to think. And in a world fractured by polarization, ethical dilemmas, and rapid technological change, philosophy is more vital than ever before.

What is Philosophy? A Journey into First Principles

Philosophy, derived from the Greek philo (love) and sophia (wisdom), is the love of wisdom itself. It is the study of fundamental questions about existence, knowledge, values, reason, and language. Unlike sciences that examine specific phenomena, philosophy asks broad questions: Why is there something rather than nothing? What can we know? How should we live?

Its branches—metaphysics, epistemology, logic, ethics, and aesthetics—shape the way we think across disciplines. Metaphysics explores reality; epistemology examines knowledge; logic ensures sound reasoning; ethics studies right action; and aesthetics reflects on beauty and art.

Philosophy is not a distant luxury. It forms the foundation of every discipline, guiding scientists, jurists, artists, and policymakers alike. By training minds to question assumptions, reason critically, and reflect ethically, philosophy ensures that knowledge is meaningful, not mechanical. In short, philosophy is the root from which all human understanding grows, shaping both thought and action.

The Value of Philosophy

Philosophy matters because it widens the horizon of the human mind. While science deals with what is, philosophy asks what ought to be. It challenges assumptions, cultivates critical thought, and deepens our moral and intellectual vision.

As Bertrand Russell observed, philosophy’s value lies “largely in its very uncertainty,” for it keeps alive questions that resist easy answers. By considering problems beyond immediate needs, philosophy frees us from prejudice and broadens our sense of possibility.

Its relevance is not abstract. Ethical reasoning guides medicine and law, logic sharpens research and policy, and reflection grounds social justice and human rights. Even when answers remain open, the discipline of asking—of examining life itself—remains invaluable.

In short, philosophy is not a luxury for the few; it is a necessity for societies that aspire to wisdom, justice, and progress.

The Indian Legacy of Philosophy

India’s philosophical heritage, known as Darshan Shastra (the “science of vision”), has always sought truth not merely as abstract theory but as a guide to meaningful living. Six classical schools—Nyaya (logic), Vaisheshika (metaphysics), Sankhya (enumeration of reality), Yoga (discipline), Mimamsa (ritual interpretation), and Vedanta (ultimate knowledge)—represent distinct ways of engaging with existence, knowledge, and liberation.

Unlike the West, where philosophy often separated from religion and science, Indian thought integrated them, creating a holistic worldview. The Upanishads probe the nature of reality, the Bhagavad Gita discusses action and ethics, and Buddhist and Jain philosophies emphasize compassion and non-violence. This intellectual tradition is not an academic relic—it is a living guide to ethical and spiritual life, reminding us that true knowledge (vidya) is that which transforms character and society.

Philosophy and Higher Education

Higher education cannot thrive without philosophy. At its core, every discipline rests on philosophical questions: What counts as knowledge? What methods are valid? What values guide research? A Ph.D., often called the pursuit of ultimate knowledge, is unthinkable without philosophy, for it is philosophy that frames hypotheses, defines evidence, and examines meaning.

In India, philosophy also plays a vital role in civil services examinations, where subjects like ethics, integrity, and aptitude draw directly from moral philosophy. Future administrators are expected not just to master law or economics, but to apply ethical judgment to real-world dilemmas. Similarly, in fields like law, medicine, business, and technology, philosophy provides the ethical framework necessary for responsible practice.

Yet, universities often reduce philosophy to optional electives or merge it with other departments. This undermines its foundational role in shaping critical thinkers and socially responsible leaders. By sidelining philosophy, education risks becoming purely technical, producing skilled workers but not wise citizens.

To restore balance, philosophy must be seen not as an abstract luxury but as a living core of higher education—guiding inquiry, shaping leaders, and ensuring that knowledge serves humanity, not merely efficiency.

The Decline of Philosophy – A Silent Crisis

Despite its enduring value, philosophy is increasingly marginalized. Many universities in India and abroad have merged philosophy departments with religious or interdisciplinary studies, while enrollments continue to dwindle. Students are drawn toward STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) and professional courses, leaving philosophy with only a handful of dedicated learners.

In research, the emphasis on data, measurable outcomes, and technical skills often overshadows the reflective inquiry that philosophy encourages. This trend produces scholars with expertise but little grounding in ethics, reasoning, or broader vision.

The decline is ironic, for modern society faces ethical and existential challenges—AI, biotechnology, climate change—that demand philosophical insight. Ignoring philosophy risks cultivating knowledge without wisdom, technical skill without moral direction, and progress without purpose.

The crisis is not just academic; it is civilizational. Philosophy, the mother of all sciences, is crying for help, reminding us that without reflection, reasoning, and ethical grounding, education and society alike remain incomplete.

Decline and Revival of Philosophy

Despite its value, philosophy is witnessing a decline. In India and beyond, departments are shrinking, often merged with religious or interdisciplinary studies. Few students enroll, as science and technology appear to promise quicker rewards. In PhD programs, facts, data, and measurable outcomes overshadow the reflective depth that philosophy brings. The result is an imbalance—knowledge without wisdom.

Yet the remedy lies not in abandoning philosophy, but in reviving it. Schools and universities must reintroduce philosophy as the foundation of critical thinking. Public discourse should draw upon its clarity and ethics, countering the shallow noise of soundbites. And India, with its Darshan Shastras, holds a civilizational treasure that can enrich global conversations when taught as intellectual traditions, not myths.

Philosophy must also address modern challenges—climate responsibility, digital ethics, gender justice—proving its continued relevance. To ignore philosophy is to risk raising a generation with technical skills but no moral compass. To revive it is to reclaim the wisdom that keeps civilization humane.

Conclusion – The Timeless Need for Wisdom

Philosophy has always been called the mother of all sciences, for it is philosophy that first dared to ask the questions upon which every branch of human knowledge is built: What is real? What can we know? What should we do? Today, however, this mother seems to be crying for help—sidelined in universities, merged with departments of religious or interdisciplinary studies, and increasingly abandoned by students in favor of so-called “practical” disciplines. But without philosophy, even the most advanced sciences risk becoming like a ship without a compass—fast, powerful, but directionless.

The great philosopher Bertrand Russell reminded us: “The value of philosophy is, in fact, to be sought largely in its very uncertainty.”

He saw philosophy not as giving final answers, but as broadening our vision and enlarging our understanding of what might be possible. A society that silences this voice of uncertainty, that drowns the subtle notes of wisdom beneath the noise of facts and figures, impoverishes itself.

Even the ancient Indian sages knew that philosophy was not a luxury but a necessity. The very term Darshan Shastra—the science of vision—meant that philosophy allowed one to “see” reality in its fullness, beyond appearances. To separate it from our education, research, and governance is to live in blindness while pretending to see.

In a world obsessed with data, numbers, and outcomes, philosophy offers the rare gift of perspective. It asks us to pause and reflect: Why are we producing this knowledge? Who benefits? What ethical responsibility accompanies power? These questions cannot be answered by statistics or algorithms alone. They require philosophy’s guiding hand.

To revive philosophy is not to go backward into nostalgia, but to move forward with clarity. As Socrates declared, “The unexamined life is not worth living.” And in India, the Bhagavad Gita reminds us that “Yoga is skill in action” (2.50)—a skill that emerges only when guided by reflective wisdom.

The decline of philosophy is not the death of an academic subject; it is a warning of civilizational imbalance. If philosophy continues to be ignored, we risk raising generations who know how to build machines but not how to live meaningfully. The mother of all sciences is indeed crying for help, and it is our moral and intellectual duty to answer that call. For in saving philosophy, we are in truth saving ourselves.

(The writer is a poet, writer, researcher, and columnist)