Philosophy trains us to analyze. It also trains us to assess competeing claims. Do people have free will, or are all our actions determined by heredity and environment? Does God exist…or not? Do humans survive physical death, or is everyone destined for personal extinction on the cessation of bodily funtions? Does life truly have meaning, or is everything we do ultimately without any real sense and purpose?
We are often confronted in everyday life by competing claims and alternative proposals that we must assess: Should we appropriate more funds to increase the quality of our product or should we concentrate instead on beefing up advertising? One group claims that we need more research and developement; another declares that only more marketing is necessary. One group of experts says that children need more freedom. Another group claims that they require more clearly defined limits and discipline. How do you evaluate and asses such competing claims? Philosophy trains the mind in the fine art of assessment. With analysis and assessment in place, the thing that makes them cohesive is discernment. Having the ability to judge becomes much easier with analysis and assessment.