Do philosophers ultimately box themselves in?

Question:Yes, they have to in order to make a case, philosophically speaking. You see, once a philosopher explains his position, he has taken a stand and must now defend that position.

Ironically, therefore, the greater a philosopher is at coming up with a convincing philosophical system, the less philosophical he becomes. In this way, philosophers tend to box themselves in.

As others have mentioned they also tend to be reclusive because they love something (wisdom) so much that they'd rather pontificate about it than socially interact with others who do not even perceive the existence of philosophy.

I'm thinking of one great philosopher in particular who serves as the ultimate example of the above explanation(s).

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: Yes, they have to in order to make a case, philosophically speaking. You see, once a philosopher explains his position, he has taken a stand and must now defend that position.

Ironically, therefore, the greater a philosopher is at coming up with a convincing philosophical system, the less philosophical he becomes. In this way, philosophers tend to box themselves in.

As others have mentioned they also tend to be reclusive because they love something (wisdom) so much that they'd rather pontificate about it than socially interact with others who do not even perceive the existence of philosophy.

I'm thinking of one great philosopher in particular who serves as the ultimate example of the above explanation(s).

Why should they? Unless their are as square as the box they are in.

I don't think so. How can they write such incredible things about life if they have never experienced it?

Food for thought: Immanuel Kant (one of the "fathers of modern philosophy") wrote first about race and different people of the world, but never went more than 20 miles from his house his entire life. Just an interesting thought....

i cannot speek for all but yes most of us do and die alone but life experiences and the fact that others piss us off with their better than thou attitude and ignorance makes us want to be alone, yet we are expected to deal with them. they have their uneducated unknowing opinions and will not recoginize a true fact if it were ingraved on their eye balls but in their tiny little brains they think they are --- you guess. i have heard ignornance is bliss, what do you think?

Philosophers are reclusive both mind and body.