Having seen that the Bahá’í Writings actually encourage philosophical studies, it is only natural to ask about the benefits of such studies. As I see it, there are three ways in which philosophy can help us in our lives as Bahá’ís. Philosophy can help us (1) gain a better understanding of the Writings themselves, and most notably those numerous passages which are of a specialized philosophical nature; (2) improve our ability to teach, explain, and defend the Writings; (3) facilitate dialogue and bridge-building with other faiths and various influential intellectual schools especially those with highly developed philosophical foundations, e.g. Judaism Catholicism, Islam, existentialism and Marxism. Our personal development and our ability to serve the Faith are enhanced.
The first benefit of philosophical studies is that they improve our understanding of the Writings, and particularly those numerous passages which are philosophical in nature. This benefit is conferred indirectly and directly. Indirectly, philosophical studies sharpen our thinking skills, which, like any other human capacity must be exercised or they will weaken. As ‘Abdu’l-Bahá says, “Everything is either growing or declining” (Some Answered Questions, p. 223) and our intellectual skills are no exception. Here are some of the vital reasoning skills we use when studying the Writings: understanding reasoning and arguments; identifying implicit connections among seemingly unrelated ideas; analyzing analogies and metaphors; identifying underling principles and presuppositions; drawing inferences and asking penetrating questions. (Remember the Feast of Questions!) When we apply these various intellectual skills and our philosophical knowledge to the Writings our comprehension inevitably increases.
This becomes especially evident when we encounter passages that are clearly philosophical in nature. For example, in discussing the immortality of the soul, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá says,
Some think that the body is the substance and exists by itself, and that the spirit is accidental and depends upon the substance of the body, although, on the contrary, the rational soul is the substance, and the body depends upon it. If the accident—that is to say, the body—be destroyed, the substance, the spirit, remains. (Some Answered Questions, p. 239)
If our comprehension of this passage is to penetrate below the surface level, we must have at least some knowledge of the philosophical terminology involved, e.g. “substance” and “accident.” Indeed, if we probe even more deeply, we will also be able to see that ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s statement shows how to resolve the famed mind-body that has dogged neuroscience and philosophy for so long. Furthermore, a grounding in philosophy can also facilitate our understanding of the various proofs of God that ‘Abdu’l-Bahá offers in Some Answered Question and The Promulgation of Universal Peace. Such understanding is especially useful in our times when militant atheism is gaining in popularity. Finally, philosophical knowledge deepens our comprehension of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s arguments against metaphysical materialism, pantheism and Christian incarnationism as well as our understanding of his teachings on epistemology and the ontological issues involved in the doctrine of emanation. Finally, it is worth noting that some philosophical background assists us in seeing more of the underlying connections that unify the teachings into one coherent whole that provides guidance for thinking and living in the new age.