Wondering and Wonder: When Questions Matter More than Answers

Sometimes a question can enrich and add value to our lives precisely because we cannot figure out its answer. Does this mean that the point of wondering about certain things is that doing so won’t lead us anywhere?  

In philosophy we sometimes encounter questions that stubbornly resist our best and most serious attempts to answer them. When this happens, though, our relationship with the question can change; we may cease wondering about it and instead wonder at it. In other words, we may cease actively trying to answer the question and instead start to marvel at it as something unresolved and mysterious.  

In this talk, Richard will argue that a significant part of the value of philosophical questions lies in their ability to bridge this gap between wondering and wonder. Such questions can take us from rational inquiry – in which we employ our best methods to resolve the issue – to rational awe, where we simply appreciate or admire the unanswered question for its own sake.

This view about the potential value of philosophical questions has strange implications, however. In particular, it suggests that one way to derive value from a question is to ultimately fail in your best efforts to answer it. Achieving a sense of wonder, then, sometimes requires having done your best to avoid it.

Date | Thursday, 20th March 2025

Time | 7.00pm - 8.30pm

Location | The Synge Theatre, The Arts Building, Trinity College Dublin