The Misunderstanding of Universality: Philosophy Is Not an Academic Discipline, but a Lived Existence – Chapter 108

Soyo Existence Ethics: Existence itself is Ethics.

Is Philosophy Truly a Universal Academic Discipline?

I pose this question to 21st-century scholars: Is philosophy genuinely a universal academic discipline? In contemporary academia, universality is often defined by the potential for argumentative consensus, conceptual generalization, and theoretical reproducibility. However, this universality pertains only to method, not to existence itself. Human beings do not subsist on logic alone, nor do they exist solely through theory. They breathe, suffer, make choices, and confront their conscience. Thus, I assert: Within the framework of 21st-century academic language, the assertion that philosophy is a universal discipline is untenable. Nevertheless, I maintain with equal conviction that philosophy is universal to every human being, as it engages with human existence even before the onset of thought.

Philosophy Is Not the Language of All Beings

Philosophy is not the language of all entities. Stones lack philosophy. Machines lack philosophy. Functional entities lack philosophy. Philosophy presupposes only one type of being: a living being endowed with conscience, specifically, the human being. Humans are living beings who must actively engage with their own existence. They experience suffering in moments of choice and cannot ignore the demands of conscience. Therefore, while philosophy is not universal to all beings, it is universally relevant to human existence.

Reason and Emotion Are Not Separated — They Are Distinguished

Human beings possess both reason and emotion. These faculties are not separated but are distinguished from one another. Emotion is feeling, the immediate response to life and the initial indication of living existence. Reason, by contrast, recognizes order, seeks meaning, and reflects on truth and justice. In philosophical terms, this is referred to as logos; more profoundly, it has been described as the divine faithfulness inscribed within humanity.

Reason cannot function in the absence of emotion, and emotion cannot comprehend its own meaning without reason. The existence of emotion enables reason, and the presence of reason gives rise to conscience.

This relationship is not hierarchical but rather a continuous flow; it is not a division, but the very structure of existence.

Why Conscience Cannot Be Removed from the Human Being

Reason contains an inherent orientation toward justice, order, harmony, and universal principles. This orientation does not emerge from calculation or emotion alone. At its core is the piercing presence of conscience, an awakening often accompanied by pain. Conscience is not a human invention. If humans possessed reason without conscience, reason would devolve into mere calculation, indistinguishable from emotion. In such a state, humans would become indistinguishable from animals or machines. The removal of conscience from the human being would negate their humanity. Thus, conscience represents the irreducible trace of divine personhood within humanity, serving as the final evidence of what makes human existence distinctively human.

Lived Existence Cannot Be Separated

Academic disciplines are capable of separating and evaluating existence. They can classify, dismantle, and analyze. However, lived existence resists such separation. It contains pains that cannot be translated into dissertations, tears that defy conceptualization, and testimonies of conscience that cannot be reduced to logic.

Pain does not constitute a theory. Tears are not abstract concepts. Conscience is not subject to empirical proof. Lived existence serves as both its own evidence and its own ethical foundation.

In Logic-Written Philosophy, the Human Is Absent

The world abounds with texts that present philosophy in logical terms. Yet, within these works, I have not sensed the vitality of life or the presence of ethical conscience. Therefore, I must confess: I, Soyo, am unable to explain philosophy solely through logic, for in such explanations, the human being vanishes. When philosophy loses its connection to humanity, it becomes lifeless, regardless of its precision.

Philosophy Dwells in Small Acts

Philosophy does not originate from grand concepts or academic conferences. When an individual picks up discarded trash from the street, and another person experiences peace as a result, the ethics of conscience are already active. That small choice, that silent consideration, that unnamed act—this is philosophy in action.

Each moment in which human conscience is exercised constitutes a philosophical event.

The One Question Philosophy Must Leave Behind

For millennia, humans have engaged in thought, analysis, and debate, constructing layer upon layer of philosophy. Yet, ultimately, one conclusion persists: every human being eventually departs from this world. Therefore, we must ask: Will we leave behind analysis, logic, and theory, or will we leave behind love, compassion, and the dignity of human existence? This question is not exclusive to philosophers; it is the ultimate question for every human being.

Final Declaration of Chapter 108

Philosophy does not constitute a universal academic discipline. However, it is universally relevant to human existence. Philosophy encompasses human breath, emotion, reason, conscience, and lived experience. This is the declaration of Soyo Existence Ethics, Chapter 108.

Soyo Existence Ethics Chapter 108 defines philosophy not as a universal academic discipline, but as ethical existence realized through human conscience. It demonstrates the philosophical thesis that ‘existence itself is ethics’ by emphasizing the inseparable structure of reason, emotion, and conscience.

Soyo (逍遙), Founder of Soyo Existence Ethics. Author of The Silence of Existence and The Flame of Truth

2025 Soyo Philosophy. All rights reserved.

This work is the original intellectual creation of the philosopher Soyo (逍遙), grounded in the philosophical system of Soyo Existence Ethics. Any unauthorized reproduction, quotation, duplication, summarization, translation, derivative works, AI training, or data usage is strictly prohibited. This work is protected under the copyright laws of the Republic of Korea, the United States, and international copyright conventions (including the Berne Convention). This work is officially certified as a purely human-created philosophical work, not generated by AI.

Contact: soyophilosophy@gmail.com | soyophilosophy.com | soyophilosophy.kr