Is Philosophy incompatible with communication?

 "The study of reflection and rational examination of beings, as conceived by Averroes. Philosophical questions have traversed eras and continents throughout history, and it is today an essential study for humanity, just as communication, the study of the exchange of information through language and/or code in different forms (organizational, interpersonal), is. But what can be the link between these two studies? Do they have nothing to do with each other? Or perhaps no relation? The question now is: Is Philosophy incompatible with communication?

— Communication is an important concept in the history of philosophy. 

Aristotle probably established the first model of oral communication. He built this model around three elements: Ethos (the style adopted by the speaker), Logos (logic, reasoning), and Pathos (the sensitivity of the audience).

It is thanks to Plato that we know the works of Socrates, such as Apology of Socrates, Charmides, Crito. Socrates left no written record of his thoughts, so communication of these works through Plato was crucial for informing about the existence of Socratic thought.

Averroes translated Aristotle’s texts into Arabic by translating Greek through Syriac. These commentaries allowed him to introduce Aristotle's works to medieval Christian Europe.

Philosophy of language is a philosophical branch that takes the dimension of communication into account within its paradigm.

— Communication experts are also philosophers. 

Habermas, known for the theory of communicative action, is both a philosopher, through his studies at the Frankfurt School, and a communicator, through his theories.

John Dewey is a philosopher who defined communication as "consumerist and instrumental," as it can now establish relationships of domination, order, and cooperation.

McLuhan, the author of the quote "The medium is the message," allowed us to understand the importance of communication means, which are not just intermediaries between the sender and the receiver of the message, but are just as important as the message itself. McLuhan is also a philosopher, and perhaps that’s what enabled him to have this insight.

— What purpose would philosophy serve in the world of communication? 

Philosophy could play an important role in the world of communication, especially in its organizational form:

Philosophy would play a crucial role in image management:

• Philosophy would define the identity of the company (with philosophical ideas about identity).

• The values of a communication organization could be based on philosophy. (Transparency, by extension, granting access to truth, could be the main value of a company, reinforced by philosophy.)

Philosophy is more than linked to lobbying:

• Influencing political decisions through philosophical arguments (Bernard-Henri Lévy, philosopher, is also one in the world of lobbying).

• Political ideologies are based on philosophical ideas (liberalism, socialism), and with in-depth knowledge, a philosopher specializing in communication or a communicator with a philosophical approach could explore these ideas' limits to produce irrefutable arguments free from confirmation bias.

Philosophy is essential in a communication agency.

• In the proof section of the Copy Strategy, "Agency Philosopher" can produce the best possible arguments.

• In an agency specializing in influence or PR, the philosopher, through their ability to delve deeply, can bring solutions for influence strategy actions (based on The Prince by Machiavelli) and play a key role in PR, by defining, defending, and managing the company's image in a precise and thorough manner.

— To philosophize, one must communicate. 

One cannot not communicate, because either we communicate, or we don't communicate, and in this case, the only information conveyed is that we are not communicating.

Among the forms of communication, there is self-communication, which involves communicating by and for oneself. To think, one must self-communicate, because thought is primarily personal, so it is part of oneself, and I must be aware of what I think in order to know what I think (it's obvious, imagine not knowing what we think?).

Thinking consists of manifesting ideas, but one cannot philosophize without thinking, because in order to reflect and examine things rationally, one must primarily think to examine things rationally.

Rational examination involves determining the coherence of something considered by reason. Reason is the ability to relate things to one another to know their truth (if we say all men have beards, but there are also some men without beards, reason allows me to determine that the relationship between the last premise and the first premise is "false," and the source of this "falsity" is that we started from the assumption that no man is bearded).

We can think without reasoning (I don't need reasoning to think about an elephant), but we cannot reason without thinking, because it’s like trying to determine the relationship between things without there being those things (if we wanted to determine the relationship between the bearded man and the non-bearded man, without these two statements existing).

Therefore, there is no philosophy without thinking, and no thinking without self-communication!

Conclusion

Philosophy is more than compatible with communication, given that communication has played an important role in the history of philosophy (without Plato's writings, we wouldn't have Socrates). Then, experts in communication are also philosophers (McLuhan). Moreover, philosophy would have a significant impact on the world of communication (defining the identity of an organization and improving lobbying). Finally, communication is necessary for philosophy (no philosophy without thinking, and no thinking without self-communication). Philosophy and communication are two vast fields, and there are probably many avenues to explore. Whether general, such as should a communicator be a good manipulator? Or more specific, can bioethics be neglected in communication agencies?

References:

1. Inspired by Averroes' definition of philosophy in The Decisive Discourse, the exact quote: "If the act of philosophizing consists of nothing other than the rational examination of beings, and reflecting on them as they constitute evidence of the existence of the Artisan." Note that I preferred to replace beings with things to understand that we can philosophize not only about being but also about non-being, and to simplify the vocabulary.

2. Inspired by the definition of communication in Communicator, P.8.

3. Communicator, P.8.

4. Averroes by Ernest Renan.

5. "One cannot not communicate" - Paul Watzlawick."