Why is serious philosophy dominated by academics?

Well, there are probably only two ways to make a living as a philosopher. That's to teach at a university, and to publish books. And there's not a whole lot of money in publishing philosophy books anymore, unless it's packaged as a new age "self help" type of thing, it's not going to sell. That leaves academics as the only viable alternative.

The professors have certainly taken the mantle of philosopher..... however they are not the only ones. Comedians are some of the greatest philosophers of our time. George Carlin is a philosopher supreme if I have ever heard one....... he questions that which is typically unquestioned.

Philosophy is often a means to an end.... in the case of Carlin comedy, in the case of academics teaching. Teaching just happens to be a natural compliment to philosophy because philosophy encompasses the study of everything.

Also, you seem to forget that Socrates was a teacher...... as was Aristotle and Plato. They were the first and formed the first university...... both disciplines were born at the same moment and of the same people, so it is a natural fit.

"Plato (427-347) was Socrates's student. Aristotle (384-322) was Plato's student. Alexander the Great was Aristotle's student. Plato set up a school called the Academy. Following this example Aristotle set up a school called the Lyceum. "

http://www.andrew.cmu.edu/user/kk3n/meta/aristotle...

These men did not sell books for a living, or go on talk shows. Why do you think Kant was the first professional teacher?

The world abounds with non-institutionalized philosophy, mostly in the form of books, and sometimes--very often the best--are fiction.

Pilgrim's Progress

The Scarlet Letter

Les Miserables

Moby Dick (the most studied book in English after the Bible)

Tolstoy, Chekov, Homer, T.S. Elliot, Camus, Loren Eiseley, etc.

It is very often the non-academics who turn the academic world on its head.

Academics is a recent discipline of human's excersize of their senses. Academics creates a universal language in which we use to better identify our places here on earth. The reason most philosophy is respected through academics is because it requires a recorded source of investment of time in a particular area, and because it is a very well known network. Might I add, there must be some means of declaring something reputable or credible. Can you imagine living in a haze full of messy ignorantly confident falsities.

When you think about it, true philosophers are usually self teachers. A genius could possibly hide inside his home reading books continuously, writing, and delving into the creative imagination of his curiosities. The world may never even know this persons name. Perhaps those that humble their intelligence and do not value that of communicating with others as a product and loyalty to their own philosophy is truly admirable.

Academics tend to be up their own backsides too much! Everyone can philosophise and you don't need academic qualifications to THINK, QUESTION and expand your mind. You could say that the academic philosophers are not really free thinkers because they are constrained within the boundary's of their own research and institution.

whether that have been genuine, you, who i understand for a actuality do no longer signify all Asians, lack empathy, sensitivity, love, kindness and intensity and that makes you fairly a approaches down on the ladder of humanity in my opinion. Wanna be particularly helpful? You extra suitable flow lower back to the drafting board and initiate over.

Who else has time to debate the mundane, over and over and over again?

Who else has the credentials to appear authoritative?

academics gives them authority to ask any question even those questions which have no meanings .

there is more questioning than answering in philosophy.