Let us look at the three goals of writing: to inform, to entertain, and to enlighten. To me, the second one is at the bottom of the list, despite its importance in the attainment of the other two. Every great teacher understands this and readily peppers his lessons with relevant and interesting stories, as well as comedy.
In my perspective, the first objective, to inform, comes second, while the last, to enlighten, comes first. Some of my publications provide factual or theoretical knowledge concerning topics such as human physiology, nutrition, and universal evolution. This material is relevant to the current scientific perspective of reality. I am simply a vessel for it. Now, for two reasons, my position as a writer informing his readers about scientific facts and theories takes a back seat to my role as a philosopher attempting to enlighten his readers.
My fundamental argument is that I value wisdom above all else, whereas knowledge of the material world (i.e., its constituents, structure, and workings) is not equally valuable, no matter how useful it is on a practical level. Conscience comes before science, which cannot provide humans with a sense of what is good, right, or sacred, in other words, moral standards. The destruction of nature and violations of human rights by rogue firms who are efficient in their use, or rather abuse, of the environment and people to fulfill their avarice are examples of science without conscience.
My other reason is that my function as a writer informing his readers about scientific facts and theories is essentially that of a vehicle. It is subordinate to the job of the researcher, who propels the scientific effort with modern instrumentation as well as smart, scholarly, and clever observations and rationalizations.
In contrast, my function as a philosopher seeking to enlighten his audience puts me in the driver’s seat. Not only is it concerned with all that makes life worthwhile and gives humans a sense of purpose, but it also does more than simply reflect the light of wisdom; it develops it via the force of thought based on experience and study.
To be honest, my readers can think for themselves as well. They, too, can be philosophers, developing their own wisdom while discovering and critiquing mine. As a result, the light coming through in my pieces is there to let my readers view a variety of weighty issues on which they can reflect and create their own thoughtful conclusions. And, if they have the ability to do so, I would argue that they should.