"Philosophy! Empty thinking by ignorant conceited men who think they can digest without eating!"

In the quote "Philosophy! Empty thinking by ignorant conceited males who think they can absorb without consuming", Iris Murdoch presents a critical view of philosophy and thinkers, defining the practice as futile and self-indulgent. The metaphor recommends a detach between abstract thought and practical experience.

Murdoch's choice of words like "empty" and "ignorant" implies that some philosophers participate in thought processes that do not have compound and real understanding. The term "conceited" even more shows that these individuals have an inflated sense of their abilities, thinking themselves capable of extensive insights regardless of an evident absence of fundamental knowledge or real-world engagement. Murdoch seems to slam those who pontificate about life's secrets without engaging with the product realities needed to ground their viewpoints.

The metaphor of "absorb without consuming" suggests that some theorists try to process complex ideas without the needed experiences or empirical input to substantiate their theories. Much like digestion needs the ingestion of food, establishing significant philosophical insights perhaps requires grounding in lived reality and concrete understanding.

Murdoch may be echoing a broader critique of approach as an academic pursuit divorced from practical concerns, reflecting a point of view that prioritizes tangible human experiences over abstract thinking. This criticism is not universal to all philosophical undertakings however rather targets those who deal with viewpoint as an intellectual exercise instead of a tool for understanding and enhancing the human condition.

For that reason, Murdoch's quote can be viewed as a require philosophers to remain simple, to root their questions in the concrete and the real, and to prevent the trap of becoming isolated in their intellectual bubble. It challenges thinkers to bridge the gap between theory and practice, to "eat" before they "absorb", hence guaranteeing their concepts are nurtured by real-world contexts and real understanding.