I've always thought the point of philosophy, and of philosophers, was to provide some ultimate salient, some final read-out, at the furthest point of a way of thinking. One can then sample from these positions, or use them as lenses through which to see their various experiences and understanding of the world. Today nobody serious is going to "live as Kant would" or Nietzsche or Wittgenstein. Speaking of Nietzsche, I don't think Midgley was the first to remark on the fact most philosophers were single men. Edit: Typo.