starting and stopping points

[James Bonde]

The feeling of possessing knowledge can be the worst enemy of the truth. Beliefs and theories, and the identities associated with them, are as indispensable and fascinating as politics, but they are, from the perspective of true philosophy, at worst impediments and at best starting and stopping points of a much larger journey, which involves going off into the darkness once in a while and taking a good long look at what shines above us.（From The Deepest Human Life by Scott Samuelson）

What does “starting and stopping points of a larger journey” here refer to?

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

They are one part of a longer journery. No ism is the entire journey.

The journey might be life, knowledge, spirituality, or other roads to understanding. Regardless, any belief system is limited. No matter where you want to go, it is not the whole journey.

 

[James Bonde]

So do "stopping points" mean "destinations" or "places where you just temporarily stop and take a rest"?

 

[James Bonde]

Does "take a good long look" mean "take a look for a very long time"?

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

Does "take a good long look" mean "take a look for a very long time"?

It means look closely, carefully, thoughtfully, seriously, critically.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

So do "stopping points" mean "destinations" or "places where you just temporarily stop and take a rest"?

Destination. He's saying that you should not confine yourself to a stopping point. One set of beliefs will not give you the complete picture. If you only go from Point A to {Point B, you won't discover anything beyond B.