Shaolin monks are an icon in the martial arts
When you think about it, there really aren't that many martial icons - Shaolin monks, samurai, ninja, that's really about it. The rest are all Rex kwon do. Any icon is placed on a pedestal by the uneducated. We pedestrians worship the icon whether it be a rock star, political leader, or shaolin monk.
But for the sake of discussion, I think fighting without philosophy is like a loaded gun in the hands of a ignorant child. So many people here just focus on fighting and that's really a shame. Of course, fighting lies at the essence of martial arts, but the definition of the fight is usually so limited (street fights, MMA) that it's really move of an attempt to create exclusivity than to spread martial arts to needy communities. What's more, with fighting, it's more important to know 'why' then 'how'. A fighter without an underlying moral philosophy is the tool of the devil.
What are you trying to say kwaichang?
Martial arts in of themselves aren't about philosophy anymore then a gun is. Martial arts are a weapon and a tool. They were developed to give the practitioner fighting abilities but they yield other benefits such as health, self-discipline, fun etc. As with a gun, what a person decides to do with martial arts depends on the individual. This is where philosophy enters the equation.