what do you know about philosophy?

Question

Philosophy is the study of humans and the world by thinking and asking questions. It is not part of science, because it is not an observation of things in the real world to find out how they work. Philosophy tries to answer important questions by coming up with answers about real things and asking "why.

what are your thoughts?

Answer 1

Philo Sophia or as we say philosophy means the love of wisdom. It is not exclusively a question but the essential insight itself. It adjudicates between Art, which is known skill and Science, the love of understanding. Thus Philosophie is the final voice of reason!

Answer 2

Philosophy is, in it's most literal sense, 'philo-' meaning love, plus '-sophy' meaning wisdom. It is a love of knowledge. It is the desire to question anything. In this sense you are right: In many senses, philosophy is all about the question 'why'.

However, science is as much a part of philosophy as most other endeavors. Most colleges don't give you a degree in physics (for example) but a degree in natural philosophy focusing on physics. If you take the 'why' out of science, all you have is a recording of facts with no explanation or wonder (reminds me of some horrible history books I've read). Indeed, why would anyone even WANT to record data unless it was to answer a philosophical question?

I can see why you might think so poorly of philosophy, though. Somehow some of the more esoteric subsets of the field which don't have any direct relation to other things have come to stand for the whole. And some of them are enough to make most people's heads spin. But keep in mind too, that if you want to study LOGIC anywhere, you are probably going to be taking a class from the school of philosophy. And what would any science be without logic?!

Answer 3

I am a Philosophy major working toward a PHD in this subject. Philosophy is a weird thing, there are no right or wrong answers it's just a bunch of people giving their opinions on what the believe to be true and backing it up. It's not really a let's make the world a better place type of thing. It's a great way to stir up a fun debate.

Answer 4

I've heard the word ever since I was a kid. Bottom line, it's really man using his mind to arrive at a conclusion to the why's and wherefores of life while seeking a bit of grace to them. It's really us reaching up for Someone who would otherwise be reaching down to us.
It's limited. Often prideful, a quasi religion without the trappings. It uses universal truth, but since man is finite, he gets lost in the sauce. Kind of like studying for a term paper after doing a lot of all nighters. In the end, you're going in with the attitude of throwing yourself before the mercy of the court and face the firing squad.

Not a good way to proceed. They say the desert doesn't tolerate mistakes. I can say, first hand, it doesn't. Life doesn't tolerate second guessed projections as opposed to sound wisdom. It's available. People don't like what they hear is the problem.

Answer 5

Kimmy G.
Philosophy = love of wisdom and speculating about abstract thoughts.
The study of Humans is called Sociology - not so much thinking but a lot of observing.(in a nut shell)
I hope that you have a clearer understanding of the difference between the two subjects - both equally interresting but very diffirent.You might want to do some research into this matter as it might save you embarresment in the future.
Good luck and happy reading...
you won't regret it in the future.

Answer 6

You'll never know what philosophy is from a dictionary definition or encyclopedia article. Philosophy is a process, and to know it you have to take part in it. The question "What is philosophy?" is itself a philosophical question. Here's my answer (it's a bit abstract, but that's the nature of the subject):

Philosophy is the pursuit of the optimization of the theoretical aspect of human life. That is, it's the pursuit of, mainly, three things:

1. Identity - which is clarity and distinctness (the absence of confusion).
2. Harmony - which is coherence and compatibility (the absence of conflict).
3. Precision - completeness and simplicity (the absence of imprecision).

Philosophers pursue these three ideals using three main methods:

1. Analysis - taking concepts apart to see how they work - or don't work - in order to make them clear and distinct.
2. Synthesis - joining concepts together in order to ask questions, provide answers, criticize answers, revise answers and/or revise questions - with the ideal of arriving at a harmonious (true) worldview.
3. Synopsis - Making overviews (summaries) of worldviews - assembling them in their most complete but precise form - with non-necessities removed - with the ideal of achieving theoretic precision. (This method is a.k.a. reductive analysis.)

A very simple way of putting all this is to say that philosophy is "looking (thinking) before we leap" - and thus it is, ultimately, the most practical of occupations.

Answer 7

Just remember that science comes from philosophy and that the early great scientists (Galileo, Descartes, Kepler, Pythagoras to name a few) were also philosophers.

Answer 8

Philosophy, I guess's the evoluation of logicality, studying logic, precisely.

Answer 9

I agree with you 100%, Kimber, and I wished I'd majored in it in college and taught it and wrote books rather than practising Nursing for 17.5 years [and was miserable the whole time].

Answer 10

I am the greatest Philosopher this world has ever seen.