What does philosophy mean to you?

Question

And I'm not looking for people to give me links, thanks!

Answer 1

To me it means a love of learning...................
and as long as you have that love life is worth living!

Answer 2

Philosophy is my ongoing program that aims at making the best sense of what I know, and at establishing at least partially the bounds of what I do not (or cannot) know; the program has effects of a practical nature.

The philosophical method I'm using is self-adjusting. It operates on itself as well as on the material my experience (my own, and the reliable reports of others) supplies. I am confident that the quality of the product, 'my wisdom', improves over time; today's wisdom rightly supersedes yesterday's wisdom.

At the moment, my philosophy holds that no wisdom is permanent, but that 'best wisdom' can be approached daily. 'Best wisdom' is the complete integration of experience as a coherent consistent whole; so, to the degree my experience is integrated, coherent, and consistent, so I am wise today.

The clever among you will have marked that even 'best wisdom' can be seen as utter foolishness viewed from a week later. In recognition of that, I have a personal motto: "Boy, was I naive then."

I'm not gonna bore you with the technical gimmicks of philosophy I'm using, nor my theoretical concerns, etc. You should see why from what I've said already.

Answer 3

Philosophy is personal... for the self. It is not for showing off as it may seem in most schools. We look at reality, the world, truth, consciousness, etc... but we can not look at it through the eyes of another... only our own. So we must not take ourselves out of philosophy... that must be where we begin. And then, we look at everything with an open mind... because we can.

How can you know what is outside of yourself, if you don't yet know yourself?

Answer 4

Philosophy is simply a model for how the world works. Your philosophy is related both to your beliefs and to your rationale in dealing with the world. It is a mental framework that is typically intended to match something insubstantial in reality.

Answer 5

Philosophy, to me, is twofold: 1) The history of the pursuit of wisdom in the world and its evolution through the centuries; and 2) our own personal journeys to find wisdom and to help advance the evolution of wisdom beyond our own place in time.

Answer 6

May be not the type of link that you mean, the links the would set you adrift into this waste and stupefying ocean of information, but link is what philosophy is all about since you have asked. Philosophy is a way for me to link up to higher or deeper or closest part of my self with fullest freedom of thought, in full glare of thoughts, and some certainty of feelings but all within certain ethical and moral regards of people who I find trying to do almost the same, I guess.

Then I would not have known if I had not spoken what is it that I have to say. What I am writing right now, for instance, I would not have known at all if I had not been able to respond to you here. Then I look into a wider world all around me, and see that it is my own reflection, my own thoughts and the mind that interpret this world for me into what I think, feel and know it is. It is bliss to receive responses to my question and delight to have appreciation of many good people, and sometimes I also learn when I receive thumbs downs to my answers. This all to me is highly significant, meaningful and therefore philosophical. I find that I am able to link up to other people much better when I am able to be in touch with my inner self at a deeper, finer and most sincere level.

There are no threats that often we are likely to encounter during our direct or real-life interaction with people. There is as little as possible a chance of any one passing a direct judgment, but this freedom is also a sense responsibility. I can for instance ask whatever I like, within certain limitations and regards of other people’s feelings of course, but I understand that it is entirely up to me to be here what I can be, to choose to say whatever I like. The people have no direct introduction of me but they are nevertheless people like me so I must be careful, considerate and contributing to the best of my knowledge, abilities and intent.

This to me is philosophy about real life as well. Philosophy could also be defined as a way to look at things in life in a certain particular or peculiar way in order to reach certain facts in truth; that then can be shared, evaluated and commented upon. You could use this place to do the same. It is a place of virtual interaction but believe me it is more real that the real. You could philosophise and where is this virtual place? Is it out of the real? Is it from the real and for the real life that we have around us? It is a reality that the reality of our normal life has generated for us. You could philosophize about philosophies of life here.

Answer 7

An analysis of beliefs, values, knowledge, absolutes, ethics, morals, metaphysics, epistemology, etc.

The importance of philosophy is not in the answers but in the journey.

Answer 8

I feel philosophical a lot of the time because I really don't understand a lot of devices that others take for granted. I don't really know what is philosophical and what is sociological psychological or spiritual but I think it is how i can look and think about all the other disciplines.

Answer 9

Breaks down in greek to Philos and Sophos. Philos is love, Sophos is wisdom. So, philosophy is love of wisdom. If you want to go with greek philosophy, I'd recommend Plato's Symposium.

Answer 10

Philosophy is a place in my mind where I can go to when I want to feel like a genius.

Answer 11

philosophy to me, means someone took way too long, to think about something way too stupid, for way too long of a time period. Then they came up with some BS to spout about the subject that should make them sound smart, when really they have wasted time considering something no one cares about anyway.