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What is
Philosophy?
Philosophy is a person's view of the world and his or
her methods and policies for operating in the world. But if a
person's views and methods regarding the world are inflexible and
withheld from criticism, then they are not part of a
process traditionally associated with academic
philosophy.
Pythagoras, an ancient Greek
thinker, conceived of philosophy as an ongoing adventure of an open
and active mind. He coined the word philosophy from two Greek words
for 'love' and 'wisdom' so as to represent, in one word, the "love
and pursuit of wisdom" he saw manifested among the thinkers of his
day. Philosophy, according to Pythagoras' view, is a continuing
pursuit of the best theory of ourselves and the world and our
appropriate role in that world, a theory that can be defended by
plausible argument.
The Big
Picture
The intellectual understanding sought by
philosophy transcends natural science because philosophy asks
questions science cannot answer. For example, "Is physical matter
all there is to reality?" "What are the best methods and assumptions
for doing science?" "What are the best standards for judging
something morally right or wrong?" "What is the nature of
beauty?"
Philosophical inquiry transcends
other academic disciplines because it takes the discoveries and
conclusions of all the disciplines and attempts to relate them into
a "big picture" of the world. No other discipline has this as its
goal.
One thing is for certain. Nobody
can fully understand our contemporary Western culture unless the
person understands the evolving philosophies that have shaped and
are now shaping our world.
Seeking
Wisdom
Knowledge is needed for the exercise of
wisdom. The more knowledge we have, the more potential we have for
the exercise of wisdom. But knowledge without wisdom is disastrous.
Think of a precocious but immature child with a new chemistry set.
Wisdom cannot be taught as if it were a mathematical formula. Wisdom
is something we acquire on our own, through experience, acquisition
of knowledge, and reflective dialogue with other people.
Socrates advocated techniques we
can use in our pursuit of wisdom. One of those techniques we now
call Socratic dialogue. It has been helpful to thousands of people.
Some of those people say it has fundamentally changed the way they
think about themselves. They claim it has stimulated them into the
most exciting adventure of their lives.
Practical Aspects of
Philosophy
Much of what is learned in philosophy
can be applied in virtually any endeavor. This is because philosophy
touches on so many subjects and because the methods of philosophy
enhance the study of any discipline.
The methods of philosophy include
defining, analyzing, defending, organizing, distinguishing,
specifying, communicating, persuading, critiquing, summarizing, and
problem solving.
Philosophy courses are good
preparation for majoring in law, government, medicine, religious
studies, political science, natural science, and the arts (e.g.,
literature). |
