Not long ago, I wrote about the benefits of philosophy that you can read by clicking on this link:
The benefits of reading (or studying) philosophy
However what is philosophy? I tried to search for famous philosophers’ definitions of philosophy. To my surprise, not all of them gave their own definitions of it.
Anyway, let’s define philosophy.
Philosophy (love of wisdom) is a way of thinking about the world, the universe, and society. It works by asking very basic questions about the nature of human thought, the nature of the universe, and the connections between them. The ideas in philosophy are often general and abstract. The purpose of Philosophy is to seek and find the Truth by debate and Reason. It never had another goal. It has three broad divisions; Logic, Art and Ethics. Each broad division has countless subdivisions. In other words, Philosophy brings the important questions to the table and works towards an answer. It encourages us to think critically about the world; it is the foundation of all knowledge and when utilized properly, can provide us with huge benefits.
Here is how famous philosophers define philosophy:
Philosophy is the highest music, Plato
Philosophy consists in forming, inventing and fabricating concepts, Gilles Deleuze
Philosophy is at once the most sublime and the most trivial oh human pursuits, William James
That to study philosophy is to learn to die, Michel de Montaigne
Philosophy to the real world is like masturbation to sex, Karl Marx
I really relate to ‘learn to die’ by Montaigne. A relearning, an experience. Very well written
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thank you for reading and commenting!
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[…] Philosophy in the eyes of some philosophers […]
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I’d stick to ‘love of wisdom’. The problem with all these rational definitions is that they are very effective at excluding consideration and practice of wisdom, which is essentially beyond rationality. I think (!) the heart, or inner inspiration/intuition is where we perceive wisdom. Still, the rational discussion of it all is quite fun!
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Yes indeed the rational discussions give a broader horizon for the mind. The problem is that philosophy, and for a long time, dismissed intuition and feelings as ways for wisdom
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