"There is nothing so absurd but that it
may be found in the books of the
philosophers" ~ Cicero
The Definition and Relevance of Philosophy
~ aut disce aut discede ~
The second component is another Greek word,
"sophe", which means "wisdom". So
etymologically speaking, the word
"philosophy" literally means the "love of
One short definition of philosophy states that it is "Thinking about thinking", and while this is so, such a simplistic definition fails to relate the pervasiveness and importance of philosophy in its effect on the life of each and every one of us. We come closer to the core of the matter when we speak of the analysis of concepts and presuppositions. Following an idea to its logical conclusion can be a surprising exercise. Ideas have far-reaching consequences, impacting our emotions, actions and interactions in a manner inescapable and definitive of the experiences of every-day life.
Most people know very little about the
Some think it goes beyond practical
concerns, others are intimidated, thinking
the topic out of their
intellectual reach. The apparent daunting
nature of the subject matter and the mistaken
perception of impracticality may seem reason
enough for dismissing the investigation of
Philosophy, however, is not a
senseless parade of abstractions, but is the
basic force that shapes our character and
actions in a way that affects our day-to-day
experience. Rather than exempting us from the
consequences of ideas, failure to be aware of
them makes us their
In a sense, philosophy is more the
development of a skill than an acquisition of
a body of knowledge, in that it evaluates
arguments and assesses presuppositions and
The components of philosophy are the building blocks of our "world-view", our belief system. The foundational concepts of how people view the world, how we interpret the world around us...how we understand the particulars of art, music, politics, economics, law; all of these things are elements that are inseparably related to our ultimate understanding of life and the world: and that is called a "Weltanschauung", or a life and world view. (Try throwin' that into your next conversation!) Here's Webster's definition:
"a comprehensive, especially personal, philosophy or conception of the universe and of human life."
We have, after all, no choice in
whether to have a belief system, but the
choice, rather, is
to believe, and how cogent a system we are to
have. The choice is not whether to be
involved in philosophy, or whether to have a
philosophy, but only
We must strive to identify and understand our
own presuppositions, and have the courage to
call them into question. A suggested formula
for intellectual honesty in performing this
perhaps most difficult of all tasks (self
examination) is to ask ourselves the
"What is the evidence either for or against this proposition?"
"Is my conclusion a reasoned response to the evidence, or am I evading the issue, using some undigested slogan in a convenient dismissal?" Is our philosophy going to be one of which we are aware? One that is explicit and logical, or is it going to be largely unconscious and random, unidentified and contradictory?
What are the hidden
premises at work behind our own
Exactly what ideas make up the "lenses"
view the world? And where did you get them?
These are the questions that are necessary to achieving a conscious philosophy. The answering of them will take us a long way on the path to "philosophical ataraxia", or peace of mind, and will serve to resolve many of our most perplexing personal problems. The neglecting of the asking of them only results in proving Socrates' famous pronouncement: "The unexamined life is not worth living."
Divisions of Philosophy is Next