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The term philosophy comes from the Greek word "#934;#953;#955;#959;#963;#959;#966;#943;#945;" (philo-sophia), which means "love of wisdom". In the present-day context, it is used to refer to debates concerning topics such as what exists, what knowledge is (and whether it is possible), and how one should live. Philosophical literature is typically characterized by its use of reasoning in order to advance cogent arguments about these topics. Typically, these arguments involve consideration of competing views and their perceived inadequacies.
Philosophy originally covered a much broader range of topics than it does today. For example, the pre-Socratics engaged in speculations concerning the formation of the world, the nature of matter, and the origin of species. These speculations eventually formed the basis of science, which was earlier known as "natural philosophy".
Informally, a "philosophy" may refer to a general world view or to a specific ethic or belief.
Definition
Philosophy is notoriously difficult to define because of the diverse range of ideas that have been labeled as a philosophy. However, some attempt can be made to point out some of its features. The Penguin Dictionary of Philosophy defines philosophy as the study of "the most fundamental and general concepts and principles involved in thought, action, and reality".
Most philosophers agree that the philosophical method consists of rational discourse, though some philosophers have questioned whether man is capable of rational thought, as it is traditionally described.
The Penguin Encyclopedia says that philosophy differs from science in that philosophy's questions cannot be answered empirically, and from religion in that philosophy allows no place for faith or revelation. However, these points may be called into question. For example, the Oxford Dictionary of Philosophy writes: "The late 20th-century spirit of the subject... prefers to see philosophical reflection as continuous with the best practice of any field of intellectual enquiry."
The goal of philosophy, according to the Penguin Dictionary of Philosophy, is "the disinterested pursuit of knowledge for its own sake".
Branches of philosophy
There is no universal agreement about which subjects are the main branches of philosophy. [url="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0671739166/virtualmacedo-20"]In The Story of Philosophy[/url], Will Durant lists logic, epistemology, ethics, aesthetics, and metaphysics, but there are many places where these subjects overlap, and many philosophical ideas that cannot be neatly put into one of these categories.
Each branch has its own particular questions. Logic asks: How do we distinguish arguments from premises to conclusions as valid or invalid? Epistemology asks: Is knowledge possible? How do we know what we know? Ethics asks: Is there a difference between morally right and wrong actions, values, or institutions? Which actions are right and which are wrong? Are values absolute or relative? How is it best to live? Is there a normative value on which all other values depend? Are values 'in' the world (like tables and chairs) and if not, how should we understand their ontological status? Aesthetics asks: What is beauty? And metaphysics asks: What is reality? What exists? Do things exist independently of perception?
Outside these five broad categories are other areas of philosophical inquiry. Politics (seen by Aristotle as an extension of ethics), physics (in the sense of the nature of matter and energy), and religion are all fields considered by philosophers. |