Philosophy is a field of study that includes diverse subfields such as aesthetics, epistemology, ethics, logic, and metaphysics, in which people ask questions such as whether God exists, what is the nature of reality, whether knowledge is possible, and what makes actions right or wrong. The fundamental method of philosophy is the use of reasoning to evaluate arguments concerning these questions. However, the exact scope and methodology of philosophy is not rigid. What counts as philosophy is itself debated, and it varies across philosophical traditions.

The term philosophy comes from the Greek word "Φιλοσοφία" (philo-sophia), which means "love of wisdom" or less commonly "friend of wisdom". Many ancient Greek philosophers made the distinction between the desire for wisdom, as opposed to the desire for material things, vices, and the satisfaction of bodily desires. The definition of wisdom for many ancient Greeks would have been about virtue and the desire for knowledge and not false opinions. However, the term is notoriously difficult to define today (see definition of philosophy) because of the diverse range of ideas that have been labeled as philosophy. The Penguin Dictionary of Philosophy defines it as the study of "the most fundamental and general concepts and principles involved in thought, action, and reality". 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 are called into question by the Oxford Dictionary of Philosophy, which states: "the late 20th-century... prefers to see philosophical reflection as continuous with the best practice of any field of intellectual enquiry." Indeed, many of the speculations of early philosophers in the field of natural philosophy eventually formed the basis for modern scientific explanations on a variety of subjects.

Informally, a "philosophy" may refer to a general world view or to a specific ethic or belief.

More on [ Philosophy ]

Philosophy - Twitter Search

How to start a philosophy club: http://bit.ly/5ZJ0I1 (Tarcher Blog). because book clubs are so 2009
TarcherBooks (Tarcher/Penguin) Wed, 16 Dec 2009 18:33:56 -0000
How to start a philosophy club: http://bit.ly/5ZJ0I1 (Tarcher Blog). because book clubs are so 2009
future-sciences depending on a new philosophy - a #philosophy of the modern - able to combine #physics with philosophy - understanding ...
KenoNitro (Keno Nitro) Wed, 16 Dec 2009 18:33:56 -0000
future-sciences depending on a new philosophy - a #philosophy of the modern - able to combine #physics with philosophy - understanding ...
RT @Seraid: RT @WAGNERGIRLE: I must study politics and war that my sons may have liberty to study mathematics & philosophy. John Adams # ...
aps659 (Allan Sampson) Wed, 16 Dec 2009 18:33:35 -0000
RT @Seraid: RT @WAGNERGIRLE: I must study politics and war that my sons may have liberty to study mathematics & philosophy. John Adams # ...
somehow managed a B in philosophy...i would say that is pretty awesome compared to the amount of time i paid attention
Teresa_DiLillo (Teresa) Wed, 16 Dec 2009 18:33:28 -0000
somehow managed a B in philosophy...i would say that is pretty awesome compared to the amount of time i paid attention
Nap time for Meagan :) ... Work 4to9 then home to study for the last battle of finals week, the Philosophy exam! dum dum DUUUM! lol!
latuacantante03 (Meagan O'Connell) Wed, 16 Dec 2009 18:33:21 -0000
Nap time for Meagan :) ... Work 4to9 then home to study for the last battle of finals week, the Philosophy exam! dum dum DUUUM! lol!
is wondering how many made-up words he's added to his MS Word dictionary since he started his philosophy degree. #fb
dBoftheCharter (Daniel Baskind) Wed, 16 Dec 2009 18:32:35 -0000
is wondering how many made-up words he's added to his MS Word dictionary since he started his philosophy degree. #fb

Subscribe to Philosophy RSS feed