campusaraujo
- Jan 20, 2023
- 10 min read

What is Philosophy?

Updated: Aug 9, 2023

Welcome to complicated Philosophy

If you have come this far, it is because somehow you were attracted by the promise of uncomplicating complicated Philosophy. As much as I say that my mission is to make the study of Philosophy easier, that does not mean I am going to throw away all those weird and complicated words, most of them of Greek origin. There is no way, you will not be free of them. Let´s go!

What is Philosophy? The eternal question

It is not at easy to define what Philosophy is. By doing this, we are already philosophizing and one of the hardest things in Philosophy is consensus. This, however, is positive because to philosophize is not to settle for ready-made answers without putting them to the test. Even though it is difficult, it is extremely important to explain what this thing that walks in people's heads is.

The word Philosophy, of Greek origin, means love of wisdom. Through arguments that use reason and logic, we seek to understand human thought and the knowledge developed by societies. It was essential for the emergence of a critical attitude towards the world and men with the aim of deepening understanding through organized, conceptual, critical, and reflective thinking.

Reflective thinking makes Philosophy unfold on itself to create problems for a better understanding of the world. It is a type of conceptual thinking, as it works through the formulation and reformulation of concepts, creating and revising the meanings we give to the world. In a broad sense, it is an activity that people perform when they seek to understand fundamental truths about themselves, about everything around them, their relationships with the world and with each other.

Origin of Philosophy

Before the city-states emerged in Ancient Greece, religion, mythology, the history of the gods and even the phenomena of nature provided explanations for human existence, its thinking, and the problems of the world. Mythical thought was giving way to rational and critical thinking, hence Philosophy emerged.

Pythagoras, the pre-Socratic Greek philosopher had coined the terms Philosophy, philosopher and mathematics . According to him: the philosopher is not the owner of the truth, nor does he have all the knowledge in the world. He is just a person who is a friend of knowledge.

Thales of Miletus was the first Western philosopher. He was born in the city of Miletus, lived between 624 and 546 BC. and was a successful merchant in Asia Minor. On his trips he discovered Babylonian astronomy and Egyptian mathematics, of Hindu inspiration.

Some historians emphasize the contact of the Greeks with Eastern thought at the beginning of Philosophy and its importance in what Chinese thinkers such as Lao Tzu, Confucius and Mo Tzu did. Therefore, although the Greeks created philosophical thought, their inspiration came from contact with eastern peoples.

The concept and object of study of Philosophy

Most of the time Philosophy deals with abstract elements. Therefore, one of the most fundamental questions is precisely about the essence of things, that is, what is it? This question can lead to others like why is it? and how is that? So, a kind of web of concepts and problems is created that give movement to the work of the philosopher, creating, recreating, and establishing a plan of concepts that present the meanings of the world and about the world.

There are no unanimous answers in Philosophy. For the pre-Socratics, the object of study was the universe and nature, that is, Cosmology, the study of the origin and composition of the Universe (cosmos, in Greek), its organization and its origin. Currently, Cosmology is a branch of Astronomy studies that deals directly with the origin of the Universe using technological devices and advanced physical calculations.

For Socrates, the object of study of Philosophy would be the questions resulting from human activity such as politics, knowledge, and justice. For the philosophers of Hellenism, the period of dominance of Greek culture in the ancient world, after the death of Emperor Alexander, it was a doctrine that should seek happiness and good living.

Philosophy must conform to Christian thought, asserted the patristics, the first fathers of the Catholic Church dedicated to developing a Philosophy that approached Christian thought and religious knowledge. For the scholastics, thinkers who sought to reconcile the Christian faith with a system of rational thought, especially that of Greek Philosophy, this agreement was necessary, but their eyes should be turned to the observation of nature.

The moderns problematized the sciences and the way human beings reflect on them, in addition to speculating about the politics of their time. Contemporaries, from the 19th century until today, used Philosophy to think about questions about their time, such as the ethical implications on life, language, the use of technologies and political power, among others.

What is Philosophy for?

Many people ask about the usefulness of Philosophy, and for other sciences and branches of knowledge this question is not frequent. Controversial and often ironic, this question conveys the idea that this area is useless. In a certain sense and based on the contemporary concept of utility, Philosophy is useless, as it does not build objects, does not create concrete things, does not immediately interfere in the physical world, and does not make a profit. So, it is of no use.

In Philosophy, the more we know ourselves, the more dissatisfied we become. This happens because Philosophy exists to disturb, to amaze. She does not want to create comfort, but to take people out of their comfort zone. That is what keeps thinking moving and that is what generates the intellectual evolution of the world, even if slowly.

At all times, Philosophy relates us to critical knowledge. Philosophy takes us by the hand to knowledge and separates us from ignorance. And it does so not with answers, but with an essential intellectual superpower: asking the right questions.

Some consider it a useless discipline in a society where science, technology and the Internet are the main protagonists. But Philosophy refers to what is most profound and genuine in human beings. It helps us understand our environment and offers us answers to solve our existential conflicts.

According to Marilena Chauí, Brazilian female writer, philosopher and professor of Political Philosophy and Aesthetics at the Faculty of Philosophy, Letters and Human Sciences, we tend to mistakenly think that something that has no practical use should not exist. But Philosophy is proud of not being part of that set of practical sciences that only serve as bridges for the evolution of techniques.

The French philosopher Gilles Deleuze (1925-1995) states that Philosophy is not subservient. It does not serve as a basis for other sciences and, if at some point this happened, it was not by its will. This branch of knowledge is autonomous, it is critical, it is made by an independent thought. It serves neither the State nor the Church. It serves no established power. It serves to sadden. A Philosophy that does not sadden anyone and does not contradict anyone is not a Philosophy. It serves to harm foolishness; it makes foolishness shameful. It has no other use than the following: to denounce the baseness of thought in all its forms.

Academic Philosophy and its areas of study

It is the Philosophy studied, taught, and discussed in universities. Those who study Philosophy are perpetually engaged in asking, answering, and arguing for their answers to life's most basic questions. Each question answered brings new questions that will or will not be fully answered, which leads to new questions in a cycle that never seems to close. To make this search more systematic, it is traditionally divided into broad areas of study.

Epistemology or Theory of Knowledge - studies the nature of human knowledge, its foundations, varieties, and limits. It makes a general reflection around the nature, stages, and limits of human knowledge, especially in the relationships that are established between the inquiring subject and the inert object, the two traditional polarities of the cognitive process. It refers to the branch of Philosophy that deals with scientific knowledge; it is the critical study of the principles, hypotheses, and results of the various sciences, to determine their logical foundations, their value, and their objective importance.

Metaphysics - is the area that studies and tries to explain the main questions of philosophical thought, the common foundation of everything that exists, the soul, God, the purpose of existence and being as being, the cause and meaning of reality, and aspects related to nature.

Ethics - field of study dedicated to thinking about the actions taken by individuals and the principles that guide them. It studies the principles that guide human actions, the ability to evaluate these actions and the foundations of moral judgments. The study of ethics is concerned with what we ought to do and what it would be best to do. As you dwell on this issue, other larger ones arise about what is good and right.

Logic - studies the forms of correct reasoning, differentiating them from the wrong and often misleading forms. This is an important aspect in the study of Philosophy, that is, understanding the arguments or reasons given in the answers to certain questions. Philosophers employ logic to study the nature and structure of arguments.

Ontology - branch of Philosophy that studies the nature of being existence and reality itself. It is classified as the general branch of metaphysics (different from cosmology, psychology, and theology, which are specific branches), as it deals with the most comprehensive and abstract topics in the area. For this reason, it is common for the terms ontology and metaphysics to be used as synonyms, although anthology is inserted in metaphysics.

Political Philosophy - is a philosophical branch that aims to understand the issues of human coexistence in all its aspects, especially the relationship that exists between human groups and institutions of power.

Philosophy of Language - is the branch that studies the essence and nature of linguistic phenomena. One of the main characteristics of the Philosophy of Language is the greatest difference between the human being and the other beings that exist in the world.

Aesthetics - also called the science of beauty or Philosophy of art is dedicated to studying and understanding from rationality what is beautiful both in the manifestations of nature and in the artistic manifestations produced by social beings.

Theology - is the study of faith and religions. The prefix Theo in Greek means God. This human science analyzes how beliefs influence cultures and societies, from points of view and historical contexts.

Philosophy in today's world

Philosophy has much to contribute to almost all the important questions of the moment, such as genetic engineering and its risks; the right to privacy versus collective security; gender identity; recognition and respect for differences between people; new forms of citizen participation; sustainable development; the interculturality that promotes policies and practices that encourage interaction, understanding and respect between different cultures and ethnic groups and even artificial intelligence. Everything has an important philosophical background.

Many reflections of classical philosophers are still valid. Especially applicable are those that focused on practical Philosophy. Philosophy continues to be an engine of change, personal growth, and collective development. Removing it from our lives means limiting and burdening us. If the truth sets us free, Philosophy is the most direct way to reach it, even if it is not the shortest nor the most pleasant.

Philosophy and scientific knowledge

From a pragmatic point of view, Philosophy is also necessary for scientific advancement. Not only to support this type of knowledge, but also to explore and take advantage of new research models and technological possibilities. Think about artificial intelligence, the robots that will come soon. Do you really think that scientific work can be normalized and promoted without philosophical support?

Thanks to Philosophy, analytical thinking, ethical vision, moral orientation, and the capacity for criticism are developed. They are always essential skills, but especially in our age, where misinformation and fakes are rampant.

Critical thinking and an open mind are essential for human development.

Philosophy feeds and stimulates them. That is why it is the existential basis of sciences, methodologies and theories aimed at increasing human wisdom. In addition to technological and scientific advances, the search for knowledge is continuous and transversal. Only then, globally, will human development materialize in authentic conquests and advances, socially, individually, and scientifically.

Another great thinker, Manuel Cruz, professor of Philosophy at the University of Barcelona, after stating that Philosophy does not offer happiness, makes a much-needed reflection. "Finding out, even in pain, is always better than living in the dark."

The Frenchman Michel Onfray, founder of the Popular University of Caen, whose thought is characterized by the affirmation of reason, hedonism (moral and philosophical doctrine that preaches the idea of extreme pleasure, which brings meaning to life and human existence), and an atheism militant, warned at the end of the last century that a Philosophy without practical application is useless.

Finally, Marina Garcés, Spanish female philosopher and essayist, professor of Philosophy at the University of Zaragoza, undeniably completed this reflection: Philosophy is a fundamental language for learning to think critically. Philosophy is neither useful nor useless, it is necessary.

Does Philosophy have a place in the future?

It is almost impossible not to see that technology and artificial intelligence will be increasingly developed to completely transform our quality of life. History shows that only through technology can we reach this almost utopian level of life.

Several ethical, moral, and even economic discussions on this subject are already happening because the constant automation can put an end to many jobs that we know today. It is estimated that around twenty-seven million jobs will be lost over the next two decades. Why would a company hire an employee to do something a robot can do better and at a much lower cost? Truck drivers, for example, will no longer have a reason to exist since trucks will be controlled by artificial intelligences that do not need to stop to sleep, that always drive respecting the speed limits on the highways and do not cause accidents due to recklessness. This, of course, will generate a lot of debate and that is where Philosophy comes in. There is a mix of fear and hope about what artificial intelligence might do to our species in the future.

Debates about solutions to future problems are relevant because the development of technology has always ended jobs but created new ones. The Industrial Revolution was the period of great technological development that began in England in the second half of the 18th century and spread throughout the world, causing major transformations. It guaranteed the emergence of industry and consolidated the process of formation of capitalism. Many thought that jobs would end, there was even a movement to destroy the machines.

One thing is certain, Philosophy will always exist because all these changes imply endless philosophical and ethical questions. It may be that the man of the future will not stay at work if we do today. With more free time, more time he will have to think about the past, present and future. For this, he will always resort to Philosophy.