My Personal Definition Of Philosophy - 978 Words

Defining philosophy can be as complex as the process of philosophy itself; there is no exact definition to the word. Although as referenced in The Philosopher’s Way by John Chaffee the Greek origin of the work is love and wisdom, philiein, meaning love and Sophia, meaning wisdom. Thus creating a simple definition for philosophy to be the love of wisdom (Chaffee). My personal definition of philosophy would expand on that concept and define it to be, the exploration and examination of thoughts, experiences, and knowledge through wisdom. Philosophy can take a simple concept and dissect the statement not only searching for the depth of its truth, but the reasoning behind said discovered or undiscovered truth. Regardless of the outcome,†¦show more content†¦Ã¢â‚¬Å"The practical man† as described by Russell is a man whose primary focus is providing the carnal needs to a body, but lacking in nourishing the mind as well. A practical man would only look to supply himself with the necessities required in life to survive, if there is a known answer, then the practical man believes it to be so, not allowing himself to question the subject. While a philosophical being would take time to explore different solutions, question the reasoning and examine the question with critical thinking, these being the necessities to feed the mind. Belief in its relation to philosophy can be roughly defined as the attitude we have in regarding something to be true. Knowledge incorporates our beliefs, and in philosophy we must be able to know our beliefs to be true in order to base our knowledge off of them. Thrasymachus presented a forceful definition of justice to be the interest of the stronger party because they have the power to command what they believe to be â€Å"just† (Chaffee). All three play a role in philosophy because they determine the understanding and outcome of any object. Your personal beliefs and knowledge will lead you to a rational understanding, and this is justified based on your proposition of said knowledge and depending on whom it is presented to. Empiricism is the theory that knowledge is derived from sense experience, while rationalism is the theory that