Pas-time Philosophy

Introduction:

The term "substance" refers to that which underlies and supports its attributes and properties. The term "attribute" refers to that which is ascribed to a thing. Hence an attribute is that which is proper to a thing, its essential property. Loosely, it refers to a quality or characteristic of a thing. In metaphysics an attribute is what is indespensible to a spiritual and physical substance; or that which expresses the nature of a thing; or that without which a thing is unthinkable. As such, an attribute implies necessarily a relation to some substance of which it is an aspect or an element in its conception. Attributes are said to inhere in their substance.

History:

Plato used the term "substance" to signify that which is sought by philosophicak investigation of the primary being of things. The Platonic dialectic method was aimed at a knowledge of the essential nature (ousia) of things. It sought to find those elements common to all things of certain kind and capture them in its definition.

Aristotle was also primarily concerned with the investigation of the being of things, but from the standpoint of generation or change. But only individual things are generated or changed. Hence, for him, substance was primarily the individual: a "this" which, in contrast with the universal, is unique to the individual. The substance of the individual Aristotle called primary substance. Plato's substance, the universal essence of a thing, Aristotle called secondary substance.

Thomas Aquinas accepted Aristotle's analysis of substance and attributes (and properties). Aquinas brought into the discussion of substance the distinction between essence and existence. Primary substance is characterized by existence and secondary substance is characterized by essence. So in Medieval philosophy primary substance came to be viewed as existence as added to essence; substance is an existing essence.

"Philosophy" aims at the pursuit of knowledge for its own sake.

Philosophical questions are usually foundational and abstract in nature. Philosophy is done primarily through reflection and does not tend to rely on experiment.

Although the study of philosophy may not yield "the meaning of life, the universe and everything", many philosophers believe that it is important for each one of us to examine such questions and even that an unexamined life is not worth living. It also provides a good way of learning to think more clearly about a wide range of issues, and its methods of analyzing arguments can be useful in a variety of situations in other areas of life.

Dictionary definitions of Philosophy:

the discipline concerned with questions of how one should live (ethics); what sorts of things exist and what are their essential natures (metaphysics); what counts as genuine knowledge (epistemology); and what are the correct principles of reasoning (logic) (Wikipedia)
investigation of the nature, causes, or principles of reality, knowledge, or values, based on logical reasoning rather than empirical methods (American Heritage Dictionary)
the study of the ultimate nature of existence, reality, knowledge and goodness, as discoverable by human reasoning (Penguin English Dictionary)
the rational investigation of questions about existence and knowledge and ethics (WordNet)
the search for knowledge and truth, especially about the nature of man and his behaviour and beliefs (Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary)
the rational and critical inquiry into basic principles (Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia)
the study of the most general and abstract features of the world and categories with which we think: mind, matter, reason, proof, truth, etc. (Oxford Dictionary of Philosophy)
careful thought about the fundamental nature of the world, the grounds for human knowledge, and the evaluation of human conduct (The Philosophy Pages)