"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:
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)
Types of Philosophy:
A. Eastern Philosophy:
1. Indian
2. Chinese
3. Japanese
4. Korean
B. Middle Eastern Philosophy:
1. Persian
2. Arabic
3. Babylon
4. Jewish
C. Western Philosophy
