What is Philosophy?

Have you ever found yourself questioning your existence? Have you ever questioned the role of religion or science in human affairs? Or have you ever questioned the morals you are supposed to unquestionably confirm? If you have then, my friend, you are not alien to the world of philosophy.

The questions you have had might have been simple but you probably have never stumbled across the one true answer that has quenched your thirst. Don’t sell yourself short just yet because despite the sincere efforts by the best of the human intellectuals, most, if not all the philosophical questions are just as confusing as they were thousands of years ago. So, you might as well prepare yourself for a life where there will be more questions than answers. Socrates, the GOAT, said “ the more you know, the more you realize you know nothing”. This is the essence of philosophy.

Philosophy, originally, meant love of wisdom. To capture the complexity of the present age, philosophy can be defined as a methodical study of questions pertaining to, but not limited to, physical reality, knowledge and existence. Let me break down the definition for a better understanding of the term Philosophy. Philosophy is a methodical study because there are tools that you can and should use to systematically study the questions you are faced with. To talk about one of such methods, philosophy requires critical analysis, a compelling argument and equally good presentation if you desire to have a meaningful answer to your question. Similarly, there are overarchingly three branches of philosophy: metaphysics, epistemology and ethics which specializes in understanding physical reality, knowledge and norms to govern human existence. In the next articles we will discuss these branches of philosophy in more detail.

Don’t be overwhelmed by the sheer size of the discipline that is Philosophy. Sit back, relax and let me take you into this short, uncomplicated but wise journey into Philosophy. I promise you by the time you finish reading the articles you will be in a much better position to resolve any philosophical dilemmas you have or will have.

Next articles on Metaphysics, Epistemology, Aesthetics.