The Essence of Philosophy: Definitions, Features, and Key Disciplines

The Definition of Philosophy

Philosophy is fundamentally the love of wisdom. Born in Ancient Greece, the term itself expresses a profound trend towards wisdom, driven by wonder and questioning. This inherent curiosity is an essential feature of Greek thought, stemming from the need to explain and understand the world, life, and existence. This philosophical attitude minimizes the fear and reverence for the unknown by seeking rational explanations.

Key Characteristics of Philosophical Thought

1. Foundation Seeking: Philosophy attempts to find the ultimate foundation or principle underlying ideas and reality.
2. Meaning Creation: It strives to give meaning and purpose to our lives.
3. Universal Science: It is considered a science when referring to the causes of events studied. It is a more universal science because it studies both spiritual and material beings, seeking the causes of events through speculation and reason.
4. Promotes Understanding: It is important in explaining the diversity of approaches facing the same problem, helping individuals understand different thoughts, involving the community, and integrating various perspectives.
5. Practical Application: For practical purposes, philosophy reaffirms human existence as rational, social, and political. Furthermore, it involves the search for a higher good through contemplation and wisdom, which translates to happiness.
6. Specialization: Due to the variety of questions addressed, philosophy has been divided into specific areas based on their responses.

Major Branches of Philosophy

• Ethics: The study of human behavior from the point of view of its wickedness or goodness (morality).
• Aesthetics: Focused reflection on the essence of beauty and art, viewed as the free manifestation of the human spirit.
• Metaphysics: Concerned with what is "beyond the physical." It is a profound thought process that attempts to establish the ultimate nature and operation of things (being and existence).
• Logic: The study of the characteristics of true and correct knowledge. It is an analysis of the formal structure of language, originating from Aristotelian thought.
• Theory of Knowledge (Epistemology and Cognition):
  • Philosophy of Science: Validation of scientific theories.
  • Epistemology: Validation of all kinds of knowledge (a field championed by Plato and Aristotle).
• Theodicy and Related Fields:
  • Theodicy: The study of the essence and existence of God using reason.
  • Religion: Intuition attempting union between man and God.
  • Theology: A science whose main concern is based on revelation and faith.

The Origins of Western Philosophy

Philosophy was born in Ionia (Asia Minor) in the late 7th and early 6th centuries BC. The freedom of thought and cultural diversity in this region created uncertainty among people. When established beliefs were called into question (moving away from ignorance), philosophical thought began to develop.

The first philosophers belonged to the city of Miletus (the School of Miletus). They sought the fundamental element (the archê) that served as the real foundation of all things and explained how beings could transform into others.

The School of Miletus and the Archê

• Thales of Miletus: Proposed that the fundamental element was Water.
• Anaximander: Proposed the Apeiron (the Boundless or Infinity).
• Anaximenes: Proposed Air, which envelops the world, acting as the spirit and breath of life.