NATURE OF PHILOSOPHY

In the ―Introduction‖ to the History of Philosophy Eastern and Western, Maulana Abul Kalam
Azad, former Minister of Education of India, writes:

A Persian poet has compared the Universe to an old manuscript of which the first and the last
pages have been lost. It is no longer possible to say how the book began, nor do we know how it
is likely to end… Ever since man attained consciousness, he has been trying to discover these lost
pages. Philosophy is the name of this quest and its results… The purpose of this quest is to find
out the meaning of life and existence.

Defining and explaining philosophy is no easy task — the very nature of the subject
seems to defy description. The problem is that philosophy, in one way or another, ends up
touching upon nearly every aspect of human life. Philosophy has something to say when it comes
to science, art, religion, politics, medicine, and a host of other topics. The more you know about
philosophy, and even just the basics of philosophy, the more likely you'll be able to reason clearly,
consistently, and with more reliable conclusions.
According to one account, (Western) philosophy began on May 28, 585 BCE, at 3:15 in
the afternoon. To be that precise about something so abstract seems absurd, but at that time an
ancient Greek thinker named Thales confirmed his theory of a solar eclipse. He had observed
the movements of the heavens and noticed a regularity that allowed him to predict that darkness
would cover the earth at midday. Instead of simply accepting the world as a jumble of unrelated
events, he tried to make sense of it all, to understand the underlying principles. He felt the need
to find a reason why things happened as they did, and that search for hidden order was
vindicated by the eclipse. In this sense, the account is true. Philosophy does begin where
acceptance ends, when we try to understand life more deeply and ask why things are the way they
are. Beyond eclipses, we wonder where we fit in the scheme of things, whether there is any
meaning or value to our lives. Did the world and everything in it come about by chance, or is
there an underlying purpose to our being?
We wonder whether there is a God who created life in accordance with a grand cosmic
plan, so that everything happens for a reason, including the death of those we love. We ask
ourselves how we should live, what would be fulfilling, and what obligations we have to other
people. Is there life beyond the grave where we will receive our just reward, or should we make
the most of our time on earth because there is nothing more?
Whenever we speculate about such fundamental questions, and try to find answers by
deep and careful thought, then we are engaged in philosophy. And it was the ancient Greeks who
first raised such issues, reflecting on them in a systematic way; they took the first steps in
philosophic thinking, asking the questions we still debate today.

Why It Is So Difficult To Define Philosophy?

Subject Matter: Philosophy does not have any specific subject matter and hence cannot be
defined with regard to any particular area of investigation. It may deal with every dimension of
human life and can raise questions in any field of study or endeavor (owing to this circumstance
we have a variety of philosophies-of discipline and philosophies-of-subject). Hence trying to tie
philosophy exclusively to one or any specific sphere would be an unjustified limitation of its
reach.
Questioning: Philosophy pursues questions rather than answers. The responsibility of philosophy
is not so much to answer our questions as to question given answers. It is not an exaggeration to

Page 1 of 7
say that a philosopher is someone who can make a riddle out of any answer. A true philosopher
is not bound by any particular "truths" that set limits to his/her urge to continue asking
questions. Hence philosophy cannot be defined with recourse to some accepted tenets, beliefs
and established class of propositions.
Meaning and functions:
Philosophy comes from the Greek for "love of wisdom," [Philos (love) + Sophia
(wisdom) – invented by Pythagoras] giving us two important starting points: love (or passion)
and wisdom (knowledge, understanding). Philosophy sometimes seems to be pursued without
passion as if it were a technical subject like engineering or mathematics. Although there is a role
for dispassionate research, philosophy must derive from some passion for the ultimate goal: a
reliable, accurate understanding of our world and ourselves.
Philosophy as a type of inquiry emphasizes that it is about asking questions —
questions that, in fact, may never actually get final answers. These questions are logically
fundamental - they are questions of broad generality, questions whose answers have far-reaching
consequences for our understanding of our world and ourselves.
The tasks or functions of philosophy are both critical and constructive. Philosophy uses
rigorous logical method that uses argument and logical analysis in order to clarify and critique
existing beliefs. Philosophy is not simply a body of doctrine or set of beliefs, but also an attempt
to find the answers to the basic and important issues of life. This is the constructive aspect of
philosophy: to develop a reliable and productive picture of reality.
Philosophy is an activity. Philosophy requires our active engagement with the world,
with ideas, with concepts, and with our own thoughts. It is what we do because of who and what
we are — we are philosophizing creatures, and we will always be engaged in philosophy in some
form.
Philosophy uses rational reflection as a method. Philosopher is trained to rationally
reflect on how the fundamental questions relate to all human activities. Some of the fundamental
questions are: What is reality? Is it matter in motion or is it mind? How do we have knowledge?
What are the difference between a valid and an invalid argument? What makes an action right or
wrong?

Nature of Philosophic Questioning

Type of
Asked by Answered by
Questions
Little
All Human Beings. Common Sense, Everyday Experience.
Questions

Scientists, Experts, Collecting Data, Analyzing Facts,

Big Questions
Technocrats. Advancing Hypotheses, Providing Explanations.

Children, Analyzing Concepts, Assessing Consistency,

Fundamental
Curious Individuals, Suggesting Alternatives, Reexamining Framework,
Questions
Philosophers. Evaluating Standards, Raising New Issues.

Page 2 of 7
WHY IS PHILOSOPHY IMPORTANT?
Benefits: Why should anyone care about philosophy? While philosophy cannot boast many
"positive results", its study is valuable for many reasons that go beyond an individual's immediate
livelihood. Studying or doing philosophy could be beneficial in many regards out which the
following appear to be the most important ones:
Educationally and intellectually: Philosophy enlarges our understanding of the world; it expands
our intellectual horizons and freedom of thought. Philosophy releases from the "prejudices
derived from common sense", from the "habitual belief of an age or nation", and from
convictions that have grown up "without the cooperation or consent of (our) deliberate reason".
(Russell) Philosophy may help develop the capacity to look at the world from the perspective of
other individuals and cultures. Perhaps it is not as effective as science and religion, but it is the
most free and valuable of all intellectual endeavors. (Aristotle) The old idea of liberal arts survives
in the study of philosophy that liberates from prejudices and creates free spirits. It develops at
once tolerance and critical sense.
Socially and politically: By discussing political and social issues philosophy raises public
awareness and helps in forming engaged and responsible citizens. By performing critical
examination of current social and political conditions it can enlighten people as to the
shortcomings of the current order. By viewing social practices from the perspective of a better
and more just future it can foster necessary social change. "While diminishing our feeling of
certainty as to what things are, it greatly increases our knowledge as to what they may be."
(Russell) In this sense, although indirectly, philosophy can make a difference and even change the
world. If the ambition to change the world is not shared by all philosophers the fact is that some
philosophical theories have practical intent and that some had ignited the energy for change
(think about the Great French Revolution and the Russian Revolution).
Morally and practically: Philosophy can increase our sensitivity for universalistic moral values
and stimulate our readiness to stand up for the principles of justice and fairness. Since it provides
tools and opportunity to reflect on our basic values and concepts, it may prove very practical in
defining our choices and acts. In view of all potential benefits we can argue that studying
philosophy is a very practical undertaking. Philosophy is practical in the sense that its questions
pertain to the value of our personal existence as well as to our relations with others. Remember:
practical life is not necessarily an acquisitive life, but life focused on self-reflection and ethical
issues.
Psychologically and personally: On a personal level, philosophy can give one self-knowledge,
foresight, and a sense of direction in life. It touches upon our own existence (in a way we are fully
humans only if we are capable to reflect upon our humanness) and tackles the questions of our
personal identity. It can lead to self-discovery, expansion of consciousness, and self-renewal.
Philosophy nurtures individuality and self-esteem and broadens the range of things one can
understand and enjoy. It enhances one's ability to understand other disciplines and to perceive
the relationship among various fields of study.
If studying philosophy can bring all these benefits why people do not study it in great
numbers? Why students do not throng around philosophy departments? The answer is: they are
afraid that a degree in philosophy is not marketable. But even this seems to be a prejudice.
It is true that remaining with philosophy does not afford an especially wide range of career
options, but skill with philosophy is something, which can be readily transferred to a wide variety
of fields, not to mention things we do every day. These are some of the skills, which virtually
anyone can derive from studying philosophy:

Page 3 of 7
 (a) Problem Solving Skills: Philosophy is about asking difficult questions and developing
answers, which can be reasonably and rationally defended against hard, skeptical
questioning. A philosophy student needs to learn how to analyze concepts, definitions
and arguments in a way conducive towards developing solutions for particular problems.
If he/she is good at this, they can have greater assurance that their beliefs may be
reasonable, consistent and well-founded because they have examined them systematically
and carefully.
(b) Communication Skills: A person who excels at communicating in the field of
philosophy can also excel at communication in other areas. When debating on any areas
of knowledge, philosophers need to express their ideas clearly and precisely, both in
speaking and in writing. Far too many problems in debates can be traced to imprecise
terminology, unclear concepts, and other issues that would be overcome if people were
better at communicating what they are thinking.
(c) Self-Knowledge: It isn't just a matter of better communication with others that is
helped by the study of philosophy — understanding yourself is improved. The very
nature of philosophy is such that you get a better picture of what you yourself believe
simply through working through those beliefs in a careful and systematic fashion.
(d) Persuasive Skills: The reason for developing problem solving and communication skills
is not simply to gain a better understanding of the world, but also to get others to agree
with that understanding. Good persuasive skills are thus important in the field of
philosophy because a person needs to defend her own views and to offer insightful
critiques of the views of others.
These capacities are transferable skills, meaning - they are applicable in a great variety of ways
and areas. Moreover, they represent basic abilities on which other skills depend or build. No
wonder that philosophy majors score better than any other humanities major on the LSAT (the
law school admission exam) and the GRE (aptitude test for graduate programs). Thus, at a closer
look philosophical questioning proves both very useful and effective even in a very pragmatic
sense.
Above all, studying philosophy will result in a better life, though not a ―better job‖. Two of
Socrates’ famous sayings are: (a) The most important thing is not life but the good life; (b) The
unexamined life is not worth living. Philosophy is all about ideas and their effects on society. Karl
Marx, Adam Smith, John Locke, John Stuart Mill, Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr., Giordano
Bruno, or Simon de Beauvoir are some of the important philosophers some of whom either lived
in poverty or lost their lives because of their ideas.

Comparison Of Philosophy With Other Disciplines

Philosophy does not emerge out of nothing nor does it live in separation from other
disciplines and subjects. On the contrary, it is in a constant interaction with them receiving
intellectual stimuli and challenges both from within and without. Therefore trying to explain the
relations philosophy bears to science, art and religion, could tell us more about the nature of
philosophy than any handy definition which takes it in isolation from other areas. While many
common links, points of contact and even overlaps make it sometimes difficult to ascertain
whether we are dealing with philosophy or some cognate disciplines, overall and in principle we
can distinguish philosophy from the following areas of human endeavor.

Page 4 of 7
 RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PHILOSOPHY & SCIENCE

Science: Science is the methodical study of the universe in its various aspects (physical, chemical,
biological, social, mental). Science deals with questions that can be decided by experiment and
observation. Consequently, it can attain a "definite body of truths" ("positive results") at least in
some domains. Says Russell: "If you ask a mathematician, a mineralogist, a historian or any other
man of learning what definite body of truths has been ascertained by his science, his answer will
last as long as you are willing to listen." Wherever science is effective, it achieves not only "well
defined" but accurate and valid knowledge as well. Scientific knowledge advances by
accumulation constantly superseding its previous historical stages. Scientific language is univocal
and its propositions have unambiguous reference.
However, science has its limits. It cannot tell us what is beautiful, good or just, what is the
meaning of life, and what we can hope for. Science does not provide evaluative and interpretive
knowledge. Moreover, science does not include full knowledge about itself. As Russell points out,
the sciences cannot attain the unity of scientific knowledge by themselves. For that purpose they
need to turn into a meta-study, which surpasses their methods and competence and leads to
philosophy
Philosophy: Philosophy deals with those fundamental questions that underlie everyday notions
or lay ground for scientific concepts. Examples: Who am I? Where I am coming from? What is
the meaning of life? Does the history of mankind lead somewhere (or anywhere)? What is time?
"Has the universe any unity of plan or purpose, or is it a fortuitous concourse of atoms? Is
consciousness a permanent part of the universe, giving hope of indefinite growth in wisdom, or is
it a transitory accident on a small planet on which life must ultimately become impossible? Are
good and evil of importance to the universe or only to man?" (Russell) These questions are as
important as the big questions of science dealing with the structure of matter or the evolution of
organic life. They are about meanings and ends, not simply about facts.
Facts are relevant to philosophic study as well, but they alone cannot resolve philosophic
questions. The latter both precede and transcend scientific procedures. Although philosophic
questions receive different answers throughout history, the cognitive effort of philosophizing is
not futile. If previous answers are seen to be inadequate this means that we can learn from them
which is a strong indication that past philosophies do not become obsolete by the mere flow of
time. On the contrary, the history of philosophy is itself an area of intensive philosophic study
that constantly reveals new insights and brings old ideas in new light.

Differences:

 Science deals with a specific problem; philosophy its general aspects. Philosophy asks the
questions like: What is scientific knowledge? Wherein lies the meaning and importance of
scientific knowledge? What is the relation between scientific knowledge and other areas
of knowledge? These sorts of questions are addressed by philosophy of science, a branch
of philosophy.
 The methods of observation and experiment used by science cannot be applied to
philosophy. Philosophy addresses more abstract questions like: Who am I? What is the
meaning of life and value system? Is there a God? When any problem is solved by
scientific discovery, then that problem ceases to be philosophical.

Page 5 of 7
  Philosophy sometimes uses the methods of imagination or intuition in addition to logical
and rational analysis in order to address a problem, whereas science mainly uses the
method of experiment.

But their relation is complementary:

 Science and philosophy have always learned from each other. Philosophy tirelessly draws
from scientific discoveries fresh strength, material for broad generalizations, while to the
sciences it imparts the world-view and methodological impulses of its universal principles.
Many general guiding ideas that lie at the foundation of modern science were first
enunciated by the perceptive force of philosophical thought. One example is the idea of
the atomic structure of things voiced by Democritus. Certain conjectures about natural
selection were made in ancient times by the philosopher Lucretius and later by the French
thinker Diderot. On the general philosophical plane Spinoza gave grounds for the
universal principle of determinism. The idea of the existence of molecules as complex
particles consisting of atoms was developed in the works of the French philosopher
Pierre Gassendi.
 Besides influencing the development of the specialized fields of knowledge, philosophy
itself has been substantially enriched by progress in the concrete sciences. Every major
scientific discovery is at the same time a step forward in the development of the
philosophical world-view and methodology. Philosophical statements are based on sets of
facts studied by the sciences and also on the system of propositions, principles, concepts
and laws discovered through the generalization of these facts. The achievements of the
specialized sciences are summed up in philosophical statements. Euclidian geometry, the
mechanics of Galileo and Newton, which have influenced men's minds for centuries,
were great achievements of human reason which played 'a significant role in forming
world-views and methodology. And what an intellectual revolution was produced by
Copernicus' heliocentric system, which changed the whole conception of the structure of
the universe, or by Darwin's theory of evolution, which had a profound impact on
biological science in general and our whole conception of man's place in nature.
Einstein's theory of relativity changed our notion of the relationship between matter,
motion, space and time. Quantum mechanics revealed hitherto unknown world of micro-
particles of matter. And what philosophically significant pictures have been presented to
us by genetics, which deepened our understanding of the relationship between the
biological and the social in man, a relationship that has revealed the subtle mechanisms of
heredity.

So the connection between philosophy and science is mutual and characterized by their ever-
deepening interaction.

Relationship Between Religion/Theology & Philosophy

Religion and its conceptual articulation (theology) are grounded on a revealed truth. The
former preaches certain beliefs that make a claim to a privileged truth, the latter tries to make
these beliefs understandable and believable by explaining rationally the content of the main
tenets. The attitude of all religions is well represented through the self-proclamation of Jesus: "I
am the truth." This identification between the Person and the truth is essential for religion and

Page 6 of 7
cannot be overcome without losing the tautological mystique of religious message. If you ask
God who is He the only appropriate answer would be the biblical one: "I am who I am." Man
cannot get more than this about God. Religious beliefs cannot and do not need to be derived
from controlled experience, let alone proved by strict demonstration (Russell). Their certainty is
based on personal acceptance of religious tradition and authority. The common aim of both
religion and theology is to strengthen our convictions and to give us an overarching sense of life
and the universe.
Philosophy, by contrast, is a critical (sometimes even skeptical) activity of human mind
based on the ability of natural reason to understand and follow logical implications. Its aim is not
to uphold any set of beliefs but rather to undermine everything that tends to get inculcated in the
mind. In general, philosophy is a systematic effort to avoid any kind of dogma that can arrest our
questioning and suspicion. This is why philosophy often challenges faith and dogmatic tenets
offering instead only doubt and uncertainty. On the other hand, in regard to the intelligibility of
the universe, it prefers the audacity of human mind over religious epistemological modesty.
However, while striving to capture the essence of the universe philosophy does not construe
extemporized theories but attempts to provide inter-subjectively acceptable reasons for proposed
hypotheses.
Bertrand Russell recognizes that both philosophy and religion arise from the concern for
fundamental questions of meaning and purpose. They both emerge from the insight that the
whole and infinity transcend our finite self. However, religion accounts for the quality of infinity
by invoking the idea of other (true) world, whereas philosophy "does not divide the universe into
two hostile camps" and in fact combats the religious doubling of the world. It strives to achieve
more impersonal ("impartial") and more comprehensive contemplation of this world in its
totality. Its goal is to enlarge our own self by contemplatively partaking in the infinity of the
universe In this sense philosophy, for Russell, is "a contemplative vision" or "speculation".

Page 7 of 7