What is philosophy?Determination it impossible to clearly only because of its understanding of the significantly different in different historical periods, and even in the same period in different schools and directions of the point of view can be very different, including exclusive.Her subject area well understood and still understood differently.
philosophy in antiquity
«love of wisdom" - that is translated from the Greek word "philosophy".Determination originally built on it.It is believed that the first to call himself a philosopher Pythagoras, with how he expressed his great humility: he believed that the gods have only wisdom, but it is not available to ordinary mortals, and they can only love her, by all means strive for it.
Ancient Greek philosophy was autonomous from the mythical representations and religious traditions, as well as moral and political doctrines.Often it appeared virtually synonymous with science as it is a pure knowledge, is not aimed at achieving practical goals.On the other hand, was not an abstract philosophy of supreme knowledge and practices to achieve it.
Almost all existing covered philosophy.The definition of its subject, however, is not limited, and the whole world.Her primary partition - the metaphysics.This study is not so much that there is, as the first and most general principles and the principles of organization of the world, consideration of it as a whole, and even that is on the other side of the world.
The texts of Plato the word "philosophy" - definition of what the he and his disciples.
If in ancient times it was free from religion and morality, it is then permanently "fused" with Christianity and theology.Only in modern times philosophy in the West has become relatively detached from religious phenomenon and once again began to actively move closer to science.
modern definition of philosophy
in the modern sense of the original meaning of the word withdrew into the background, that is, it no longer is a question of wisdom.Now it is often understood as the science that studies the most common fundamental characteristics of the world and man.
But the definition is correct: philosophy - the science?Some philosophers did try to get closer to science, using scientific methods of knowledge, above all, logical.This view is called scientism.
At the same time, even the classical methods of knowledge in philosophy is not so universal and is not recognized by all: some philosophers critical of logic and reason.They often seek, on the contrary, to separate philosophy from science.This position is called the anti-scientism.
can define philosophy through her thing, but there is not so simple.In the twentieth century, it became a popular belief that it does not have a special subject area (in contrast to other disciplines).She has a non-specialist subject area - all the world as a whole.It also significantly differs from the philosophy of science: its subject can never be specialized.
