Philosophy

/fəˈläsəfē/

noun

- the study of the fundamental nature of knowledge, reality, and existence, especially when considered as an academic discipline.

- a particular system of philosophical thought.plural noun: philosophies

- the study of the theoretical basis of a particular branch of knowledge or experience. "the philosophy of science"

- a theory or attitude held by a person or organization that acts as a guiding principle for behavior. "don't expect anything and you won't be disappointed, that's my philosophy"

(The definition above is taken directly from Oxford, on Google search).

Now that you can see a few definitions of what philosophy truly is, what can a person say about generalization of our thoughts? Any one person, or group of people can start with a singular thought - a basis. By this point many other people may see it and share it among themselves and each other.  Philosophy is a way for people to express their feelings and beliefs towards the world, society, and the universe. The first few sparks in the fire of thoughts are usually very generalized and/or abstract.

Now as this thought is shared, it gets other people thinking and adding on to the original "base" thought. This thought can be anything, it never has to be complex. However, without others listening and expanding upon this belief, it will remain just as simple as it had started out.

Looking at what I have just stated, I realize I may have mislead you. I apologize for that. For a thought to become that of a philosophical matter, takes more tan just simply adding and adding. Philosophy is a system of thoughts that are constantly growing and changing. Now, why is this not as I had said before than? Well you see, philosophy takes research. To build upon a thought is one thing, but every person must ensure that they make sense, and always find a way to loop their ideas back to that of the original thought.

Philosophy, as I have earlier stated, evolves through people. This brings me to the origin - Where does philosophy come from?

The Greek word, philosophia, means the love of wisdom which only makes sense when someone is to say that philosophy is a study of thoughts. This then goes on to change into the Old French the word philosophie, taking on its final transformation into philosophy in Middle English. 

The origin of the word "philosophy" from the Greek is shown by the words and word-fragments expressed bellow. 

philo—love of, affinity for, liking of 

philander—to engage in love affairs frivolously 

philanthropy—love of mankind in general 

philately—postage stamps hobby 

phile—(as in "anglophile") one having a love for 

philology—having a liking for words 

sophos—wisdom 

sophist—lit. one who loves knowledge 

sophomore—wise and moros—foolish; i.e. one who thinks he knows many things   

sophisticated—one who is knowledgeable

(Above listed information gathered from https://philosophy.lander.edu/intro/what.shtml).

Philosophy is merely a systematic way of organized thoughts. It can be seen as an attitude, a calling, or an approach. It is important that philosophy teaches us how to think for ourselves, not what we should think. Meanings that go beyond the surface, thoughts, knowledge, and principles are a common study in this craft. It provides the skills of deeper analyzing, questioning, and expressing things in clearer ways. While some philosophy can be followed for context or introductory purposes in a form of education, it is always important to take what you will from it, and expand. If one does not remember to think for themselves, they treat the ideas as if they are facts, when they are thoughts and can be taken in many different directions.

(Paraphrased from London Times).

"Philosophy ... has no other subject matter than the nature of the real world, as that world lies around us in everyday life, and lies open to observers on every side. But if this is so, it may be asked what function can remain for philosophy when every portion of the field is already lotted out and enclosed by specialists? Philosophy claims to be the science of the whole; but, if we get the knowledge of the parts from the different sciences, what is there left for philosophy to tell us? To this it is sufficient to answer generally that the synthesis of the parts is something more than that detailed knowledge of the parts in separation which is gained by the man of science. It is with the ultimate synthesis that philosophy concerns itself; it has to show that the subject-matter which we are all dealing with in detail really is a whole, consisting of articulated members." 

("Philosophy," Encyclopedia Britannica (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1911) Vol. 21.).

Due to the fact that the study of thoughts can be very tedious and quickly become disorganized, Philosophy is split up into six branches. Each of these branches has a focus, along with questions commonly used in the subject matter.

 Epistemology -  Addresses nature and scope, including limitations. Questions include: 1) What is knowledge? 2) How is knowledge acquired? 3) What do people know? 4) How do we know what we know? 

Logic - Focuses on the study of reasoning. This branch is split of into two parts being, inductive and deductive reasoning. Inductive reasoning draws general conclusions from specific examples, while deductive reasoning is drawing logical conclusions from definitions and axioms. Depending on the reasoning used, questions will vary. 

Metaphysics - Focuses on explaining the fundamental nature of being and the world. This branch is split into cosmology and ontology.Cosmology seeks to understand the origin, evolution, structure, and ultimate fate of the universe at large, as well as the natural laws that keep it in order. Ontology is the investigation into what types of things there are in the world and what relations these things bear to one another. Ontology often has questions concerning what entities exist or can be said to exist, and how such entities can be grouped, related within a hierarchy, and subdivided according to similarities and differences. Before the development of modern science, scientific questions were addressed as a part of metaphysics known as "natural philosophy." The scientific method, however, made natural philosophy an empirical and experimental activity unlike the rest of philosophy, and by the end of the eighteenth century it had begun to be called "science" in order to distinguish it from philosophy. Thereafter, metaphysics became the philosophical enquiry of a non-empirical character into the nature of existence.

Ethics - Known to some as "moral philosophy". This branch focuses on things such as good and evil, right and wrong, justice and injustice, and mortality in general.

Aesthetics - Scientifically defined as the study of sensory or sensori-emotional values, sometimes called judgments of sentiment and taste. Studies focus on taste, art, the beauty of nature, and the creation and appreciation of beauty.

Political Philosophy- Focuses on the study of concepts such as liberty, justice, property, rights, law, and the enforcement of a legal code by authority: what they are, why (or even if) they are needed, what makes a government legitimate, what rights and freedoms it should protect and why, what form it should take and why, what the law is, and what duties citizens owe to a legitimate government, if any, and when it may be legitimately overthrown, if ever. Three central concerns of political philosophy have been the political economy by which property rights are defined and access to capital is regulated, the demands of justice in distribution and punishment, and the rules of truth and evidence that determine judgments in the law.

(Paraphrased from https://www.evphil.com/philosophy-101.html).

I leave you now, with this information to be perceived in any way you wish. Seen through your own perspective, and alone for you to think and express your own ideas. More chapters are soon to come, with more of my personal philosophy and less factual information. Prepare yourself to loose this reality momentarily. In the next chapters, you will be transported from this reality to that of your mental state. Explore, imagine, express, and create.

"Every individual is a unique manifestation of the Whole, as every branch is a particular outreaching of the tree." – Alan Watts