What Is Philosophy?

[bilby]

I don't imagine you live literally under an actual rock.

I live under sheetrock. Does that count?

Only if it gives your flights of fancy a hard ceiling.

 

[DBT]

So what is it that turns thought into philosophy. Or is thought itself a form of philosophy?

What about problem solving? Is it philosophy or nothing more than problem solving?

 

[steve_bank]

If I have no philosophy is that in itself a philosophy????

 

[southernhybrid]

I must apologize to the cats for not mentioning them yesterday when I was distracted. Perhaps they are the best philosophers.

https://www.cbc.ca/radio/ideas/why-...-living-the-good-life-than-socrates-1.6013613

Why cats may have more to teach us about living the good life than Socrates​

Who says the unexamined life isn’t worth living? Not cats, according to philosopher John Gray​

"Why are we born only to die? What is the meaning of existence? What constitutes a good life?

But according to British philosopher John Gray, cats can often teach us much more about living the good life than philosophy ever could.

In his book, Feline Philosophy: Cats and the Meaning of Life, Gray examines the nature of our philosophical pursuits, and finds them wanting.

"In humans, discontent with their nature seems to be natural," he writes. "With predictably tragic and farcical results, the human animal never ceases striving to be something that it is not."

Cats, according to Gray, make no such effort."

 

[DBT]

If they are doing that by their very nature, can it be defined as philosophy?

 

[bilby]

If they are doing that by their very nature, can it be defined as philosophy?

Why not? We do philosophy by our very nature too - unless you believe that philosophy is somehow supernatural?

 

[DBT]

If they are doing that by their very nature, can it be defined as philosophy?

Why not? We do philosophy by our very nature too - unless you believe that philosophy is somehow supernatural?

Maybe biology would be a better word? They are wired to be cats.

Consequently they think and act like cats.

 

[Learner]

If I have no philosophy is that in itself a philosophy????

If someone has given thought to it I suppose.

Ah you just did.

 

[Learner]

So what is it that turns thought into philosophy. Or is thought itself a form of philosophy?

What about problem solving? Is it philosophy or nothing more than problem solving?

Sorry a rushed post,
Indeed I would say 'problem solving' is an aspect of philosophy, and also 'what if' thoughts, like for example having imaginative ideas like: 'what if' we colonised and lived on Mars (whether or not this would be likely doesn't matter).

 

[steve_bank]

There is the ancient question, how many philosophies can fit on the head of needle.

What constitutes a specific philosophy?

philosophize
verb
verb: philosophize; 3rd person present: philosophizes; past tense: philosophized; past participle: philosophized; gerund or present participle: philosophizing; verb: philosophise; 3rd person present: philosophises; past tense: philosophised; past participle: philosophised; gerund or present participle: philosophising

speculate or theorize about fundamental or serious issues, especially in a tedious or pompous way.
"he paused for a while to philosophize on racial equality"

Is philosophizing doing philosophy?

 

[pood]

Small minds don’t philosophize, but from time to time they do make up their own tedious and pompous definitions of what philosophy is.

 

[pood]

After all, how tedious and pompous is it to make a comprehensive list of all the ways the word philosophy or philosophize can be used in a sentence? Rimbaud once characterized a third-rate poet as an “inkshitter.” These days we have pixelshitters.

 

[pood]

Here is a gigantic list of philosophers from antiquity to the present. All tedious or pompous, I guess.

According to a nondescript engineer.

 

[pood]

If they are doing that by their very nature, can it be defined as philosophy?

Why not? We do philosophy by our very nature too - unless you believe that philosophy is somehow supernatural?

Maybe biology would be a better word? They are wired to be cats.

Consequently they think and act like cats.

Sure. But humans aren’t cats. Hence we do philosophy automatically, because that is how we are wired. The first touch of sorrow on our faces is the start of philosophy.