What is the essence of philosophy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

What is the essence of philosophy - Essay Example n order to define what the essence of philosophy really is, I decided to examine the range of philosophers and philosophies that we have covered in class. In Chinese history there are tales of philosophers who placed an emphasis on finding a way of living a good life, which suggests that philosophy has to do with morality and self-control and this is very similar to some of the moral philosophy as taught by the ancient Greek philosopher Socrates. It is also similar to some of the teachings in the major world religions which see human life as a journey towards enlightenment or a preparation for an afterlife. This contrasts very strongly with some of the medieval European philosophers who emphasized the use of reason, and the power of thinking through issues using logical trains of thought. In the twentieth century there has been a considerable emphasis on language and on existential problems like the meaning of human life. In the twenty first century there is a growing realisation of the fragile nature of the planet earth and the need for human beings to find ways of living that are in harmony with nature, rather than just pursuing mat erialist aims, and disregarding or even destroying the environment around them. The most noticeable feature of philosophy appears to be its diversity. It changes from place to place and from one time period to the next. All of these different approaches can be called philosophy and one way of defining the essence of philosophy is to establish what it is that they all have in common. I think that asking questions is a fundamental part of philosophy, and then weighing up the answers that are found in such a way that new questions are asked and a continuous process of asking, answering, reflecting and asking again then follows. This is not exactly the same as the kind of questions that are asked by scientists, who are mostly interested in how the elements in the world behave and what rules exist in the universe. Philosophy explores