What is philosophy?

To ask what philosophy is, is equivalent to asking for the definition of the term "philosophy." However, a term can be defined in various ways: either by showing the objects to which it applies or by offering information that allows us to identify those objects. Ideally, in the case of "philosophy," it would be preferable to offer the latter type of definition. However, this is not possible due to the diversity of topics, problems, purposes, and styles encompassed by the term. The only thing that can be done in this regard is to provide a vague characterization that, although it may not capture the essence of philosophy, gives us an idea of it.

Almost all philosophers claim to seek the truth in their reflections, and it is the desire to find it that gives rise to their work. Even though it is sometimes said that their only goal is understanding, a good understanding often involves a particular conception of truth. This does not mean that philosophers do not occasionally have other kinds of goals; in fact, it can be said that the overall purpose of some of their works seems to be mixed: besides truth, they also aim to provoke action or cause an emotional impact. Nevertheless, most of philosophy can be better understood if conceived as striving for truth, even though philosophers differ in their concept of truth and in the activities they undertake to determine it.

Given the above, philosophical activity can be characterized as the attempt to formulate, justify, and/or evaluate problems and their solutions. These problems may involve the interpretation of philosophical texts or address topics such as human knowledge, moral behavior, the origin of existence, the most general features of what is, the meaning of life and happiness, society, and human culture, among others. The styles in which these solutions are expressed are also diverse: meditations, dialogues, treatises, aphorisms, and essays are some of them.

Philosophy is marked by a strong ambivalence: sometimes it emphasizes solid argumentation and conceptual clarity; other times, it is not very argumentative and is expressed in difficult language. Sometimes it deals with general and abstract topics, and sometimes with concrete or specific aspects. At times, it has systematic and all-encompassing ambitions, and at other times, it addresses detailed problems without any intention of connecting them. At moments, it considers the search for foundations to be its most important task (although what it considers fundamental depends entirely on its approach and interests); at other times, it declares this enterprise a failure and places most questions on the same level. Generally, philosophy questions almost everything. As a result, it not only has diverse criteria for evaluation, methods, and notions of truth, but it has also proposed different forms of society and culture, as well as various visions of reality (whatever that may be), which do not correspond to the thinking of the majority. However, there are also times when philosophy has turned conservative, attacking anything that challenges the order and beliefs accepted by the majority.

The Role of the Philosopher

From the above, it follows that the roles of the philosopher can also be diverse. In general, philosophers are engaged in the formulation, justification, and/or evaluation of philosophical problems and their solutions. Some philosophers consider this task to be primarily discursive, theoretical, and conceptual. Others believe that, in addition to that, it should also include the practical aspect, that is, putting words into action. For example, among philosophers who reflect on society and human culture, some believe their role is purely theoretical, while others believe they must also take action. Sometimes, philosophers of the latter type try to persuade others to adopt their approach. The discussions in this regard never cease, but each one is committed to their chosen way of doing philosophy.

The Usefulness of Philosophy

Given that philosophical products are so diverse and cover such different topics, it is to be expected that each of them will have different applications. For example, the new social, political, economic, or cultural orders proposed by philosophy would give rise to societies very different from our own if they were taken seriously. Positions such as realism, phenomenalism, or solipsism, if understood, would imply a change of vision similar to that experienced by a person transitioning from a common-sense view to a scientific view of reality. Various historians of science have also recognized the importance of philosophy in the origin, development, and organization of different fields of study. Psychology, sociology, and political science are some of them.

However, sometimes the question of the usefulness of philosophy becomes a question of the benefit or advantage that can be derived from it. The benefit that can be derived from philosophy is relative and depends on factors such as the creativity of the person seeking to benefit from it and the purpose for which they intend to use it. Some have found in philosophy the peace they were seeking, others the ideological foundation for their political discourse or the direction they needed for their lives, etc. But there are also those whose lives have become more bitter upon encountering philosophy, and those who have committed great atrocities in its name.

At times, the question of the usefulness of philosophy turns into the simple and plain question: what do philosophers live on? Well, the vast majority of those who practice philosophy make a living by teaching, either in schools or universities. Some also receive money for research. Others are employed by Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) dedicated to defending the environment or human rights or are part of a political group whose ideas they disseminate and defend.

Discussions Between Philosophical Schools

At times, different philosophical schools or trends engage in endless discussions about what is and is not philosophy, excluding each other from the field. Sometimes these discussions are motivated by the desire for dominance, in which case they are battles between schools to secure a place in history, in universities, or to dispute resources allocated to dissemination and research. But sometimes these discussions occur out of ignorance and misunderstanding. What is often ignored in these disputes is that the schools in question are so different in their principles that dialogue between them is impossible. They have such different notions of truth, criteria, and methods of evaluation that understanding and agreement become impossible. From our perspective, however, despite their differences, each of these schools is as much a part of philosophy as the other, and all of them, at least intellectually, are on the same level as one another.