What is philosophy?

etymology:
φίλος (philos, or love) and σοφία (sofia, or wisdom).

Philosophy concerns itself with the love and pursuit of wisdom and knowledge – to know truth and to “know thyself.”

Philosophy has been practiced for thousands of years. Throughout history, philosophers both eastern and western have engaged in philosophy to understand themselves, the world, and their place in it.

Philosophy encourages critical thinking, promotes creativity and reasoning, and enhances our ability to grapple with the fundamental questions deeply embedded in our daily lives.

Philosophy touches many fields. A few ‘traditional’ examples of philosophy include:

  • Epistemology - the branch of philosophy concerned with knowledge, which asks questions like How does knowledge differ from belief? and How do we acquire knowledge?

  • Ethics - the branch concerned with what’s moral, which asks questions like Is morality objective or subjective? and What makes an action morally good or right?

  • Logic - the study of correct reasoning, including both informal and formal logic, which asks questions like Can contradictions ever be true? and How does language influence reasoning?

  • Metaphysics - the branch concerned with fundamental nature of reality, which asks questions like What is the nature of time? and Is reality fundamentally mental or physical?

But philosophy is also central to history, politics, business, law, and the natural, social, and psychological sciences.

Dive into the deep well from which the entire history of thought emerges

Philosophy can help you grapple with fundamental human questions. Many philosophers past and present are interested in problems of the universe, its origin, what is real, the meaning of our existence, good versus evil, and how humans should be.

Believe it or not, you encounter philosophy in everyday conversations

Politics, religion, science, and business often involve discuss pressing philosophical issues, even if participants wouldn’t label them as philosophical. In fact, most people encounter philosophy in their day-to-day lives – they just don’t know it.

Here are ways you might have engaged in philosophy without knowing it:

  • If you’ve wondered if a higher power or god(s) exist, or if the universe is fundamentally good

  • If you’ve read or watched dystopian fiction like The Handmaid’s Tale, The Hunger Games, or Dune

  • If you’ve counselled a friend on whether it’s okay to lie to their parents or partner

  • If you’ve questioned a historical interpretation, judgement, or perspective

  • If you’ve thought about individual vs. collective good, such as Should there be limits to free speech?

  • If you’ve wondered whether democracy is the ideal political system, or engaged in debates like capitalism vs. communism

  • If you’ve thought about whether businesses have a duty for social responsibility, ethical marketing, or wealth distribution

  • If you’ve wondered about the impact of technology on society, such as Should we prohibit use of Artificial Intelligence?

  • If you’ve felt frustrated with social media and begun to question its role in modern life

  • If you’ve thought about whether we have a responsibility to the environment, animals, and sustainability

You engage with philosophical concepts and questions all the time! Philosophy isn’t just an academic subject – it’s a vital part of human thought and culture that’s deeply at the heart of our daily lives.

  • These days, most people encounter philosophy in schools, universities, or through popular literature (like Camus’ The Stranger or Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations), self-help content, and philosophically-leaning movies.

    While prior education might be encouraged to engage in particular complex topics, there’s no rule that philosophy is only for certain people.

    At its core, philosophy is just about contemplating – and critically assessing – what’s true. Anyone with a thinking mind can do it!

    At Philosophy For Youth, it’s our mission to improve education of philosophy, critical thinking, and logic for youth. There’s no requirement to be familiar with existing philosophical literature, or even excel at reading.

    In efforts to improve inclusivity in the field, we also aim to bring material from philosophers worldwide to the classroom.

  • Doing philosophy in a classroom might look like reading and reflecting on literature, engaging in discussion, and then formulating, expressing, and proving a point of view (often via essay-writing).

    However, philosophy as a discipline has a long history that pre-dates formal education.

    Two central components of philosophy are reason and dialogue. Reason is how we apply logic to existing information to think about and arrive at the truth. Dialogue is how we express and exchange our ideas with others to further refine and reflect it.

    Asking questions is a valuable part of this process.

    Philosophy For Youth programs teach a variety of skills used in philosophy, from reading comprehension to logical assessment to how to have a productive philosophical discussion.

  • Philosophical text and material might be hard to understand, but the capacity to do philosophy is innate in all of us.

    Every one of us has the ability to tap into our analytical side to think rationally, apply logic, and formulate and express conclusions. Equally, we each have the ability to tap into our creativity, emotions, and imagination – things which can help us identify our viewpoints and produce new ideas.

    By practicing philosophy with Philosophy For Youth, you’ll develop these skills, which will be useful in the classroom and beyond.

    No knowledge or experience with philosophy is necessary – beginners are highly welcome!

  • Philosophy is useful because it fosters critical and creative thinking, builds and cultivates curiosity, and contributes to the development of skills in reason, writing, and logic.

    While ancient philosophers viewed philosophy ultimately as a therapeutic tool necessary for the ‘good life’, later philosophers viewed it more as the ruler of science, the ‘science of science itself’ and keystone to all thought and interpretation.

    Regardless of the “overall” aim, philosophy is invaluable to humanity. It underpins every scientific theory – everything we think we know – and helps us face the most fundamental human questions.

    And it ultimately helps us learn how to be comfortable not knowing – a skill useful to everyone, given the only constant in life is change.

Frequently asked questions

Learn philosophy with us

Foster critical thinking

A big part of philosophy is critically assessing an argument by looking at its structure, finding its weak spots, and formulating a clear objection. By developing this skill, we can make well-reasoned judgements about the information and arguments we encounter in our everyday lives.

Cultivate curiosity

Philosophy has us reason and discuss topics that we usually just take for granted, whether big or small. When we slow down to spend some time assessing these questions, we can find a sense of wonder and awe about the world that will drive curiosity throughout our entire life.

Improve reasoning and writing

On the Graduate Record Exam for admission into graduate schools, students who study philosophy perform better in verbal reasoning and analytical writing than students of every other field including economics, mathematics, computer science, and physics. [source]

Develop logic skills

On the Law School Admissions Test, which tests students’ logic skills, students who study philosophy score highest overall, tied only with economics, and higher than every other humanities and STEM field. [source]