Philosophy etymological comes from two Greek words “PHILEO” and “SOPHIA” which means “LOVE” and “WISDOM” respectively.
Philosophy as love for wisdom doesn’t mean that philosophy is wisdom or philosophers are custodians of wisdom. All it says is that philosophy is that philosophy is a discipline that urges us to be in constant search for wisdom. We should be able to distinguish wisdom from collection of mere opinions, dogmas opinions, articles of faith or unquestioned positions or views i.e. all received opinions must be examined in the process of searching for wisdom.
Philosophy is a critical discipline that urges us to question all received opinions by criticizing examine in order to get to the object of love, which is wisdom. Critical here means being able to subject all opinions to critical observation in order to have access to the alternative that is supported by the superior arguments. For this reason of criticality, philosophy was seen as a “GADFLY” (The nauseating sound mosquitoes, housefly and other insects of the likes make) a discipline that constantly keeps us on our toes in a way such that we are not susceptible or don’t fall easily into accepting unquestioned & indefensible positions. This means we must always make attempt to penetrate through distinct opinion or perspective.
Philosophy is like sciences, they are both (philosophy and sciences) interested in carrying out systematic research in to the nature of things.
According to Bertrand Russell, philosophy is a no man’s land between science and theology. Philosophy unlike sciences isn’t based on empirical experimentation but critical analysis. Philosophy like theology because, they are both concerned with issues beyond empirical observations. However, philosophy unlike theology isn’t dogmatic but critical in nature.
Philosophy to him is a violent discipline because it is so critical of all things to the extent of being critical to itself.
P/S – PHILOSOPHY HAS NO DEFINITE DEFINITION
