Philosophy – (from Greek Phileo – love; sophia – wisdom) – love of wisdom. Philosophy – the oldest of the sciences, European philosophy emerged in Ancient Greece in the V1 century B.C. The word “philosophos” first occurs in Pythagoras (580 – 500 B.C.), but philosophy itself, much older than its name. Since ancient times mankind has been asking and trying to solve the most difficult philosophical questions: What is man? What is the meaning of life? Who rules the world? Can we cognize the world? What is truth? What is good and evil? These questions are not invented by philosophers, they are “invented” by life. That’s why every spiritually developed person is “a little” philosopher. Out of spontaneous philosophizing, i.e. speculative thoughts about higher meanings and values of life, philosophy as a unique form of culture and social consciousness was born.
Philosophy is a specific system of knowledge, in contrast to the spontaneous, amateur philosophizing, is based on its own centuries-old traditions, keeps and constantly revises its history. The need for philosophical cognition of the world is rooted in the dynamics of social life and dictated by the real need to find new worldview guidelines that regulate human activity.
Over the centuries it has developed its own, inherently unique mode of argumentation, as well as special methods and principles, which have become the property of all sciences without exception.
Philosophy is the mother of all sciences! Originally there was a kind of “layer of knowledge” (wisdom) as a result of knowledge development from it arose, “grew” science.
Philosophy is the “root and trunk of the tree” and the other sciences are the “branches and leaves” of the “tree of knowledge.
Philosophy is the human spirit’s answer to the questions posed by the historically conditioned existence of man. The German philosopher Hegel said: “Philosophy is an epoch captured in thought. Every philosophical system is a “child of its time”, in this aspect philosophy acts as a spiritual and practical form of mastering the reality. But in any philosophical system there is always something actual, modern. Philosophy is a look into eternity. Analyzing the world, philosophy plays a constructive role – as a theory that substantiates a positive ideal (an image of the future), asserting the universal place of man in the universe.
The peculiarity of philosophical knowledge is that it does not offer solutions given once and for all, suitable everywhere and under all circumstances. What matters in philosophy is the process of searching for truth! That’s why different, sometimes opposite theories can coexist together in philosophy, this only enriches philosophy, expands its field of action.
Philosophy studies the world in its entirety, covers everything that exists in human consciousness. That is why the attitude toward philosophy among nonphilosophers is very contradictory.