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Definition Essay: What Is Philosophy?

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Atharva Karnik
PHL 201-(11)

What Is Philosophy? The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines philosophy as: the study of truth, nature, and meaning of life, a particular set of ideas about the aforementioned, and a set of ideas how to do something or live one’s life. So what is philosophy really? What’s the point of philosophy? Philosophy is something that allows people to analyze life in a non scientific manner and determine constraints and conditions for life, truth, and nature. It helps make sense of the things we do or what we believe, as well as helping us learn why we believe or do what we choose to do. Philosophy has many functions, and they’re all helpful and give people purpose or reason. When anyone thinks about philosophy, they probably …show more content…
And although the joke is funny the first few times, the truth is that to others, philosophy has no place in their day to day lives. They don’t sit down to think about philosophy. Most of the people in the world would say that they don’t have philosophy in their lives and don’t need it. But the truth is that philosophy links to almost every aspect of human life. When one makes a choice about what’s wrong or right, that’s philosophy. When someone prays to God, that’s philosophy. When someone gives a homeless person some food, that’s philosophy. When someone attempts to help others, that’s philosophy. Philosophy isn’t just thinking about the truths of nature and life, it’s also about acting them out. Each moral and ethical decision a person makes connects back to philosophy, whether it be deontologically, teleologically, or any other way. Metaphysics, which deals with abstract concepts, time, identity, space, and more, plays a major part in everyday life. People are always questioning their own identity, trying to figure out who they are. That’s philosophy. When someone says that a certain statement doesn’t make sense because it can’t be proven or disproven, that’s philosophy. Philosophy isn’t everything, but it involves analyzing the truth behind everything in nature as well as life and the

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