What is philosophy to you?

[WayOutThere]

I'm looking for what the general understanding of philosophy is. So, don't go look it up, tell me what you know at this moment.

After thinking about it, the best I can conclude is that...

Spoiler

...while science is the search for the truth about physical reality philosophy is the search for truth that has no grounding in physical reality but instead in reason. Of course, science requires reason but no existence claim can be established through reason alone. Philosophy tackles matters that are decided wholly through reason (hence the proverbial "armchair philosopher"). Any matter to be debated that is not about existence claims is the realm of philosophy.

I don't know if that makes sense or if it is obviously wrong but tell me your thoughts.

 

[Cherry Cola]

Philosophy is different ways of thinking.

And pies.

 

[Lavi]

Philosophy is FUN! xD

 

[ElTigreSantiago]

Something you can major in college, but everyone I have talked to regrets it.

 

[JaymesFogarty]

Philosophy is what people use to make themselves look intelligent. Most philosophical question debated today either have no answer, have no comprehensible answer, or aren't relevant.

 

[Bofore13]

Philosophy is different ways of thinking.

And pies.

No math is about pi
but philosophy is about understanding concepts and ideas that have no physical manifestation however unlike religion it does not attempt to make connections to deities. nor does it attempt to impose the views of one over another it simply makes suggestions o ho to view life and existence, as well as why.

 

[Mozared]

Philosphy is science with the brain.

 

[Cherry Cola]

Something you can major in college, but everyone I have talked to regrets it.

Regret is but a pie that must be eaten, or else it will stink up your whole apartment.

Philosophy-pies are great!

 

[Cherry Cola]

Philosophy is different ways of thinking.

And pies.

No math is about pi
but philosophy is about understanding concepts and ideas that have no physical manifestation however unlike religion it does not attempt to make connections to deities

Math is about pi

Philosophy is about pie

And biology is about piss

Learn the ways of the world... and pies

 

[similar.squirrel]

I've always thought of it as a branch of science that deals with unquantifiable abstracts, of which consciousness is the foremost.
But that's probably wrong.

Edit: Science is mostly about measurements and quantities, so I think I'm actually talking through my hat..
Beginning to sound like The Waking Life. Pretentious and teenage.

 

[orangebandguy]

Philosophy is the only subject I look forward to actually learning about.

 

[TheEndlessGrey]

I've heard people call philosophy the search for spiritual truth, but spiritual carries a potentially religious connotation that I find dangerous to any discussion of truth. Religion deals not in thoughts but in beliefs, and beliefs can be very hard to challenge objectively. I'm more or less in agreement with the OP, though my wording is a bit different: Science is the pursuit of truth through observation, philosophy is the pursuit of truth through reason.

Edit - To keep things even and not sound like I'm bashing religion, by this scheme religion is the pursuit of truth through faith.

 

[Amethyst Wind]

Philosophy (literally translating from Latin as 'the search for truth') is not mutually exclusive from Science, rather Philosophy looks for the truth behind all things, as well as going further as to question whether there is truth, whereas Science looks for the truth behind absolutes. Science is concerned with the laws of the world and what makes them so, eventually it will determine the truth behind all unbreakable laws, at which point we will be able to manipulate all things. Philosophy deals with the non-absolutes (as well as the absolutes), that which we cannot determine with complete confidence. Unlike Science, Philosophy has no final answer.

 

[notme]

The only thing that keeps me going, because in the absence of gods the harsh truths of our existence would be unbearable.

 

[Mr Wednesday]

Philosophy.

The subject of my degree and something people talk a lot of shit about in ignorace.

To me, it is just a kind of organized thought, a discipline of knoweldge. I think HUBILUB probably has it best with "Philosophy is different ways of thinking."

 

[Jadak]

Philosophy is what people use to make themselves look intelligent. Most philosophical question debated today either have no answer, have no comprehensible answer, and aren't relevant.

Fixed.

 

[mattman106]

Philosophy is about the nature of Being.

 

[Jark212]

Philosophy is about thinking outside the box...

"Try shifting your paradine...Think outside the box"

"Hey the box is there for a reason, I like thinking inside of it, I feel safe in there"

-Wisdom from Red vs Blue

 

[Kamaitachi]

philosophy is your outlook on life.