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World Philosophy Day 2019: Philosophy is an art meant to make your life easier. Know more about it

Updated on: Dec 12, 2019, 17:00:29 IST
Hindustan Times, Delhi | By
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Philosophy will help you deal with whatever life throws at you. (Unsplash)
Philosophy will help you deal with whatever life throws at you. (Unsplash)

World Philosophy Day 2019:A philosopher is a person who thinks about and lives life a certain way with an intent to find answers to existential questions and resolve existential problems.

Can you sense even the slightest change in someone’s mood around you? Are you able to understand the reasons behind a person’s actions, even before they express it? Do you wonder how your future is going to be?

If your answer to any of these questions is yes, then you are blessed with the ability to perceive what most overlook, and you are into philosophy.

Simply put, philosophy is the art of asking and solving existential questions. Philosophy is the study of general and foundational questions relating to human values, human existence, reasoning and mind as a whole. Such questions are often posed as problems to be studied or resolved.

Great philosophers have left behind some important lessons for people like you and me, which irrespective of the time and age we live in, hold relevance. These will help you deal with whatever life throws at you.

Who coined the term philosophy?

It is believed that the term philosophy was coined by the Greek philosopher named Pythagoras, who was born in the island country Samos. The word comes from the Latin word Philosophia, which translates to love for wisdom.

What does philosophy deal with?

Philosophy, in simple words deals with you, your emotions, your responses to things, your problems and your existence! In general, philosophy is analogous with intellectual culture, search for knowledge and wisdom.

All literate societies and cultures at some point of time ask philosophical questions such as how we are to live, and what is the nature of reality. But merely asking these questions isn’t philosophy, but, a broad, impartial and reasoned inquiry to find a general solution is.

Who are philosophers?

A philosopher is a person who thinks about and lives life a certain way with an intent to find answers to existential questions and resolve existential problems. But a philosopher is different from a saint or a leader. A philosopher sets an example for the world by living by the way of his self-devised philosophy.

Aristotle, Buddha, Confucius, Plato, Socrates, David Hume, Dai Zhen, Han Feizi, Laozi, Kitaro Nishida, Zhu Xi, Adi Shankara and Chanakya, are a few names which you might have heard. These are age-old famous philosophers who gave life-lessons which still hold relevance.

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