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What is philosophy, and do you need it?

Defining Philosophy

According to the Oxford Dictionary, philosophy is the study of nature, the meaning of the universe, and human life. There are many schools of philosophy. These philosophies arose in different parts of the world and developed into Western and Eastern philosophies through their fundamental ideas. Philosophy comes from “philos,” meaning love, and “Sophos,” meaning wisdom. Philosophy is the love of wisdom. However, people often see philosophy as nothing more than opinion. What’s your take on this, whether it’s about life, sports, or politics? People reduce it to mere perspective; it has become both a generalisation and an individual opinion. Yet, it’s more than that. 

Schools of Philosophy

There are many philosophical theories: 

Stoicism: Stoicism teaches that focusing on what you can control leads to happiness. 

Existentialism: Existentialism centres on individual existence and its fundamental questions. According to existentialists, the meaning of life is self-made. 

Confucianism: Confucianism, a social and ethical philosophy, stresses morality, harmony, and respect. 

Taoism: Taoism centres on humility, the ‘Way’, prioritising the individual, simplicity, and being in tune with nature. 

Determinism: Determinism asserts that every event, including human actions, is predetermined and inevitable. 

Hedonism: Hedonists believe that seeking pleasure makes up the ultimate moral good. 

Buddhism: Buddhism teaches that human existence comprises a cycle of suffering and rebirth, with the ultimate aim of transcending this cycle. 

Nyaya: Nyaya holds that gaining knowledge through the five senses is the sole means of liberating oneself from the cycle of birth and death. 

Sankhya: Sankhya provides a philosophical basis for Yoga. It emphasises the attainment of self-knowledge through meditation and concentration. 

Yoga: Yoga envisions the liberation of Purusha from Prakriti through self-awareness developed via physical discipline. 

Vaisheshika: Vaisheshika proposes the universe comprises a finite number of atoms animated by Brahman, the fundamental force of consciousness. 

Mimamsa: Mimamsa states humans can attain salvation only by following the principles of the Vedas (Hindu’s holy scriptures). 

Vedanta: Vedanta believes that the world is unreal and the only reality is Brahman. Vedanta’s philosophy asserts that life’s purpose is to realise one’s inherent divinity and achieve the soul’s divine essence through conscious oneness with existence. 

Philosophy as Inquiry

Philosophy isn’t just about being an older man with a beard ready to debate. It’s about asking questions about yourself, life, and everything else to grow as a person. 

An impactful analogy compares philosophy to the childhood game of repeatedly asking parents, ‘Why?’ after each of their statements. This curiosity evolves into deeper inquiries about life and purpose as you mature. The moment you cease to ask why shapes the philosophy with which you align, and if your questioning halts. 

Need of Philosophy 

Do you need your philosophy, or do you settle for one already established, as stated above? Curiosity is the basis for determining whether you need a philosophy as you try to understand. Failure to question your life and understand yourself while clinging to one philosophy prevents you from truly experiencing and potentially missing opportunities to be born into human life.

Philosophy Beyond Opinion 

Suppose you are ready to always inquire with your ‘why’, not only of your parents but also of yourself. By inquiring about yourself, the life you are living, the way you perceive things, and the experiences you have, you realise you keep asking about yourself, observing your thoughts, understanding your values and core beliefs, and performing actions with self-awareness, which is a woven philosophy that doesn’t just involve talking but is based on experience. Your philosophy is never merely thinking and forming opinions; it is a knowing. 

Philosophy as Self-Discovery

Philosophy began with doubt. Self-awareness is essential for building trust. If your beliefs are simply thoughts and not an awareness of self, they are not genuine. You can’t build trust without observing, understanding, and realising yourself. If you are thirsty, drinking water soothes your thirst; you will experience satisfaction, but not by asking for the water’s formula. Gaining satisfaction from drinking water becomes your philosophy, while asking for the formula is just a talking philosophy. 

Philosophy and Truth

There are two major categories of established philosophies: those focused on finding happiness, like stoicism, existentialism, and hedonism, which prioritise pleasure and happiness while disregarding negative emotions and life’s sufferings. Others, like Buddhism, Vedanta, and Taoism, focus on the quest for truth, involving the development of awareness to transcend ignorance through self-knowledge and discovering one’s true identity.

The philosophy that guides you to truth helps you realise your true self, ultimately bringing peace and happiness. That is true philosophy—true love for wisdom.

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