Philosophy
<p><b>Philosophy (from <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greek_language" title="Greek language">Greek</a> φιλοσοφία, <i>philosophia</i>, literally "love of wisdom"<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philosophy#cite_note-biblehub.com-1"><sup id="cite_ref-biblehub.com_1-0" class="reference">[1]</sup></a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philosophy#cite_note-oed.com2-2"><sup id="cite_ref-oed.com2_2-0" class="reference">[2]</sup></a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philosophy#cite_note-Online_Etymology_Dictionary-3"><sup id="cite_ref-Online_Etymology_Dictionary_3-0" class="reference">[3]</sup></a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philosophy#cite_note-Webster.27s_New_World_Dictionary-4"><sup id="cite_ref-Webster.27s_New_World_Dictionary_4-0" class="reference">[4]</sup></a>) is the study of general and fundamental problems concerning matters such as </b>
<b>existence, </b>
<b>knowledge, </b>
<b>values, </b>
<b>reason, </b>
<b>mind, </b>
<b>and language.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philosophy#cite_note-philosophy-5"><sup id="cite_ref-philosophy_5-0" class="reference">[5]</sup></a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philosophy#cite_note-6"><sup id="cite_ref-6" class="reference">[6]</sup></a> </b></p>
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The term was probably coined by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pythagoras" title="Pythagoras">Pythagoras</a> (c. 570 – c. 495 BC). Philosophical methods include questioning, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socratic_method" title="Socratic method">critical discussion</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dialectic" title="Dialectic">rational argument</a> and systematic presentation.<sup id="cite_ref-7" class="reference"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philosophy#cite_note-7">[7]</a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-justification_8-0" class="reference"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philosophy#cite_note-justification-8">[8]</a></sup> Classic philosophical questions include: Is it possible to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyrrhonism" title="Pyrrhonism">know anything</a> and to prove it?<sup id="cite_ref-9" class="reference"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philosophy#cite_note-9">[9]</a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-10" class="reference"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philosophy#cite_note-10">[10]</a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-11" class="reference"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philosophy#cite_note-11">[11]</a></sup> What is <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Absolute_%28philosophy%29" title="Absolute (philosophy)">most real</a>? </p>
<p>
However, philosophers might also pose more practical and concrete questions such as: Is there a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taoism" title="Taoism">best way to live</a>? Is it better to be <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justice" title="Justice">just or unjust</a> (if one can get away with it)?<sup id="cite_ref-12" class="reference"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philosophy#cite_note-12">[12]</a></sup> Do humans have <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_will" title="Free will">free will</a>?<sup id="cite_ref-13" class="reference"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philosophy#cite_note-13">[13]</a></sup></p>
<p>
Historically, "philosophy" encompassed any body of knowledge.<sup id="cite_ref-auto23_14-0" class="reference"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philosophy#cite_note-auto23-14">[14]</a></sup></p>
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From the time of Ancient Greek philosopher <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aristotle" title="Aristotle">Aristotle</a> to the 19th century, "<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_philosophy" title="Natural philosophy">natural philosophy</a>" encompassed <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astronomy" title="Astronomy">astronomy</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medicine" title="Medicine">medicine</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physics" title="Physics">physics</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTELindberg20073_15-0" class="reference"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philosophy#cite_note-FOOTNOTELindberg20073-15">[15]</a></sup></p>
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For example, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Issac_Newton" class="mw-redirect" title="Issac Newton">Newton</a>'s 1687 <i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philosophi%C3%A6_Naturalis_Principia_Mathematica" title="Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica">Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy</a></i> later became classified as a book of physics. In the 19th century, the growth of modern <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University" title="University">research universities</a> led academic philosophy and other disciplines to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contemporary_philosophy" title="Contemporary philosophy">professionalize</a> and specialize.<sup id="cite_ref-16" class="reference"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philosophy#cite_note-16">[16]</a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-17" class="reference"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philosophy#cite_note-17">[17]</a></sup> In the modern era, some investigations that were traditionally part of philosophy became separate academic disciplines, including <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychology" title="Psychology">psychology</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sociology" title="Sociology">sociology</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linguistics" title="Linguistics">linguistics</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economics" title="Economics">economics</a>.
Other investigations closely related to art, science, politics, or other pursuits remained part of philosophy. For example, is <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beauty" title="Beauty">beauty</a> objective or subjective?<sup id="cite_ref-18" class="reference"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philosophy#cite_note-18">[18]</a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-19" class="reference"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philosophy#cite_note-19">[19]</a></sup> Are there many <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientific_method" title="Scientific method">scientific methods</a> or just one?<sup id="cite_ref-20" class="reference"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philosophy#cite_note-20">[20]</a></sup> Is political <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Utopia" title="Utopia">utopia</a> a hopeful dream or hopeless fantasy?<sup id="cite_ref-21" class="reference"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philosophy#cite_note-21">[21]</a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-22" class="reference"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philosophy#cite_note-22">[22]</a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-23" class="reference"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philosophy#cite_note-23">[23]</a></sup> Major sub-fields of academic philosophy include <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metaphysics" title="Metaphysics">metaphysics</a> ("concerned with the fundamental nature of reality and being"),<sup id="cite_ref-24" class="reference"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philosophy#cite_note-24">[24]</a></sup> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epistemology" title="Epistemology">epistemology</a> (about the "nature and grounds of knowledge [and]...its limits and validity" <sup id="cite_ref-25" class="reference"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philosophy#cite_note-25">[25]</a></sup>), <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethics" title="Ethics">ethics</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aesthetics" title="Aesthetics">aesthetics</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_philosophy" title="Political philosophy">political philosophy</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Logic" title="Logic">logic</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philosophy_of_science" title="Philosophy of science">philosophy of science</a> and the history of Western philosophy.
Since the 20th century professional <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philosopher" title="Philosopher">philosophers</a> contribute to society primarily as <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Professor" title="Professor">professors</a>, researchers and writers. However, many of those who study philosophy in undergraduate or graduate programs contribute in the fields of law, journalism, politics, religion, science, business and various art and entertainment activities.<sup id="cite_ref-whystudyphilosophy.com_26-0" class="reference"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philosophy#cite_note-whystudyphilosophy.com-26">[26]</a></sup></p>