philosophy (fɪˈlɒsəfɪ
)
Definitions
noun
- the academic discipline concerned with making explicit the nature and significance of ordinary and scientific beliefs and investigating the intelligibility of concepts by means of rational argument concerning their presuppositions, implications, and interrelationships; in particular, the rational investigation of the nature and structure of reality (metaphysics), the resources and limits of knowledge (epistemology), the principles and import of moral judgment (ethics), and the relationship between language and reality (semantics)
- the particular doctrines relating to these issues of some specific individual or school ⇒
the philosophy of Descartes
- the critical study of the basic principles and concepts of a discipline ⇒
the philosophy of law
- archaic or literary the investigation of natural phenomena, esp alchemy, astrology, and astronomy
- any system of belief, values, or tenets
- a personal outlook or viewpoint
- serenity of temper
Word Origin
C13: from Old French filosofie, from Latin philosophia, from Greek, from philosophos lover of wisdomSynonyms
View thesaurus entry=
outlook,
values,
principles,
convictions,
thinking,
beliefs,
doctrine,
ideology,
viewpoint,
tenets,
world view,
basic idea attitude to life
Weltanschauung,
Quotations
"Philosophy! the lumber of the schools"
"Philosophy may teach us to bear with equanimity the misfortunes of our neighbours"
"Philosophy is a good horse in the stable, but an arrant jade on a journey"
"All good moral philosophy is but an handmaid to religion"
"A little philosophy inclineth man's mind to atheism, but depth in philosophy bringeth men's minds about to religion"
"philosophy: a route of many roads leading from nowhere to nothing"
"Philosophy will clip an Angel's wings"
"How charming is divine philosophy!Not harsh and crabbèd, as dull fools suppose,But musical as Apollo's lute"
Translations
- British English:
philosophy
Philosophy is the study or creation of theories about basic things such as the nature of existence or how people should live....traditional Chinese philosophy.fɪˈlɒsəfɪ NOUN ...traditional Chinese philosophy.
- Spanish:
filosofía
nf
- French:
philosophie
nf
- German:
Philosophie
nf
- Chinese: 哲学 n
- Arabic: فَلْسَفَةٌ n
- Portuguese: filosofia nf
- Russian: философия nf
- Croatian: filozofija nf
- Czech: filozofie nf
- Danish: filosofi nutr
- Dutch: filosofie nf
- Finnish: filosofia n
- Greek: φιλοσοφία nf
- Italian: filosofia nf
- Japanese: 哲学 n
- Korean: 철학 n
- Norwegian: filosofi nm
- Polish: filozofia nf
- Brazilian Portuguese: filosofia nf
- European Spanish:
filosofía
nf
- Swedish: filosofi nutr
- Thai: ปรัชญา n
- Turkish: felsefe n
- Vietnamese: triết học n
Usage examples
You probably share my view that genuine private feelings are not for public display, in spite of the current philosophy.
, Doubtful Motives (1987)Yet that is a philosophy that makes a virtue out of intermittent access.
Spiked (2003)I've seen an older couple who I think are just from the community and have an interest in philosophy.
Globe and Mail (2003)Thankfully, he believes that philosophy is about attempting to understand life, rather than simply trying to understand linguistics.
Glasgow Herald (2001)It was a fundamental principle of the Gradgrind philosophy that everything was to be paid for.
, MAKING HAPPY PEOPLE (2005)