This is a paper for my philosophy class. Right now we're looking at the problem of evil. More to come. :-D


What is Philosophy?
Philosophy, from the Greek, Philos-Love and Sophia-Wisdom, literally “love of wisdom,” is the pursuit of knowledge, or Wisdom. “Oh, well that explains everything!” No, “What is Wisdom?” you’ll ask.

Bertrand Russell suggests that Philosophy is continually asking questions without knowledge as an end to be sought. “Philosophy is to be studied, not for the sake of definite answers to its questions since no definite answers can, as a rule, be known to be true, but rather for the sake of the questions themselves.”(Russell, Bertrand Pg.28)
Philosophy’s end is itself. This is circular reasoning, and is not logical. The definition breaks down. For instance, when a man is hungry, he longs after food. Does he eat just so he can become hungry? Is hunger really the thing sought? No, a man hungers for food who has none, but a man who has food does not long to be hungry. Wisdom must be an end to the pursuit of it or the pursuit is “Meaningless, a chasing after the wind.” (NIV, Ecclesiastes 1:14)

Socrates says that the wisest man knows he knows nothing. Artisans have knowledge in their art, but in their pride think they know more than they actually do and are thus fools. Wisdom, then, is accurately knowing what one knows. It could be said that Wisdom is humility. Humility is admitting that you don’t know, opening yourself to a greater understanding. So, Philosophy is the pursuit of knowledge in humility. God knows everything, and He understands that he knows everything, thus He is ultimately wise.

Solomon comes to this same idea as he ends his book on the pursuit of wisdom saying,
“Now all has been heard;
here is the conclusion of the matter:
Fear God and keep his commandments,
for this is the whole duty of man.
For God will bring every deed into judgment,
including every hidden thing,
whether it is good or evil.” (NIV, Ecclesiastes 12:13,14)
Socrates, who came around 500 years after Solomon, agrees saying, “Only God is wise.” (Plato, Pg. 9) Solomon says that God is all knowing and all wise and wisdom is found in the pursuit of and submission to Him. The only one who knows everything and knows that he knows everything is God. So, Philosophy in essence is the pursuit of God and His perfect Wisdom.

Works Cited
Russell, Bertrand. “The value of Philosophy.” Philosophy, The Quest For Truth. Sixth
Edition. Louis P. Pojman. New York: Oxford Press, 2006. Page 28
NIV Archeological Study Bible. Dr. Duane A. Garrett, gen. ed. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2005. Ecclesiastes 1:14, 12:13,14.
Plato. “Socratic Wisdom.” Philosophy, The Quest For Truth. Sixth Edition. Louis P. Pojman. New York: Oxford Press, 2006. Page 9