Philosophy as Love of Wisdom

Philosophy as the Love of Wisdom

Philosophy is the science that seeks to understand all of reality, the world as a whole. It is evident that no other science can pose questions about the world in its entirety, as each discipline focuses solely on specific aspects of the universe, leaving the exploration of the universe’s nature to philosophy, which holds this prerogative. Philosophy is the unique discipline capable of providing us with satisfaction, for it closes the circle of scientific inquiry, establishing order and connection among disparate forms of knowledge. For instance, Benedict Spinoza, the last of the great philosophers, aimed to construct a system of the world with mathematical precision.

However, the path to truth in philosophy is much longer, more complex, and more contentious. This complexity arises from the nature of philosophical inquiry, which emerges as a unity of consciousness (thought) in relation to the objective world, and the objective world in relation to consciousness.

Philosophy distinguishes itself from worldview by being a theoretical exploration of the world rather than a spiritually practical one. In this light, philosophy is not merely a worldview but a form of theoretical expression and resolution of worldview problems. How can this be demonstrated?

First, worldview as a form of social consciousness arose historically before the separation of intellectual labor from physical labor, leading to the development of philosophy and science. The key to the primitive communal worldview lies in mythology.

Second, philosophy serves as a theoretical means of addressing worldview issues that initially arise outside its bounds, generated by practical experience.

Third, worldview precedes philosophy in the development of individual consciousness. An individual can acquire philosophical knowledge only at a certain age and on a specific theoretical and cultural foundation. However, this does not imply that an individual lacks a worldview prior to engaging with philosophy. The formation of worldview occurs within the framework of the spiritual culture of a given society, from which certain philosophical notions emerge.

Moreover, one should not equate philosophy with worldview or ideology. Ideology and worldview can, but need not, be the results of philosophical reflection. Conversely, the conclusions drawn from philosophical contemplation, that is, the outcomes of philosophical inquiry, do not constitute philosophy itself.

Without the very process of reflection, worldview concerning philosophy is akin to a corn cob without kernels. Thus, it is not worldviews that hold importance in the history of philosophy; they are merely creations and culminations of the philosophical act.

For the history of philosophy, the act itself, that is, the process of philosophizing, is crucial—philosophizing entails a critical examination of worldviews and a skeptical challenge to ideology.

Consequently, philosophy represents a theoretical resolution of worldview problems, that is, a theory of worldview.

Traditionally, three principal functions of philosophy are recognized: the worldview function, the critical function, and the methodological function.

Finally, it is essential to consider the second word in the term "worldview," which is "view." This encompasses "thinking," "understanding," and the system of relationships between "humanity" and "the world." In this "human-world" system, we can identify three fundamental types of relationships: cognitive, practical, and value-based (axiological).

Turning to the history of philosophy will deepen our understanding of this problem. The founder of German classical idealism, Immanuel Kant, in his work "Critique of Pure Reason" (1781), formulated three famous philosophical questions—three system-forming tasks of fundamental significance for philosophy in its highest, as he called it, "cosmopolitan" sense:

— What can I know?
— What ought I to do?
— What can I hope for?

The first question is answered by metaphysics, the second by morality, and the third by religion. Twenty years later, Kant concluded that all three questions could be reduced to a single inquiry: what is the human being?

The answer to this last question is provided by anthropology. In this context, the philosopher refines the third question, which now reads: what may I hope for?

It is impossible to answer the question "What is the human being?" without also seeking answers to the first three questions. Therefore, the system of any philosophical inquiry constitutes philosophy itself.

The first question is purely speculative (theoretical) and pertains to three subjects:

— the freedom of the will,
— the immortality of the soul, and
— the existence of God.

For theoretical reason, these are always transcendent and lack any immanent application, that is, accessibly relevant to empirical experience, and therefore, practical utility for us.

The second question is strictly practical: do what makes you worthy of happiness, for everything practical is possible only through freedom.

The third question, "What can I hope for?" is simultaneously both practical and theoretical, as the practical serves merely as a guide for the theoretical response: something exists because something is destined to occur, and conversely, something exists (acting as the highest cause) because something transpires.

Thus, philosophy is a system of rational universal knowledge; in other words, any philosophy consists either of knowledge grounded in pure reason, referred to as propaedeutics (preparatory exercises), or of knowledge derived from empirical principles (science).