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STEM 11-ALKHAZINI
Philosophy
is the study of general and fundamental questions about existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind,
and language. Such questions are often posed as problems to be studied or resolved. The term was probably
coined by Pythagoras (c. 570 – 495 BCE). Philosophical methods include questioning, critical
discussion, rational argument, and systematic presentation.
Historically, "philosophy" encompassed any body of knowledge. From the time of Ancient Greek
philosopher Aristotle to the 19th century, "natural philosophy" encompassed astronomy, medicine,
and physics. For example, Newton's 1687 Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy later became
classified as a book of physics. In the 19th century, the growth of modern research universities led academic
philosophy and other disciplines to professionalize and specialize. In the modern era, some investigations that
were traditionally part of philosophy became separate academic disciplines,
including psychology, sociology, linguistics, and economics.
The most well-known ancient Greek Philosopher of all time, Socrates, was a master stonemason and social
critic. He never wrote anything and most of his philosophical contributions come through his students, mainly
Plato. Socrates embarked a whole new perspective of achieving practical results through application of
philosophy in our daily lives. Socrates became famous for encouraging people to critically question everything.
Socrates' greatest contribution to philosophy was the Socratic Method in which discussion, argument, and
dialogue are used to discern the truth. Eventually, his beliefs and realistic approach in philosophy led to his end,
as he was tried and convicted for criticizing religion and corrupting the youth. Socrates then chose death by
suicide over exile from his homeland of Athens. His legendary trial and death at the altar of the ancient Greek
democratic system has changed the academic view of philosophy as a study of life itself.
A student of Plato and the teacher of Alexander the Great, Aristotle is considered one of the world’s greatest
ancient philosophers. Aristotle studied a wide variety of subjects, including science, ethics, government, physics
and politics, and wrote extensively on them. He believed that people’s concepts and all of their knowledge were
ultimately based on perception. All aspects of Aristotle's philosophy continue to be the object of active
academic study today.