Philosophy and Fundamental Questions of Human Existence - Research Paper Example

 What is Philosophy? The nature of philosophy has been a long considered topic dating most prominently back to Greek antiquity. Because of the long history of philosophy, there have been a number of schools of thought and evolutionary patterns that have not only investigated new topics but have fundamentally expanded the very nature of what constitutes the philosophical investigation. Due to these reasons, it's necessary to consider philosophy as a constantly evolving field of investigation.

This essay follows this understanding, in advancing a general exploration of what is philosophy. From an overarching contemporary perspective philosophy has been articulated as the investigation of the fundamental problems of life, most specifically those of existence, morality, meaning, and the nature of language (Teichmann). While this definition provides a general understanding of philosophy, it is necessary to consider philosophy’s evolution in terms of schools of thought to properly encapsulate its essence.

In these regards, it is perhaps most appropriate to start with ancient Greek philosophy, as it is here that the term Philos (knowledge) first emerged. Within Greek philosophy there emerged three major schools – pre-Socratic, the middle period, and finally the Hellenistic era. Among these, the most significant era was the middle period where texts by Plato and Aristotle functioned to investigate many of the concerns that would become fundamental areas of investigation for later philosophers. Among the primary elements that emerged during this period were investigations into the nature of proper government, considerations of what constituted the main purpose of existence, and in Aristotle investigations into art, beauty, and various scientific factors.

As the academic disciplines of the sciences had yet to emerge, it’s clear that during this period of history philosophy in-large part constituted all investigations into the nature of reality. While philosophy during Greek antiquity was greatly rooted in humanistic investigations into the nature of reality, this was not true of the Medieval period of philosophy. During this era, philosophy came to be more prominently concerned with Christian investigations into the nature of religion. It was believed that Christianity answered many of the major problems of existence, so it was important to consider the philosophical nature of Christianity(Teichmann).

This understanding of philosophy continued until the Renaissance period. During the Renaissance, there was a rebirth of philosophy and a newfound emphasis on more humanistic investigations into the nature of existence. During this period the nature of philosophy took on a nature similar to that which occurred during Greek antiquity. These investigations extended into the nature of government, ultimately establishing new forms of thought in terms of politics, with thinkers such as Machiavelli.

Significant investigations into the nature of the universe were also developed with thinkers such as Copernicus. Ultimately, this is still an understanding of philosophy as broadly encompassing investigations into the nature of existence. After the Renaissance era, the nature of philosophy would be divided into a number of schools of thought. During the era known as the Modern period, philosophy would come to be understood in terms of rationalist and empiricist schools of thought, as embodied in the works of prominent philosophers as Descartes and Spinoza.

Philosophy was still understood as examining the nature of political thought, with a branch of ‘political philosophy’ emerging in the work of thinkers such as Thomas Hobbes(Fullerton). In later Modern philosophy schools of thought known as metaphysics and idealism emerged, as well as prominent thinkers such as Kant and Nietzsche. The Modern period established the importance of philosophy as rooted in logic and reasoned thought processes. While both investigations into politics and the nature of existence continued to be understood as ‘philosophy,’ an increased emphasis on the nature of the self and internal motivation emerged.

These investigations continued into the 20th century; however, this era witnessed an increased specialization of thought, so a number of categories that previously had constituted ‘philosophy' splintered off into separate studies. For instance, political science encapsulated much of political investigations(Fullerton). Still, though splintered into analytic and continental schools of thought, philosophy remained concerned with investigating fundamental questions of existence and reality. Ultimately, while philosophy has evolved and been splintered off into a variety of schools of thought, since Greek antiquity it has remained broadly concerned with fundamental questions of human existence.

If one is to extend this categorization, it could be argued that philosophy is at the forefront of investigations into reality within areas that have not yet been usurped by formal studies, such as political science or astronomy. References Fullerton, George. (2010) An Introduction to Philosophy.Kessinger Publishing. Teichmann, Jenny. (1999) Philosophy: A Beginner’s Guide. New York: Teluiric Press.