Tonia Pelix, age, 10, of Berkeley, Cal :

What is philosophy?

Some weeks ago, Andy wrote about a teacher of ancient Greeze named Aristotle: To many of us, the name of Aristotle comes to mind as one of the greatest of philosophers, But Aristotle wrote on a ‑number of widely different subjects, all of which he considered philosophy, That word is coined from two Greek words meaning love and wisdom. To Aristotle philosophy was the love of wisdom.

In that meaning of the words you are a philosopher every time you want to ask a question. You would love to have some more wisdom, knowledge or information about something or other, However, since Aristotle's day, the word philosophy has somewhat changed its meaning. Most people are agreed that it is ‑the‑ most important the mater study of all studies. It begin with your wondering and wanting to know about yourself, other people, the world and what makes it work. Certainly Andy agrees that that kind of curiosity is the greatest of all riches anyone can possess.

If you think about it, you will see that it leads you through your life. You follow up your interests, the things you are curious about„ This helps you to learn, enjoy things and form opinions. As you learn about something! you cannot help learning more about yourself and the whole world. So, you see, everyone is a philosopher, whether he knows it or not.

Since Aristotle's day, certain subjects have been taken away from the study of philosophy, We no longer class astronomy, botany, zoology or petrology under the master study as he did.  We call these subjects the physical sciences. They deal with subjects we can see, touch and examine with our senses.

Philosophy is left to deal with the important things we cannot touch and see. It is concerned with reason, intelligence, emotions, opinions and the plain old logic of common sense. Very often, an argument about such things cannot be proved one way or the other, But every such debate opens up the mind and sets it thinking about big, important things.

One branch of philosophy is called ethics. This is the study of right and wrong, good conduct and bad conduct. Every sensible person gives a lot of thought to this branch of philosophy. Another branch of philosophy is metaphysics ‑ meaning beyond the material or physical world. It considers such questions as, What is the cause of the world or the sky? Everyone wonders about such things at some time or another,

In philosophy, we give everyone a chance to consider his own most important thoughts, A philosopher has the right to think these things through and come to his own opinions. Every smart philosopher knows that certain great thinkers have done all this before him. What he loves most, this lover of wisdoms is to check his own best thoughts with the thoughts of the worlds greatest philosophers. of  the world.