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Philia+sophia is love+wisdom as others have mentioned. I think it is only born in a human heart that has a desire to "know the case". You must want to know what is the case and not just what you think might be fun, or a good idea, or what would suit you. It is an approach to life that uses the same care you use when you check out your finances. You don't imagine what it would be nice to have in the bank, you figure it exactly. It is an exact figure despite what you might wish it to be.

The fact that philosophy has a history and that each philosopher does not agree with another does not render the effort less noble or important. There are critics of philosophy that think most of the problems it tries to solve are artificial and a mistake. I would point to those critics to show the coherence of philosophy's understanding of "what is the case". The main problems are epistemology (what is knowledge), ontology (what is being), ethics (what is right, just, good). Learn the basics in a day and a well spent lifetime in answering and asking "what is the case".

Many of the objectives philosophy was aimed at achieving by the ancient Greeks have over time been assumed by science. Philosophy is still relevant, however, the inquiry of Ethics and Aesthetics. With regards to Epistemology; the greatest philosophical contribution in this field came from John Dewey, who reasoned that knowledge encompassed the bank of information and instruments a reasoning entity utilizes to transform the environment.

Philosophy is the love of wisdom and the search for it, hence the general knowledge of elements, powers, and explaining facts, and existence of life and other fundamental aspects of the universe! General questions are , why are we here, for what purpose, what is good or bad, is there a higher power, what makes people tick, etc.etc. etc.! In other words philosophy is the search for the meaning of anything and everything!!! Philosophy is the basis , or foundation for meaning and answers that one has no answers to at this time!! To study philosophy is a good foundation for life's journey!

A bold question.

Philosophy as a word and concept comes from ancient Greece. It literally means "love of wisdom".

Some people claim philosophy is the mother of all sciences. A philosopher questions everything, discuss everything. To make their entries in this discussion worthwhile philosophers have to know what all dead philosophers, as well as their contemporaries, have said about the same matter. It really takes a lot of loving wisdom to become a philosopher.

As to the central questions of philosophy, I found this site: http://philosophy.sdsu.edu/

what the philosophers are trying to understand is the world, our world. each of them understands it in a different way. but the main goal of philosophy is to question everything. Jostein Gaarder explained in "Sophie's world": we are flees on a white rabbit. and the magician plays a trick with the white rabbit.we all flees get born on the tip of the hairs. but after a while, we, the flees, get comfortable and crawl down to the root where it's warm. but a philosopher, like children, questions everything, he stays on the tip of the hair, so he can see the magician and perhaps learn his trick.

Metaphysics - What is the nature of the universe? Is it knowable or unfathomable, benevolent and conducive to human habitation or malevolent and inimical to humans, is it possible to achieve happiness in life, or is our lot to suffer and die?

Epistemology - How do you verify a fact? By a careful process of reason, logic and reference to reality or blind faith, wishes, whims, instincts and feelings.

Ethics - What is valuable in life and how should I conduct myself in its pursuit?

Politics - How should I treat other people?

Aesthetics - How do I interpret the meaning of art and beauty?

Philosophy defines what you mean when you use the word "I" in a sentence.

To question the food u eat, the air u breath, the sun & the moon and to doubt everything u see & hear form there on forth.

Peace