Philosophy can be explained, as can most of the other humanities disciplines, by showing its history, its types, and its methods.
Its history began long before written records were kept. It may have started when the first human not only perceived the sun, moon, and stars--and his or her own needs and desires--but also asked, "Why do these exist?"
True philosophical thinking may have begun also when human beings first realized that they were separate from nature, that they could control it, and that they therefore had freedom and willpower- -the will to choose.
Perhaps philosophical thinking began even more simply in humans when they became aware that they could think--something like seventeen-century philosopher Rene Descartes' famous statement, "I think, therefore I am."
"philo" and "Sophia,"
The word "philosophy" comes from two roots, "philo" and "Sophia," which mean "love" and "Wisdom." Thus philosophy is the love of wisdom and, in actual practice, the pursuit, study of, and enquiry into wisdom. Some great philosophers have called philosophy the art of thinking; others have described it as the systematic study of human thought and feeling. Still others have said that whereas in real life people think about things, in philosophy they think about thinking.
So, here begins the initial journey of “The Touches”….. Because most philosophers also think about feelings--the meanings of artistic feelings, emotional feelings, and intuitions--feelings should be included, too. In fact, there is one more step to take: one simply can call all thoughts and all feelings perceptions.
The word "philosophy" comes from two roots, "philo" and "Sophia," which mean "love" and "Wisdom."
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