philosophy
/fɪˈlɒsəfi
/noun (plural philosophies)
1 [mass noun] The study of the fundamental nature of knowledge, reality, and existence, especially when considered as an academic discipline. See also natural philosophy.Theology ‘is an academic discipline like philosophy, English literature or the classics,’ he said....
- One of the fundamental tasks of philosophy has always been to determine what belongs to nature.
- Those who question the existence of African philosophy argue that philosophy is rooted in epistemology and metaphysics.
1.1 [count noun] A particular system of philosophical thought: the philosophies of Plato and Aristotle...
- At Jena, Hegel published a long pamphlet on the differences between the philosophies of Fichte and Schelling: in every case, in his opinion, Schelling's view was to be preferred.
- Compatibilist philosophies seek to reconcile free will and determinism in a modern time.
- This is because traditional notions of determinism in positivist and empiricist philosophies of science produced the odd idea that causation in the human world is agent-less and is not a force.
1.2The study of the theoretical basis of a particular branch of knowledge or experience: the philosophy of science...
- This is a distinction central to the branch of the philosophy of social science known as epistemology (simply defined as the study of how we can claim to know something).
- One explanation looks to the institutional and disciplinary history of theoretical physics and the philosophy of science.
- The philosophy of science deals with philosophical issues that arise in connection with science.
Synonyms
thinking, reasoning, thought, wisdom, knowledge
2A theory or attitude that acts as a guiding principle for behaviour: don’t expect anything and you won’t be disappointed, that’s my philosophy...
- Urban schools provide a different context for the development of knowledge, attitudes, and philosophies that guide the behaviors of beginning teachers.
- The philosophy of ‘live by the camera, die by the camera ‘must also be on the minds of some editors.’
- The philosophy of auctions took off in the '90s, and one can grant de facto property rights without de jure property rights.
Synonyms
beliefs, credo, faith, convictions, ideology, ideas, thinking, notions, theories, doctrine, tenets, values, principles, ethics, attitude, line, view, viewpoint, outlook, world view, school of thought;
German Weltanschauung
Origin
Middle English: from Old French philosophie, via Latin from Greek philosophia 'love of wisdom'.