Looking over the initial material on the definitions of philosophy in the course content section, which definition (Aristotle, Novalis, Wittgenstein) would you say gives you the best feel for philosophy? What is it about the definition that interests you? do you find there to be any problems with the definition? what other questions do you have regarding the meaning of philosophy?  ARISTOTLE :   Definition 1: Philosophy begins with wonder. (Aristotle) Our study of philosophy will begin with the ancient Greeks. This is not because the Greeks were necessarily the first to philosophize. They were the first to address philosophical questions in a systematic manner. Also, the bodies of works which survive from the Greeks is quite substantial so in studying philosophy we have a lot to go on if we start with the Greeks. Philosophy is, in fact, a Greek word. Philo is one of the Greek words for love: in this case the friendship type of love. (What other words can you think of that have "philo" as a part?) Sophia, has a few different uses in Greek. Capitalized it is the name of a woman or a Goddess: wisdom. Philosophy, then, etymologically, (that is from its roots) means love of wisdom. But what exactly is wisdom? Is it merely knowledge? Intelligence? If I know how to perform a given skill does this necessarily imply that I also have wisdom or am wise? The word "wise" is not in fact a Greek word. Remember for the Greeks that's "Sophia". Wise is Indo-European and is related to words like "vision", "video", "Veda" (the Indian Holy scriptures). The root has something to do with seeing. Wisdom then has to do with applying our knowledge in a meaningful and practically beneficial way. Perhaps this is the reason why philosophy is associated with the aged. Aristotle believes that philosophy in fact is more suitably studied by the old rather than the young who are inclined to be controlled by the emotions. Do you think this is correct? Nevertheless, whether Aristotle is correct or not, typically the elderly are more likely to be wise as they have more experience of life: they have seen more and hopefully know how to respond correctly to various situations. Philosophy is not merely confined to the old. Aristotle also says that philosophy begins with wonder and that all people desire to know. Children often are paradigm cases of wondering. Think about how children (perhaps a young sibling or a son or daughter, niece or nephew of your acquaintance) inquistively ask their parents "why" certain things are the case? If the child receives a satisfying answer, one that fits, she is satisfied. If not there is dissatisfaction and frustration. Children assume that their elders know more than they do and thus rely on them for the answers. Though there is a familiar cliche that ignorance is bliss, (perhaps what is meant by this is that ignorance of evil is bliss), Aristotle sees ignorance as painful, a wonder that I would rather fill with knowledge. After all wha.

1. Looking over the initial material on the definitions of
philosophy in
the course content section, which definition (Aristotle, Novalis,
Wittgenstein) would you say gives you the best feel for
philosophy? What
is it about the definition that interests you? do you find there to
be any problems with the definition? what other questions do
you have regarding the meaning of philosophy?
ARISTOTLE :
Definition 1: Philosophy begins with wonder. (Aristotle)
Our study of philosophy will begin with the ancient Greeks.
This is not because the Greeks were necessarily the first to
philosophize. They were the first to address philosophical
questions in a systematic manner. Also, the bodies of works
which survive from the Greeks is quite substantial so in
studying philosophy we have a lot to go on if we start with the
Greeks.
Philosophy is, in fact, a Greek word. Philo is one of the Greek
words for love: in this case the friendship type of love. (What
other words can you think of that have "philo" as a part?)
Sophia, has a few different uses in Greek. Capitalized it is the
name of a woman or a Goddess: wisdom. Philosophy, then,
etymologically, (that is from its roots) means love of wisdom.
But what exactly is wisdom? Is it merely knowledge?
Intelligence? If I know how to perform a given skill does this
necessarily imply that I also have wisdom or am wise?

2. The word "wise" is not in fact a Greek word. Remember for the
Greeks that's "Sophia". Wise is Indo-European and is related to
words like "vision", "video", "Veda" (the Indian Holy
scriptures). The root has something to do with seeing. Wisdom
then has to do with applying our knowledge in a meaningful and
practically beneficial way. Perhaps this is the reason why
philosophy is associated with the aged. Aristotle believes that
philosophy in fact is more suitably studied by the old rather
than the young who are inclined to be controlled by the
emotions. Do you think this is correct? Nevertheless, whether
Aristotle is correct or not, typically the elderly are more likely
to be wise as they have more experience of life: they have seen
more and hopefully know how to respond correctly to various
situations.
Philosophy is not merely confined to the old. Aristotle also says
that philosophy begins with wonder and that all people desire to
know. Children often are paradigm cases of wondering. Think
about how children (perhaps a young sibling or a son or
daughter, niece or nephew of your acquaintance) inquistively
ask their parents "why" certain things are the case? If the child
receives a satisfying answer, one that fits, she is satisfied. If not
there is dissatisfaction and frustration. Children assume that
their elders know more than they do and thus rely on them for
the answers. Though there is a familiar cliche that ignorance is
bliss, (perhaps what is meant by this is that ignorance of evil is
bliss), Aristotle sees ignorance as painful, a wonder that I
would rather fill with knowledge. After all what I don't know
could potentially be harmful to me. This wonder, then, this wide
open curiosity and astonishment about the complexity and
nature of the unknown world around us is, for Aristotle the
beginning of philosophy.
NOVALIS :

3. Definition Two: Novalis: Philosophy is homesickness
Novalis was chiefly a poet. He was German and there have been
plenty of good German philosophers so in the case of Novalis
its not surprising to have a little overlap. Homesickness (
heimweh
in German) would initially seem to be a strange definition for
philosophy. Is philosophy a home or a physical location? Isn't it
rather an academic discipline? Something you study in college
or something you discuss with friends at a cafe or after
watching French cinema?
Novalis seems to be on to something here though. Another word
for homesickness is, to go back to the Greeks again: nostalgia.
Nostos
(Greek for Home),
Algia
(pain) (for a challenge try to find other words in English that
have these roots in them).Nostalgia is often a sweet pain for
something vaguely familiar but now absent. We often speak of
being nostalgic for the past, our mother's cooking, friends, a
certain favorite place or song from our childhood.
Novalis, then is on to something powerful by his linking this
powerful and bitter sweet experience-- nostalgia-- with
something which initially seems quite abstract: philosophy. For
Novalis, philosophy is this longing for a home. Perhaps a home
that we've never had. It is a dissatisfaction which motivates us
to seek a foundation and place in the world where we belong.
WITTGENSTEIN :
hilosophy Defintion Three: Wittgenstein: Show the Fly the way

4. out of the bottle
Wittgenstein is one of the superstars of 20th Century
philosophy. Born to a tremendously wealth Austrian family he
decided to give his inheritance away. He wore a number of odd
hats throughout his life including a gardener at a monastary, an
elementary school teacher, an architect, an engineer student,
and a philosophy professor. As a philosopher he was quite
eccentric; for instance he held lectures in his rooms from a lawn
chair and often lapsed into long periods of silence while his
students patiently waited. An excellent and readable biography
is Ray Monk's
Duty of Genius
.
Wittgenstein is unique in the history of philosophy for having
two distinct philosophies an early and a late. After conducting
work during World War I as a prisoner of war in Italy which
was eventually published as his dissertation in philosophy:
Tractatus Logico Philosophicus
Wittgenstein later abandoned his early approach after being
confronted by an Italian friend's obscene gesture, going on to
develop another philosophical approach.
It is from this second period, the later Wittgenstein, that we
derive our definition of philosophy given here. Wittgenstein
believes that philosophy is to be seen as a "therapy", a means of
clearing up the confusions of our language. Our language
function as the fly bottle of the definition. Often philosophers,
Wittgenstein thought, try to push beyond the bounds of sense
and as a result push up against the invisible walls of the bottle.
Therapeutic philosophy can give "philosophy peace". And
allows us to stop philosophizing when appropriate and accept
the language that we have which is perfectly serviceable.
Wittgenstein's image here is stunning. We all can picture such a

5. case even if we haven't actually seen such a case. A similar case
of course is the moth that flies into the flame and destroys
itself. Wittgenstein points out here again that philosophy has a
practical purpose to illumine and liberate from the invisible
barriers which we may not be aware of but nevertheless hamper
and constrain us.