[FOM] Definition of "philosophy"

[Joseph Vidal-Rosset]

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Le Mon, 12 Mar 2007 13:15:15 -0500,
Charles Silver <silver_1 at mindspring.com> a écrit :

> 	(Another thing I believe is that "real philosophy" is not
> often done in departments of philosophy.  So, a good definition, at
> least in my view, should reflect this.)

It is maybe useful to distinguish "philosophy" as activity and
philosophical systems which are sometimes the result of a great
philosophical activity. 

Wittgenstein in his Tractatus (4.112) gives a nice definition of
philosophy as activity. In my opinion it is hard to disagree with his
definition of what *should* be the philosophical activity. But it is a
fact that there are also philosophical theories and philosophical
systems. 

Jules Vuillemin in his book "What are philosophical systems?" (CUP,
1986) proposes an interesting theory and a classification of
philosophical systems (but unfortunately not well-known). His theory
tries to explain why philosophy is basically polemical. 

Quine, in his famous paper "On what there is" gives also a
classification of philosophies of mathematics based on the respective
ontological commitments of such or such philosophical system.  

So, why "real philosophy" is not often done in department of
philosophy? For many reasons. Firstly because philosophers already
disagree about the nature of the "real philosophy" itself. Secondly
because it is very hard to understand the different philosophical
positions on one classical philosophical problem, and also find crucial
arguments to defend one's own theory. Do not forget that Plato himself
begins with aporetical dialogs. Last but not least, because real
invention (or discovery) in rational philosophy is maybe more difficult
than in others domains (because of the burden of the history of
philosophy, which exists, and which can be denied only by ignorants and
naive "thinkers"). 

That is only an attempt of clarification, not a definition...
 

- -- 
Joseph Vidal-Rosset
Université de Nancy 2
Département de philosophie
Bd Albert 1er
F-54000 Nancy

page web: http://jvrosset.free.fr
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