The Origin and Evolution of the Term Philosophy

The term philosophy is a fascinating concept with a rich history spanning centuries and continents. It functionally means both the seeking of wisdom and the wisdom sought. This profound study focuses on the most basic and profound matters of human existence, encompassing a broad range of inquiries from ethics to metaphysics.

Origins of the Term

The origin of the term philosophia is often attributed to the pre-Socratic philosopher Pythagoras, who used it to describe himself as a philosophos or a lover of wisdom. However, this attribution is not without controversy. Some scholars argue that this is a relatively modern western interpretation, and the term may have origins that predate Pythagoras in the East.

For instance, the word philosophy is derived from the Greek words philos (meaning "love") and sophia (meaning "wisdom"). It is possible that the idea of philosophy being a translation of these terms is a fourteenth-century western concept. Much earlier, there were significant developments in the sciences in the East, some of which were translated into classical Greek and Latin.

Early Philosophical Concepts in the East

Farabi around the ninth century emphasized the separation of ideas from proofs. By the tenth century, an Islamic encyclopedia compiled in Basra, drawing on ancient Egyptian writings, was published by "The Brotherhood of Purity." These explorations diverged from Islamic orthodoxy and were controversial. The group was known by the shortened title, Ikwan al-Safa. The f’al-safa movement was criticized by Hamid Al-Ghazzali in the work Tuhafat al-Falasifa (The Incoherence of the Philosophers) in the tenth century.

Philosophy in Ancient Greece

The term philosophia gained more prominence in the works of Greek philosophers. For example, according to Cicero in his Tusculan Disputations, Pythagoras coined the term to avoid being called a sage or wise man (sophos). This modest approach was continued by Plato, who repeatedly used the term in his dialogues such as Republic, Phaedo, and Symposium.

Plato's objective was to link the quest for wisdom with the immortality of the soul (psyche), whose vision (theoria) governs action (pragma) and therefore requires abstract thought (dianoia) and contemplation (nous) of eternal verities. This association between philosophy and the purification of the soul—both as a means to an end (political rule by those immune to material pleasures) and as an end in itself (beholding cosmic truth)—is a central theme in Plato's writings.

Aristotle, while subscribing to the ideal of philosophical life, recognized that achieving such a life is unattainable as we all must die. Only the form (concept) of the ideal remains, outlasting us and being more or less permanent. Departing from this ideal would be a form of living death, drawing us closer to death with each passing day. This perspective underscores the enduring nature of the philosophical quest, even in the face of mortality.

Pythagoras may have been the first philosopher in the Occident, and we must hope that we have not seen or heard the last. The term philosophia and its evolving meaning continue to shape our understanding of wisdom, knowledge, and human existence.