What is philosophy for?

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Philosophy, whose name comes from the Greek philosophía and means “love for wisdom,” is a humanities discipline dedicated to studying the fundamental questions of existence, knowledge, truth, and morality. It is often considered the mother of all sciences, as it historically encompassed knowledge before the emergence of specialized scientific disciplines. Far from being an abstraction removed from reality, philosophy has an enormous practical value in our lives: it helps us to develop critical thinking, examine our beliefs and values, and offer us tools to understand the world around us. In other words, philosophy helps us reflect on our actions, question the established order, and live more fully and meaningfully.

Origin and history of philosophy

Western philosophy, as we know it, had its origin in ancient Greece, around the sixth century BC; a period in which thinkers such as Thales of Miletus began to search for rational explanations of the world rather than relying solely on myths. This early period, known as “ancient philosophy,” spanned the period from the pre-Socratic philosophers to the teachings of Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle, who set the foundations for much of Western thought. Later, during “medieval philosophy” (fifth to fifteenth centuries AD), philosophical reflection became intertwined with theology: authors such as Saint Augustine and Thomas Aquinas used philosophy to understand and explain religious truths. With the arrival of “modern philosophy” in the seventeeth and eigthteenth centuries, thinkers such as Descartes, Hume, and Kant emphasized reason, science, and the individual, using philosophy to expand human knowledge and as a moral compass for conduct. Finally, “contemporary philosophy” (twentieth century to the present) has diversified into very varied currents and approaches—from “analytical” to “continental” philosophy—addressing new problems and participating in modern intellectual debate (for example, through the political philosophy behind concepts such as “human rights” or “social justice”).

It’s remarkable that, although the Western tradition originates in Greece, ancient philosophical traditions also flourished in other cultures, such as India, China, and Mesoamerica, each with its own questions and methods. This reveals that the impulse to philosophize is universal among humanity. Throughout history, philosophy has taken on different roles depending on the era. For the ancient Greeks, philosophizing was almost a lifestyle oriented toward the pursuit of wisdom; in the Middle Ages, it was considered a tool in the service of theology and the interpretation of sacred texts; during modernity, it was a method for reaching rational truths and was seen as an ethical guide for life. Even in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, philosophers such as Friedrich Nietzsche redefined the function of philosophy, bringing it closer to art and promoting a critique of established values. The history of philosophy itself shows us how the discipline has managed to reinvent itself and remain relevant, fueling intellectual debate in every period.

Philosophy in everyday life?

Although at first glance it may seem distant from daily concerns, philosophy is part of everyone’s daily life, often implicitly. Every time someone reflects on what is right or wrong, questions why things happen, or considers the meaning of their life, they are entering the philosophical realm. Our ethical values and the way we make decisions are influenced by philosophical ideas. In fact, most people, when making important decisions, do so based on a system of beliefs or values—whether religious, cultural, or personal—that involves philosophical notions about good, justice, or truth. Without philosophy, it would be difficult to articulate notions such as values or define a general ethic that guides our actions (for example, the idea of “treating others as we would like to be treated” has deep philosophical roots).

Let’s consider a common situation: deciding between seeking personal benefit or acting for the good of another person. We often reason that, even if we sacrifice some of our own self-interest, by helping others, we also benefit as a community. This reasoning is based on principles of reciprocity and community that are distinctly philosophical, inherited from ethical currents that value the common good. Another simple example: when we distinguish between the fantasy of a movie and the reality of daily life, we are applying philosophical criteria. We rely on logic to reason coherently, in concepts of philosophy of science applied to mathematics to understand natural laws, and even in metaphysical reflections on what is “real” and what is not. All of this occurs naturally, without us needing to call it philosophy, but it demonstrates how philosophical tools are part of our everyday thinking.

In the contemporary era, with dizzying scientific and technological advances, philosophy remains fundamental for guiding us. On the one hand, modern science historically separated from “natural philosophy” during the Renaissance and the Enlightenment, specializing in particular fields, but this did not eliminate the need for philosophical reflection. In fact, the emergence of science transformed our Western way of thinking without preventing philosophy from continuing to ask questions that science cannot fully answer. Today, philosophy often acts as a bridge between disciplines: it accompanies the sciences in the interpretation of their discoveries and provides an ethical framework for their application. For example, current issues regarding artificial intelligence, cloning, or bioethics require not only technical knowledge but also philosophical deliberation about what is right to do and the moral implications of these advances. Ethics committees in scientific research, discussions on digital privacy, or animal rights are examples of philosophy working hand in hand with science and technology to guide human progress.

In the social and political sphere, philosophy also remains fully relevant. Concepts such as social justice, human rights, freedom, and democracy have deep philosophical roots in political and ethical theory and are the subject of ongoing debate in defining how we want to live in society. Major historical transformations—from the abolition of slavery to the fight for gender equality—have been preceded by philosophical arguments about human dignity, equality, and universal morality. Even today, many contemporary debates about what constitutes a just society or how to balance individual freedom with the common good are based on the ideas of classical and contemporary philosophers.

Philosophy, therefore, remains present in academia as a major and is a current field of research in universities around the world. Its formal study is relevant not only to train future philosophers but also to provide critical thinking skills to professionals in all fields. It is increasingly recognized—or at least, intended—that a degree in philosophy provides valuable skills for analyzing complex problems, arguing rigorously, and learning to learn independently. Therefore, interdisciplinary programs that combine philosophy with economics, politics, or other disciplines have gained importance: they provide tools for understanding and addressing current challenges from a more comprehensive perspective.

Furthermore, philosophy remains a force for intellectual and social progress. Through open debate and the constant search for truth, philosophy tests our ideas, refines them, and sometimes transforms them. This has led to both individual advances—in the way a person can rethink their beliefs—and collective ones. Historically, philosophy played a key role in the formation of educational institutions and schools of thought; for example, the Enlightenment—with thinkers such as Rousseau, Voltaire, and Kant—laid the philosophical foundations for modern democracies.

Final thoughts

Asking “What is philosophy for?” is itself a philosophical exercise. Throughout this article, we have attempted to show that philosophy serves many purposes: to think critically, to ground our values, to guide us in science and society, and even to understand ourselves. However, several philosophers have cautioned that the value of philosophy does not lie solely in its immediate practical utility. Thinkers such as Theodor Adorno argued that philosophy should not be justified by its external utility, since its value comes from itself, as a critical activity of thought. In this sense, philosophy “serves to philosophize”—that is, its purpose is to foster reflection and the search for truth for the love of knowledge, rather than for any material advantage.

Far from detracting from its merit, this idea highlights the intrinsic importance of philosophy. The fact that humanity has been philosophizing for millennia suggests that we have a natural need to understand our place in the world and to question what we take for granted. Philosophy enriches our intellectual and spiritual lives, teaching us to appreciate questions rather than easy answers. In the face of the current turmoil of a changing and complex world, philosophizing allows us to maintain an open, curious, and critical mind. Philosophy serves to make us more human: to fully exercise our capacity for wonder, doubt, and understanding.

References:

[1] Moreno, M. (2020). Theodor Adorno and the problem of modern rationality: germinal edges of a critical concern. Universum (Talca), 35(1), 314-339. DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.4067/S0718-23762020000100314

Claudia Muro

She is student of the Master of Advanced Studies in Philosophy at the Complutense University of Madrid