Fredrina asked:

What is a philosopher?

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This question isn't as easy to answer as you may at first suspect. Philosophers themselves struggle
when trying to capture the essence of Philosophy. (See Geoffrey Klempner's article, Can Philosophy
Be Taught?) Etymologically, philosophy means 'love of wisdom,' so a philosopher, just like a historian
or a scientist, is intent on reaching the truth. Philosophers ask fundamentalquestions about the world
and our place within it. They critically examine arguments and challenge any assumptions on which
they rest. The scientist begins his enquiry by conducting experiments to find out the nature of the
world, but in doing this he leaves unquestioned our ability to know anything at all, and is assuming
that the world exists independently of us. These assumptions are the types of problems with which
the philosopher starts. As Bryan Magee notes, "...philosophy is a quest for rational understanding of
the most fundamental kind." In this sense philosophy can be seen as a foundation for all other forms
of inquiry. For philosophers deal with the most basic issues which are usually taken for granted, but if
false, could alter the whole way in which we think. So in Ethics the philosopher is not just concerned
to know whether this or that particular action is right but wants to know what constitutes a right action
and asks are there any objective moral values? Philosophy does not have a distinctive subject matter
as such, more a distinctive approach. Philosophers and scientists are both interested in the nature of
the world. The main difference between them is where they begin their inquiry and the methods that
they adopt.

Philosophical questions arise in contexts in which there is uncertainty about what we know. Thus
Wittgenstein claims, 'A philosophical problem has the form: "I don't know my way about"'
(Philosophical Investigationspara. 123). A philosopher will proceed in this situation by putting forward
and critically assessing arguments for and against a particular conclusion. A good philosopher is able
to identify a good argument and expose the flaws in a weak one. She is aware that the way in which a
question is asked is as important as the answer given to it. For an unfairly biased question will directly
determine the answer reached, and if we persist in asking unclear questions then we cannot hope to
formulate the illuminating answers that we seek. Philosophers often draw fine distinctions in an
attempt to clarify our ideas

Bertrand Russell claims that,

"Philosophy, like all other studies, aims primarily at knowledge. The knowledge that it aims at is the
kind of knowledge which gives unity and system to the body of the sciences, and the kind which
results from a critical examination of the grounds of our convictions, prejudices, and beliefs.

The Problems of Philosophy,page 90"

The idea of creating a systematic and coherent account of the world and the self and the relation
between the two is central to the philosophical enterprise. Hegel goes so far as to assert that
Philosophy only begins when we make a claim to totality. The answer that we give to one
philosophical question will have a direct impact on the answers that we can consistently give to
others, as many of the main problems are inter-related.

Philosophers often engage in dialogue. By discussing issues with others new ideas and different
ways of approaching problems often come to light. Being aware that you have a critical audience
often makes you think more carefully before you put forward a point! Socrates engaged in numerous
philosophical dialogues but never wrote any of his ideas down. Even a philosopher working in
isolation often ends up having a dialogue with himself, as he critically assesses his own ideas. So
Philosophy is an activity, and as such it's perhaps best understood by doing it.

Samantha Solomons