Philosophy is the Pursuit of Wisdom

Philosophy is the pursuit of wisdom, and a philosopher is one in pursuit of wisdom. This is why I call myself a philosopher.

The word philosophy comes from the Greek philosophia. The first part, philo, means “friendship” or “love.” The second part, sophia, means “wisdom.” So philosophy literally means “the love of wisdom.”

Today, philosophy means something quite different. It has become an academic discipline concerned with analysis and argument, a profession detached from daily life. It has drifted far from what Pierre Hadot called “philosophy as a way of life.” Epicurus expressed it perfectly: “Empty is the word of a philosopher which does not heal any suffering of humanity.”