The Philosophy It is the discipline that deals with addressing the issues that involve human life from an abstract and intangible point of view, related to issues associated with the ability to think and reflect, typical of the human race.
Morality and the ability to reflect on it, beauty, truth and the ability to know are some issues that humans have been able to reflect on, being the only animal species with that ability. Indeed, philosophy is motivated fundamentally by questions, usually great questions that overwhelmed human beings from the very acquisition of the ability to think.
The origin of philosophy and with it that of the philosophical question, cannot be determined exactly, but the diffusion of the concept took place in Ancient Greece, between 600 and 200 BC. The philosophical questions They transformed the way of understanding reality, and showed the evident curiosity that existed at that time and place for what surrounded people.
The human he sought to know himself, and through the questions he was able to interpret himself: the questions did not demand a concrete and determined answer, but rather invited debate, reflection and even polemic. It must also be said that, at the same time, the different civilizations of humanity carried out the same exercise of reflection in their own way: in South Asia and East Asia there were different aspects of philosophy such as Hinduism, Chinese or Japanese religion.
The advent of the modernity It caused the interests and priorities of the human being to be modified to a great extent, and that the advancement of science was consolidated as the greatest source of satisfaction and progress for the species. In this way, epistemology and questions regarding the validity and capacity of science, and its scope and limitations, occupied much of contemporary philosophy.
There is room, however, still for analytical reflection on the first transcendental questions for people’s lives: the good, the beauty, the thought and the role of humans in the world.
Thus, philosophical questions were modified to a great extent, without ceasing to occupy a fundamental part of people’s lives: the condition of people from the exercise of asking questions is inseparable.
Examples of philosophical questions
To illustrate what has been said so far, an exemplary list of philosophical questions will be developed.
- How can the man be happy in the world?
- Do people have free will to act?
- What is the cause of the enormous socioeconomic differences in the world?
- Is there a universal ethic?
- What is the real thing?
- Is there justice? If so, is it essential that society should be fair?
- What happens after death?
- Should the people elect those who rule them?
- What is the art?
- Is there an art objectively superior to another? Or is it just a matter of taste and preference?
- Is the world we live in a real world?
- Should the peoples of the world be forced to follow a single set of values, or should each decide their own? Is there such a thing as human rights?
- What is good?
- What are the incentives to do well?
- Does science always produce true knowledge?
- What is time?
- What is the meaning of man’s life in the world?
- Is there such a thing as a God?
- Is love natural to human beings, or is it a cultural creation?
- Is everything written or do people make their own destiny?