Philosophical thought is the thought that arises in the context of philosophy. This means that philosophical thought assumes that philosophy is a practice. Like all practices, philosophy generates a result, which is thought.
The ancient Greeks were the first to initiate philosophical thought in the West. In fact, the term “philosophy” is of Greek origin and can be translated as “love of wisdom” ( phylos , “love,” and sophos , “wisdom”). The great Greek philosophers of the Socratic tradition, Plato (427–347 BC) and Aristotle (384–322 BC), argued that the beginning of philosophical thought was wonder: the human being’s astonished attitude toward the complexity of the world around them, and the desire to know, understand, and explain it using reason (not faith).
However, wonder and the desire for knowledge are not the sole drivers of philosophical thought. Philosophical thought often arises as a result of critical thinking exercises or even in situations where the social, cultural, and political context invites reflection. Whether in times of peace, prosperity, war, or crisis, philosophical thought emerges in all its forms in every era to which human beings are exposed, century after century, day after day.
- See also: Philosophical Questions
Examples of philosophical thought
The great philosophical works and traditions throughout history have contributed to the construction of philosophical thought. Among them are:
- The Socratic tradition of Ancient Greece. Inaugurated by Socrates and continued by his disciples, it is one of the central philosophical traditions in Western history.
- Platonic thought. Inaugurated by Plato, a disciple of Socrates, it took shape over time until it crystallized in the founding of the Academy in Athens. Its influence extended into the Middle Ages, where it resurfaced as Neoplatonism. Platonic thought is still studied and discussed today.
- Aristotelian thought. Inaugurated by Aristotle, a disciple of Plato, Aristotelian thought took a critical position with respect to Platonic thought and systematized a large part of philosophical studies. It was taken up by Thomas Aquinas during the Scholastic period.
- Ancient Chinese philosophy. It is one of the oldest traditions of philosophical thought in the world (which began around the 13th century BC), which had its moment of splendor during its classical period, around the year 500 BC. At that time, its main schools proliferated: Ruism or Confucianism (founded by Confucius); Taoism (founded by Lao-Tzu and collected in his book Dào Dé Jing ); Mohism (founded by Mozi); Legalism (founded by the administrator and philosopher Shen Buhai); and finally the so-called School of Names (which emerged during the Warring States period).
- The philosophical schools of ancient India. It is a tradition that encompasses the set of philosophies and worldviews originating in ancient India, characterized by a strong mystical and religious component. Its six main orthodox systems of thought were Samkhya (“the enumeration”), founded by the sage Kapila; Yoga , whose key texts are the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali ; Nyaya (“the rule” or “the method”), based in turn on the Nyaya Sutras ; Vaisheshika, founded by the philosopher Kanada; Mimamsa , created by the rishi Yamini; and Vedanta (“end of the Vedas”). Most of these schools arose before or at the beginning of the Gupta Empire (320 AD).
- The Jewish philosophical tradition. It is a Hebrew philosophical tradition, closely linked to its forms of mysticism and religiosity, which emerged in Classical Antiquity, during the time of the Roman Empire, and continued to be cultivated throughout the Middle Ages. Initially, it consisted of commentaries and readings of the Talmud and the Kabbalah, but later produced secular philosophical thought during the so-called Jewish Enlightenment or Haskalah (from the 18th to the 19th centuries). Its principal thinkers were Philo of Alexandria, Nahmanides, Maimonides, and Ibn Gabirol.
- Christian philosophy. Although an heir to Greek thought, it is a deeply religious tradition, characteristic of medieval European thought after the fall of the Roman Empire and the evangelization of subsequent kingdoms. For this reason, it has many detractors and has sometimes been controversial, but the importance of the legacy of different Christian thinkers in the formation of modern Western thought is undeniable. Notable among them are Church Fathers such as Augustine of Hippo, Saint Justin, and Origen; medieval scholastics such as Saint Anselm, Hugh of Saint Victor, and Saint Thomas Aquinas; and reformist thinkers such as Francisco de Vitoria or Juan Luis Vives, in the 15th or 16th centuries.
- Renaissance Humanism. This tradition of Western thought emerged during the 15th century and the European Renaissance, and has its origins in the Italian cities of Florence, Rome, and Venice. It was a return to the ancient classical tradition after the end of the Christian Middle Ages and consisted of the exaltation of human reason and the role of human beings in creation. Its main exponents were Francisco Petrarca, Dante Alighieri, Giovanni Boccaccio, Antonio de Nebrija, Thomas More, Erasmus of Rotterdam, and Michel de Montaigne.
- Kantianism and the Neo-Kantians. The thought inaugurated by Immanuel Kant and his Critique of Pure Reason generated a revolutionary impact in European philosophy similar to the Copernican turn in the scientific world. The mere idea of uniting rationalism with empiricism represented a starting point for considering new perspectives on knowledge and the interplay of reason with sensitivity, as well as the codetermination of subject and object.
