Somehow thinkers in Ancient Greece began to pay direct attention to the physical world – and to logic. In time they labelled their enquiries ‘philosophy’ – no other culture has that word; Plato wasn’t happy with this label but he didn’t come up with another either. Rudolf Steiner came up with ‘Anthroposophy’.
Socrates, Plato and Aristotle followed one after the other and the subject got established. Christianity was imbued with philosophy right from day one – or was it on the third day? There was Paul to contend with and some philosophers became Christian; then there was John of the Gospel and the author/s of Revelation. Next, there were Platonists like Justin (Martyr). The high point was reached with Augustine – he actually fulminated against the philosophers! The latter weren’t coming up with anything interesting; Justinian put an end to their logic-chopping.
Henceforth philosophy would come under theology – a new subject developed by Christian thinkers. The philosophers didn’t revolt, they just carried on with their arcane enquiries within the parameters set by their superiors. A thousand years went by – Aquinas made his contributions during the latter part of that period (13th century).
Without meaning to, Descartes launched a revolution which is continuing – philosophy found itself completely independent. Since then philosophers have continued saying nothing. They do that best. ‘Assemble reminders’ as Wittgenstein reminded his students; ‘a philosophy book could be written which consisted of jokes’, etc. His mother tongue was German – he was being entirely serious.
Or it is, can be, ‘how to do things with words’ (J.L. Austin). They leave important matters to religion – which accounts for and defends itself theoretically through theology. Philosophers take interest in that and develop philosophical theology; theologians do that too, e.g. Prof Vernon White. Philosophers go further and come up with philosophy of religion. There is plenty of work to do even though philosophers don’t like being asked what they do. The 18th century developed natural theology – this leads to God.
Now that colonialism is almost over other cultures have started claiming that they have philosophy too – they mean they have been doing similar things under other label/s. True, but they haven’t bothered to distinguish those other pursuits from philosophy – they don’t like being told they don’t even have a word for it; there is plenty of philosophical material in their cogitations and writings. There has always been philosophical thinking in general and metaphysical speculation, even in oral cultures. People have looked up at the sky and wondered. That can lead to poetry, music or philosophy; most cultures have been content to explain through stories. But Plato took a stand against Homer – fiction is lies, it takes us away from truth. Was he right?
But then everything is grist to the philosopher’s mill – one can philosophise about anything as long as no other way has been found for studying those issues. What is to be labelled, or called, philosophy will always remain a philosophical issue, etc. What is true is that it became distinguished in Western culture. It eventually became a university subject with Kant becoming its first professor. What is philosophy? That is, unlike theology, itself a philosophical question, so keep on philosophising about it. Or read The Analytic Ambition by William Charlton.
Jasbir Bhoda studied philosophy for six years at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne in the 1970s. He’d like to thank his first professor, Karl Britton.