What is philosphy really. Its like saying somthing is "cool," who made it up and why do we need it?

It's just the name we assign to introspection and the consideration of moral, ethical, and paradoxical matters. We "need" it because without it morality would be a lot harder to figure out. For example, is inaction another form of action in a do-or-die scenario like the classic "a train is speeding towards ten people" scenario? Philosophy is a name we give to the consideration and contemplation of this.

For the record, I consider inaction to be equivalent to simply another type of action assuming you have the capacity to act without any fear of consequences for yourself.

"You could almost define a philosopher as someone who won't take common sense for an answer" - Richard Dawkins

It is shite...that's what it is...

(April 9, 2012 at 1:15 am)WhatIfGodWasJustAMyth Wrote: What is philosphy really. Its like saying somthing is "cool," who made it up and why do we need it?

It's the 'study of reason'. I think it develops reasoning skills through studying it though..

Philosophy literally means "love of knowledge". It came to be in the way that we understand it through the greeks. It is the premise that one can arrive at truth through the process of thinking. Rationality and logic would be the operative principle informing this search. It is particularly valuable for those who do not believe in god because I see philosophy as the inevitable counterpart to religion.