Why Study Philosophy?

Why Study Philosophy? Since the dawn of time, humans have searched far and wide trying to find out why we are here, how we got here, and who or what, if anything, put us here. It is hard to say whether we will ever find the true answer. That does not mean that we do not still try, however. The study of philosophy helps us to dive deeper and to take a closer look into everything we think, believe, know, and do. Philosophy urges us to analyze the very basis of our knowledge, so we can understand exactly why we might think this or that way, instead of just blindly accepting it. Although philosophy is very useful in solving many of life’s mysteries, there are some things we are simply incapable of truly knowing. This could change in the future, perhaps with advances in technology, but sometimes, no matter how deep we might dig, and no matter how far we may delve, there is simply no way to find out the whole truth. That being said, studying philosophy is vital to understanding not only the very foundations of our lives and beliefs, but the question of “why,” as opposed to “how”; however, philosophy does have its limits and is not helpful with all of life’s questions. From the time we are able to talk, we always ask why. Why is it like that? Why did this happen? Why do we do this? Humans seem to have a natural curiosity to find out how things work or what caused them to become that way. We have a thirst for understanding and discovering the ultimate knowledge. This thirst can be quenched by the philosophy of knowledge, called epistemology. Epistemology explores the question, “How do you know?” by thinking about where our knowledge comes from. Philosophy and epistemology help us to dig a little deeper, so we can satisfy that curiosity and get closer and closer to answering that ultimate why.
Many simply accept whatever is thrown at them, but if you ask why philosophically, you can gain a better understanding. Let us ask, “How do we come by knowledge?” It is a

Cited: Lawhead, William F. The Philosophical Journey: An Interactive Approach. 5th ed. Boston: McGraw Hill Learning Solutions, 2011. Print.