For the Love of Wisdom
Philosophy… what does the layman acknowledge about this concept besides its academic connotations? Most may sooner regard it as a science, rather than a vessel through which we explore age-old questions and funnel our unbounded curiosity about the universe. We forget the origin of the very word “philosophy”, which is derived from the Greek philo (love) and sophia (wisdom), literally meaning “the love of wisdom”.
As with most ancient cultures, the Greeks possessed different words for “love” due to the complexity of the emotion, as well as the situational variety during which it can be felt or expressed. First, “eros”, referring to sexual, romantic, or lustful affection; second, “agape”, meaning a sort of sacrificial love. It often bears a biblical or divine connotation within the scope of modern thought. Thirdly, their word “mania” is used to describe an obsessive kind of affection– an unhealthy and sometimes predatory variety of emotion. I think one would debate whether you could categorize this as love at all, which is why only possessing a singular word in an entire language to describe the most complex human feelings is not only confusing, but downright dangerous.
However, I digress. The word for love that correlates with the etymology of “philosophy” is “philia”, which pertains to and is often used in place of “brotherly love”. It is a word to describe the camaraderie and great connection we feel with other humans through friendship. It is a relationship that involves a great potential for evolution and the accumulation of true understanding with the provision of attention to empathetic communication.
That is the true word to describe “philosophy”– a love for learning and simultaneously building awareness of the self and the surrounding world. In contrast, it is not a lustful affection– not a gathering of information with the ulterior motive of obtaining power or notoriety. It is not a sacrificial love, though one does sacrifice time while in deep thought. However, it doesn’t seem to be much of a sacrifice on the condition that one truly does possess an affinity for wisdom. It most certainly is not a “manic” or obsessive love. If it is, then the student or thinker is simply driven by the wrong motives. One may study finance or business with an eventual plan to use what knowledge they’ve amassed to exploit economical flaws for superficial wealth. Although it shouldn’t be, this is relatively accepted as a fulfilling “purpose” to claim when deciding what occupational path to follow.
Furthermore, I posit that there entails a true danger in a manic affection towards “philosophy”. That arrives with the choice to devote oneself to the intense study of wisdom and to subsequently use none of it. Academic as its connotation may be, philosophy should never be regarded as a science. When one disposes of the truth that most or all philosophical ideas are subjective, one also throws away the joy of discovery and makes one unable to choose the parts that they like.
That is the true purpose behind “free thought”– one’s ability to take any piece of philosophically or opinion-based media and to dissect its triumphs and shortcomings. That is the “brotherly love” portion of philosophy. We have the freedom to decide the nature of our relationship with it through a drive to further our understanding of wisdom. It is our choice alone that builds our impression of the universe and whatever lies beyond it. That act of choosing, that decision to act with curious passion, is the essence of love.
