One of the perennial questions philosophers have been asking themselves is
what it actually means to do philosophy. According to the ancient Greek term—
philosophia (φιλοσοφία)—philosophy is the “love of wisdom.” The ambiguity of
the phrase as rendered in English affords alternative meanings. The philosopher,
as the “lover of wisdom,” can be understood either as the object of wisdom’s
love, and therefore as fortunately blessed as wise, or as the subject who strives
towards, and desires, wisdom. But if, as the suspicion goes, those in love are
not necessarily in the best position to perceive accurately the object of their
affection, the question may be raised: has the actual nature of wisdom so
far evaded many philosophers? Particularly in the context of contemporary
academic philosophy, the association between philosophy and wisdom is,
arguably, more problematic than ever.
Already, we find one potential source for the divergences and antagonisms
among schools of thought concerning the meaning of philosophy in the Greek
conception of sophia (σοφία), which carries the alternative senses of “skill,”
“knowledge of,” “acquaintance with,” and even “sound judgment.” In fact, as is
shown throughout this volume, these different senses each serve as cornerstones
and guideposts for distinct contemporary philosophies.