Insanityman

The "original" philosophers (or Philosophes, in France) were men that believed that everything in the universe could be understood and classified by man. Philosophy was supposed to be a way to change the world, not merely discuss it. They believed that knowledge was for everyone, but to properly allow everyone to understand it, logic was necessary to reinforce and clarify findings. In that day and age, to be a philosopher was to seek answers to any question they found interest in, and to justify their findings through logic and reason.

Modern day philosophers are found in the forms of theoretical and applied scientists, though anyone can still follow in the footsteps of the originals. One can be a philosopher simply by asking questions, and as long as they act in some logical way to find the answer, they are philosophical.

Fluxbox's theories about why the ants move the way they do is a good example, he poses to himself the question "Why is it they act that way?" . A common method for starting any investigation is to throw around possible answers and work backwards, starting with what little knowledge we have and follow the logic trail to the source. Often more is learned from the process than from simply guessing the correct answer.

To a philosopher, the magnitude or size of the question being asked is unimportant, its the willingness to put the discoveries to use in the name of further study and learning. For example: knowing what matter is composed of is one thing, knowing what it can be used for is another, Nuclear technology created bombs, it has also created a powerful, pardon the pun, way to generate electricity. Nuclear technology is also used in medicine, yet its use in WWII overshadows everything.

To AgoNxRuS: For your study of humanity, is it the study of humanity as a whole, as part of groups or the study of individuals or are you seeking corellations between them all?... just curious.

While I've never been called a philosopher, I respect their methods and ideals, and I recognize the merit they have. I also employ their methods to the best of my ability in solving problems. However like most of humanity, I tend to spend most of my time dealing with problems concerning myself and those near me, not looking for answers to the riddles in any "bigger pictures".

koi89

I think this is a great idea. This is the Philosophy behind deviantART's success [as said to me by Senior Member Bookdiva at deviantART/Jark's Mom/Jark=cofounder of devART.] as it treats each artist's ability equally.

Kyubi-Dude05

hi everybody i suck at stuff like this........well this is my first time.