Philosophy began over 2,500 years ago in Ancient Greece, where
thinkers stopped accepting myths as explanations and instead searched
for answers through logic, observation, and reason. Their questions
about existence, knowledge, justice, and the universe laid the
foundation for nearly every field of modern learning. The history of
philosophy is the systematic study of the development of philosophical
thought. It focuses on philosophy as rational inquiry based on
argumentation, but some theorists also include myth, religious
traditions, and proverbial lore.
Western philosophy originated with an inquiry into the fundamental
nature of the cosmos in
Ancient Greece. Subsequent
philosophical developments covered a wide range of topics including
the nature of reality and the mind, how people should act, and how to
arrive at knowledge. The
medieval period was focused
more on theology. The
Renaissance period saw a
renewed interest in Ancient Greek philosophy and the emergence of
humanism. The modern period was characterized by an increased focus on
how philosophical and scientific knowledge is created. Its new ideas
were used during the
Enlightenment period
to challenge traditional authorities. Influential developments in the
19th and 20th centuries included German
idealism,
pragmatism, positivism,
formal logic,linguistic analysis,phenomenology
existentialism, and
postmodernism.
Arabic–Persian philosophy was strongly influenced by Ancient Greek
philosophers. It had its peak period during the
Islamic Golden Age. One of its
key topics was the relation between reason and revelation as two
compatible ways of arriving at the truth.
Avicennadeveloped a comprehensive
philosophical system that synthesized Islamic faith and Greek
philosophy. After the Islamic Golden Age, the influence of
philosophical inquiry waned, partly due to
Al-Ghazali's critique of
philosophy. In the 17th century, Mulla Sadra developed a metaphysical
system based on mysticism.
Islamic modernism emerged
in the 19th and 20th centuries as an attempt to reconcile traditional
Islamic doctrines with modernity.
Indian philosophy is characterized by
its combined interest in the nature of reality, the ways of arriving
at knowledge, and the spiritual question of how to reach
enlightenment. Its roots are in the religious scriptures known as the
Vedas. Subsequent Indian
philosophy is often divided into orthodox schools, which are closely
associated with the teachings of the Vedas, and heterodox schools,
like Buddhism and
Jainism. Influential schools
based on them include the Hindu schools of
Advaita Vedanta and
Navya-Nyāya as well as the
Buddhist schools of Madhyamaka and
Yogācāra. In the modern period,
the exchange between Indian and Western thought led various Indian
philosophers to develop comprehensive systems. They aimed to unite and
harmonize diverse philosophical and religious schools of thought.
Central topics in
Chinese philosophy were right social
conduct, government, and self-cultivation. In early Chinese
philosophy,
Confucianism
explored moral virtues and how they lead to harmony in society, while
Taoism focused on
the relation between humans and nature. Later developments include the
introduction and transformation of Buddhist teachings and the
emergence of the schools of Xuanxue and
Neo-Confucianism. The modern period in Chinese philosophy was characterized by its
encounter with Western philosophy, specifically with
Marxism. Other influential
traditions in the history of philosophy were
Japanese philosophy, Latin American philosophy, and African philosophy.
