Philosophy

Collier's New Encyclopedia (1921)

a Diogenes Laertius to have been suggested by Pythagoras, who, on being complimented on his wisdom, said that he was not wise, but a lover of wisdom ( philos sophia), the Deity alone being wise. Philosophy, while earnest in amassing knowledge, aimed chiefly at penetrating to the principles of things. Popularly, it is divided into natural and mental philosophy, the former investigating the physical laws of nature, the latter those regulating the human mind. The term philosophy is now generally restricted to the second of these. Even as thus reduced it has a very wide sphere. Thus, there is a philosophy of history ( see HISTORY). All the nations of antiquity had a philosophy, that of the Greeks being specially celebrated. The chief schools were: The Pythagorean, commenced about 500 B. c .; the Platonic 374 B. C .; the Peripatetic, 334 b. c .; the Sceptic, 334 B. c .; the Cynic, 330 B. C .; the Epicurean, 306 B. c .; the Stoic, 280 b. c .; Academy, 160 b. c.; the New Platonists, A. D. 200 (?). Of modern systems the perceptive and sensational philosophy of Locke arose about 1690; the idealistic of Berkeley and Hume, 1710; the commonsense philosophy of Re Reid, etc., 1750; the transcendental of Kant, 1770; the scientific philosophy of Fichte, 1800; the idealistic philosophy of Hegel in 1810; the positive philosophy of Comte in 1830, and the evolutionary philosophy of Herbert Spencer in 1852, or more decidedly in 1855. Also the course of sciences read in the schools, and required for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the universities of Germany, etc., and corresponding to Arts in the United States. For more modern philosophy_consult the works of James, Royce, Bergson, Von Mach, Sidgwick, Taylor, ete.