What Is Philosophy?
Very often, in the process of acquiring new knowledge, we come to realize the philosophic value of learning. We want to look deeper into the nature of knowledge, which our tutors deliver and explain, and we also evaluate the relevance of this knowledge through the prism of subjective experiences. When someone says that any academic discipline is philosophy at its core, this idea implies that any academic discipline requires a great deal of interest and is impossible without relevant inquiry, which students need to grasp its meaning. If, according to Holmes (2009), philosophy is the process of establishing truth, then every discipline is about trying to establish and understand its truth and to use it to meet other learning objectives. In reality, however, those who view philosophy at the core of all academic disciplines gradually realize that there is no definite truth; moreover, they also realize the establishing and promoting this truth is impossible, given the variety and multiplicity of subjective meanings and impressions. Even in mathematical science, which seems too objective, too real, and too undeniable, philosophy is about inquiry and not about definite and unchangeable truth. That means that truth in academic sciences has only temporary significance, giving way for the emergence of new, other multiple truths which actually predetermine the continuous development of academic sciences in the world.
When we say that philosophy is at the core of all academic sciences, we also imply that philosophy is something associated with the sense of inquiry and the one’s trying to look deeper into the meaning of knowledge. In simple terms, philosophy as the basic element of academic learning implies that through the prism of the objective knowledge which professors deliver in class and subjective experiences of students, the latter will be able to construct their own vision of reality. Unfortunately, often this vision must go in line with the major professor’s requirements; otherwise, students will hardly pass their grades. This vision of philosophy in academic learning is rather limited, simply because it does not provide full freedom of expression and confirms the knowledge delivered by education professionals and included in the curriculum as the ultimate truth.
The major problem of such philosophy is in how one defines the meaning of this truth. Holmes (2009) may be correct: truth is, on the one hand, the objective side of knowledge and, on the other hand, the subjective side of reality. That means that there is no ultimate truth, and even in mathematical science which seems so objective and so realistic, truth often becomes a matter of the major scientific doubt. The meaning of philosophy at the core of all academic disciplines is to generate interest in students, to utilize their inquiry, to make them search for something beyond curriculum, and to help them develop their analytical skills. Does that mean that philosophic underpinnings of academic learning and our understanding of truth make it impossible for students to find and establish this truth? No, that does not. Moreover, that all academic sciences are about philosophy means that students are expected and even required to find out these truths. Needless to say, that given the subjective nature of individual experiences and the variety of knowledge perceptions, the number and the quality of these truths is almost unlimited. More often than not, the meaning of these truths will vary, but students may be able to use their analytical thinking and inquiry to find out the common trends and create a new generalized vision of an academic science. However, and more importantly, the philosophic character of academic sciences implies that the relevance of these truths will be at least temporary. Rather, it will open the gateway to further continuous inquiry and the emergence of new truths. As a result, by saying that philosophy is at the core of all academic sciences, we also mean that academic sciences let us use our inquiry and analytical skills to establish some kind of scientific truth, which is always temporary and is just another stage toward further philosophic exploration and the basis for continuous scientific development.
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