What is Philosophy?
Think of philosophy as your brain's gym workout - it's where you exercise your thinking muscles on life's biggest questions. The word comes from two Greek words: "philo" (love) and "sophia" (wisdom), literally meaning "love of wisdom."
Philosophy tackles three major questions that'll probably keep you up at night: Where am I? (what's real), How do I know it? (how we learn stuff), and What should I do? (how to live). It's called the "Mother of All Sciences" because before we had specialized subjects, philosophers were asking questions about everything.
Thales, a Greek dude from way back, is considered the father of Western philosophy. He was the first person to try explaining the world through reason instead of just accepting religious stories. While religion relies on faith, philosophy relies on reason - and that's a game-changer for how we understand our world.
Fun Fact: Philosophy isn't just academic theory - it's literally described as "a way of life" because it changes how you think about everything!