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Philosopher Vs. Philosophist (Distinctions)

Philosopher Vs. Philosophist (Distinctions)

A philosopher is a lover of wisdom and knowledge that is founded on truth. The Greek words “Philo” and “Sophos” both denote lovers of wisdom.

According to Socrates in Book VI of the Republic, a sophist is someone who rests his arguments on the consensus. So, a philosopher is someone who enjoys differing viewpoints.

A philosophist tries to persuade the audience based on opinion and on things they already know without considering the veracity of those items. 

A philosopher looks for the essence of things and the truth behind them to advance knowledge.

Some philosophically inclined individuals feel the urge to associate themselves with a specific theory of reality and want to be labeled as idealists, empiricists assert materialists, etc.

They assert themselves when they discuss philosophy. A philosopher may be someone who feels the need to persuade others that just one point of view should be permitted on an issue.

A philosopher would ideally learn additional viewpoints and how to apply them.

In this article, you’ll learn the differences between a philosopher and a philosophist. I’ll be catering to all the frequently asked questions and the ambiguities of the general masses.

Let’s get started.

What’s The Difference Between A Philosopher And A Philosophist?

A true philosopher seeks information through reliable methods. A philosophist attempts to persuade using false arguments. The statement may be self-created.

The distinction between genuine philosophy and sophism can be difficult to draw because there is no way to differentiate between legitimate and invalid processes in advance.

However, this does not imply that we can always determine whether something is genuine. Someone who values and pursues wisdom is a philosopher.

Many people will recall an ancient Greek (like Socrates or Plato) or Roman figure (Cicero). Or, we’ll examine philosophy from Harvard or Oxford University departments today.

A philosophist is quite different from a philosopher if not talking about common English. If I’m mistaken and you mean the uncommon use, then there is no distinction.

A statue of Socrates
Statue of Socrates in Ancient Greece.

When Can A Person Claim to Be A Philosopher?

Everyone has a camera now that we have cell phones. Having these digital cameras has made us self-proclaimed photographers. Since we have developed cognition, we are all philosophers in a sense.

Not always a good philosopher, but one nonetheless. A philosopher is someone full of brains.

Now, what does that mean?

Mindfulness, keen thinking, and farsightedness are the key traits of a philosopher.

What Distinguishes Sophists From Ancient Philosophers?

The Greek word “o” (sophists), which originally meant “one who is highly competent or versed in his art,” is where the word “sophist” originates.

The first professional public speaking instructors began to appear in the Greek world in the fifth century BCE under the name (the plural of).

Usually, these teachers would travel to a city and approach wealthy clients, promising to teach them how to speak eloquently in return for a tuition fee.

They occasionally also taught other disciplines, such as philosophy, music, poetry, or mathematics.

They would spend just enough time in one city teaching any wealthy individuals who were willing to pay for lessons before moving on to the next city to continue teaching anyone willing to pay.

Nowadays, sophists have a bit of a bad reputation. The term “sophist” has evolved to refer to someone who misleads others into accepting incorrect information through rhetorical devices and flawed reasoning.

What Distinguishes A Philosopher From Philosophy?

The English word “philosopher” is translated from the Tagalog word “philosophy.” A person who practices philosophy—the study of concepts related to knowledge, truth, nature, and life—is referred to by this term.

Philosophers look for knowledge. It’s someone who poses inquiries and makes an effort to provide logical responses.

In a 1983 essay examining the Filipino people’s cultural aversion to critical thinking, Quito wrote, “On the popular or grassroots level, the epithet ‘philosophy’ (Filipino for ‘philosopher’) is a disparaging name for anyone who argues lengthily, whether properly or wrongly.”

a boy reading books
A boy reading books to keep himself informed.

What Distinguishes One Philosopher From Another?

It’s healthy and acceptable to be philosophical, to mull over important issues, or give things more thought. One wishes to be a philosopher, which indicates that there is a lot of work required.

Although anyone might be philosophical, a true philosopher has researched the subject and read all the relevant literature.

You aren’t a philosopher if you can’t be bothered to read the books. 

Although reading all the books won’t make you a great or even a good philosopher, it’ll at least give you the right to call yourself one.

What Is The Meaning Of Pilosopo?

Generally speaking, a philosopher “seeks answers to the issues of life.” A Pilosopo is a person who poses questions and makes an effort to use reasoning to find answers.

Philosophy, on the other hand, is the study of ideas regarding reality, metaphysics, ethics, aesthetics, being, knowledge, logic, and various theories.

The Greek term “philosophy” means “love of wisdom.” Philosophy examines how people see the world using the principles of logic and reason.

What Distinguishes Philosophy From “A Philosophy”?

There is only one difference: “the object.” A philosophy would, therefore, be “a philosophy of or on reason versus faith.” The word “the” implies a whole.

My implication by using the prefix “The” would be his complete philosophical system or “Collection of Ideas.”

There is a grammatical distinction. “A philosophy” is any philosophy that anyone may hold or discuss; “a” is the indeterminate object because it doesn’t designate a specific thing.

“The philosophy” refers to the philosophy we are currently discussing or the philosophy that Socrates, Hegel, Marx, or Fred Jones have discussed, written about, evolved, etc.

What Are The Parallels And Discrepancies Between The Philosophies Of Confucius And Plato?

Both shared a commitment to reason and the value of the state (government). Plato and Confucius disagreed that a recluse was a complete human being in all respects.

A human being who lives alone and isn’t a member of any society is missing something.

Both of them stressed that all human connections should be maintained for the benefit of both parties rather than as a way for one person in a relationship to dominate the other.

They both accepted hierarchy in human relationships to some extent. Both had a belief in what one would refer to as “benevolence” or, at the very least, social duty.

List of Western PhilosophersList of Eastern Philosophers
PlatoBuddha
PythagorasLao Tzu
SocratesMencius
Augustine of HippoMohandas “Mahatma” Gandhi
List of Western And Eastern Philosophers
A philosopher thinking deeply
Philosophers are always in search of inspiration

What Distinguishes Philosophy From Logical Reasoning?

Although they’re not the same, logic and philosophy have a close link. Since logic is a tool used by philosophers, learning some logic is a must if you plan to take philosophy seriously.

However, logic is a technique that is used by many others besides philosophers. 

Typically, computer scientists, philosophers, and mathematicians are the target audiences for logic textbooks. Some works are specifically written with one of these groups in mind, while others have all three categories in mind.

The same book on mathematical logic might be read by a mathematician and a philosopher, each of whom would learn more about their respective fields of expertise.

What Do Philosophers Do? How Do They Differ From Logical Reasoning?

The thing about philosophers, though, is that they like to comprehend how the things we employ function. Think of two people working together to pound nails into a wall.

These hammers are pretty good. Isn’t that what one of them says? 

After ten minutes, the other person has given up hammering nails because they’re too busy disassembling the hammer to discover what makes this one so unique.

Philosophers are just like that. 

Mathematicians may believe that philosophers want to avoid doing real labor; to the guy driving nails, this appears to be a form of slacking off.

On the other hand, a philosopher occasionally invents a new and superior hammer. I assert that philosophers require logic as a tool. Logic may not be the optimal approach in all philosophical contexts, of course.

However, it’s vital to comprehend the instrument and how it functions to decide when logic should be applied and when it should not.

Why And How Is It Referred To As Philosophy?

The word “philosophy” is derived from Ancient Greek. It’s made up of the words Philo, which means love in several ancient Greek dialects, and Sophy, which means wisdom or understanding.

When coupled, “love of wisdom” is the result. Philosophy is a school of thought that employs logic to address issues concerning life and human experience, such as what constitutes a good existence.

Famous Books On Philosophy

If you want to expand your knowledge regarding this topic, there are a vast variety of options for you. The market is filled with books from famous and renowned authors.

These books include A History of Western Philosophy by Bertrand Russel, Sophies World by Jostein Gaarder, The Story of Philosophy by Will Durant, Meditations by Marcus Aurelius, The Art of War by Sun Tzu and so many more.

This shows us that this topic has been on the hot seat for a long time and is going to stay there as the human mind and behavior will always be open for interpretation.

Final Thoughts

In order to conclude, I’ll say that:

  • A philosopher is someone who devotes their time to studying. He contributes to philosophy.
  • A philosophist is someone who poses as a philosopher.
  • A philosophist is someone who devotes their time to philosophical research and writing.
  • Philosophers and philosophists are quite different from one another.
  • Philosophy differs from logical reasoning in terms of cognition, mindfulness, and action. it also differs in mysticism, and logic.
  • All in all, Philosopher is someone who is attached to love and mysticism.
  • Many Eastern and Western philosophers have made their reputations in history.

Want to find out the difference between identity and personality? Take a look at this article: The Difference Between Identity & Personality

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