User:Fabulist/philosophy

From the present introduction to the philosophy page:

The term philosophy comes from the ancient Greek word "&#934;&#953;&#955;&#959;&#963;&#959;&#966;&#943;&#945;" (philo-sophia), which means "love of wisdom". According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the original meaning of the word encompassed all knowledge. Over time, it gained the more specialized meaning of knowledge of the world, as contrasted with knowledge of the divine. Science was originally called "natural philosophy". The most modern meaning of the word is the study of things that are ultimate, and with the most general causes and principles.

Informally, a "philosophy" may refer to a general world view or to a specific ethic or belief.

Re-write:

The term philosophy comes from the ancient Greek word "&#934;&#953;&#955;&#959;&#963;&#959;&#966;&#943;&#945;" (philo-sophia). According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the original meaning of the word involved "the love, study, or pursuit of wisdom, or of knowledge of things and their causes, whether theoretical or practical" (From: OED (1989 Edition)). What is considered part of the discipline has changed over time as aspects of philosophy split off and became subjects in their own right. For example science was originally called "natural philosophy". At present, in it's widest sense, philosophy is understood to be the study of the general principles of a particular area of knowledge, experience, or activity.