Philosophy’s original inspiration
Today philosophy is a well established academic discipline, complex and highly specialized, and it often struggles to be relevant and meaningful. However, in its classical origins in the West, as also in the ancient traditions of the East, philosophy’s beginnings were concerned with how to live a complete and fulfilling life. Philosophers were not only concerned to understand the natural world, they were also occupied with asking what it means to be a good person, whether there is a purpose to life, what is the place of human beings in the world order, how should a community be organized to promote virtue and happiness. Philosophy was concerned with living a virtuous life in a community of family, friends, and fellow human beings.