What Does It Mean To Think Philosophically? The word "philosophy" comes from Greek roots meaning "love of wisdom." In fact, broadly stated, philosophy is the pursuit of wisdom or knowledge using your innate ability to think rationally and systematically. When you engage in philosophical thinking, you are using assumptions to better understand yourself and the world around you emotion reaso Philosophical thinking can be challenging because it requires that you truly question why you believe what you believe. This requires you to set aside many of your preconceptions about what is true so that you may examine the reasons behind them. When you think philosophically, the reasons for your beliefs become just as important as the beliefs themselves. That is why it is essential that you approach all views with preconceptions. an opcn mind a closed mind Critical thinking is the essence of thinking philosophically, and taking a course in philosophy will teach you to think critically about your beliefs. Before taking a belief to be true, critical thinking demands that you potential belief. To think critically, you must strive to find good reasons to support your beliefs. As you study philosophy, remember that yoUshoulc and beliefs of others. Engaging in philosophical thought will often involve critiquing and questioning the work of other philosophers. By reading and listening to others as well as questioning your own beliefs, you will be certain that your own beliefs are adequately Conservative question accept en question your assumptions and beliefs as well as the assumptions complex ustified Thinking Philosophically An Example Select the statement that best exemplifies philosophical thinking, regardless of whether you agree with its conclusion O I believe in gun control, mostly because I think guns are bad and shooting people is wrong. I don't think it's important for me to think about specific reasons for my view because it's completely obvious to me that my belief is correct, and it should be obvious to others as well O All my professors, friends, and coworkers are atheists, so I shouldn't believe in God either. Questioning authority just leads to trouble, and if so many people I respect are atheists, they are probably correct. Although I used to believe that lying is wrong no matter the circumstances, a discussion with friends caused me to change this belief. After listening to some arguments I had never considered, I no longer found the reasons for my belief to be justified