Introduction WHAT IS PHILOSOPHY? features 2 collection of esas on philosophy. But what is philosophy? itabout? How do philosophers go about doing philosophy? This intro- er addresses these questions. Our aim is to help beginning students— dents who have never taken a philosophy course or who have never Hse exposed tw philosophy —get an idea of what they will encounter es to follow philosophy derives from the Greek words “philo” and “sophia” a pur together, mean “love of wisdom.” Au while thislove of wisdom shat many philosophers feel and expres, tone a very eealing tate the precige nature of the enterprise. When asked what philosophy is the sh philesopher Bertrand Russell (1872-1970) would take people this Poin atthe shelves, saying “It's what all these books here ate about.” tsel’s way of indicating that the field of philosophy is vast, covering < and that it is hard if not imposible to give a short answer to the ques- puld be adequate. Indeed, trying to give a short but informative answer fon without conveying some idea of what all those books mclude would isto give a short but informative answer to the question, “What is s someone who had no familiarity wit physics, or cemistry, of biology, say, ar any ofthe other sciences. Any short and informative answer r0 sons must be preceded by some indication of their subject matters. this in mind, we can follow Ruscell’s lead and consider the sorts of Sve find in philosophy books—what philosophy as a disciplines all losophers are interested in answering questions about various topics snsider a sampling of these questions and the asrociated ropies, after can return (0 our question about philosophy. 1