The term "philosophy" has various senses and uses. Wambari (1992) distinguishes the following: ideological, stoical and technical or professional usage. Discuss

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Ideological usage
This is the sense in which we talk about "philosophy of life." Philosophy, in this sense, is an attitude or approach to life, a guide to action or a set of beliefs concerning morality, politics or life in general. Ideological philosophies are helpful in religion, business and politics in terms of mobilizing people psychologically towards some desired goal. This is a narrow conceptualization of philosophy. Properly understood, philosophy involves criticizing and evaluating such ideologies in order to determine their meaning, underlying assumptions, implications, justification and value.

Stoical usage
Stoicism was a philosophical school of thought which had its origin in Athens in the third century B.C. stoicism taught the following:
- The universe is orderly due to the operation of a universal force they called God.
- God was understood as a material but invisible substance permeating all things and all beings.
- God determines the laws of nature and the orderliness of the universe is natural and rational.
- Everything that occurs is inevitable and is governed by reason.
- Human nature and human life is governed by inviolable universal force or law. Everything humans do or experience is inevitable.
- God assigns to all beings their particular place and role in the universe. Life is therefore, a package.
- A wise person recognizes his/her role and accepts it.
Stoicism taught people to adjust their thought to reality as it is and accept it in order to save themselves the agony of trying to change what cannot be changed.
The stoical sense of philosophy reflects the teaching of stoicism. When one is claimed to be philosophical, it is meant that one is realistic and sensibly calm under trying circumstances.

The technical or professional usage
This is a special sense that transcends the popular usages described above. It implies a way of thinking that involves examining, questioning and doubting much of what we normally take for granted. It is in this sense that the term "philosophy" itself was coined by the Greek thinker Pythagoras. The word itself means "love of wisdom". Wisdom is neither inheritable nor instantly available. It is earned through diligent and disciplined mental activity. One has to set the mind in motion toward examining concepts, relating ideas, developing new concepts and seeing through and beyond mere words and facts. This is the sense in which we shall understand philosophy as "a reflective and reasoned attempt to infer the character and the content of the universe, taken in its entirety and as a single whole, from an observation and study of the data presented by all its aspects". (Fuller, 1955, 1).

francis1897 answered the question on October 4, 2022 at 07:24

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The term "philosophy" has various senses and uses. Wambari (1992) distinguishes the following: ideological, stoical and technical or professional usage. Discuss

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