What is time? What is beauty? What is a good life? Have you thought about such big questions? In fact, these are things that philosophy (哲学) cares about.
The word "philosophy" comes from Greek, meaning "love of wisdom (智慧)."It is the study of the nature and meaning of the universe and of human life. It studies basic questions about the world and ourselves. What makes a philosophical question is not what it is about, but at what level it is asked. A philosopher will ask," What is famines?" _As the saying goes, "Every empire started from a thought." For thousands of years, people were doing what they were told to. No one questioned if it was right or wrong. Widows (寡妇) were burning themselves along with the dead bodies of their husbands. But 2,500 years ago,
Greek philosopher Socrates started to question some thoughts, asking "Why?" and "Is this the best way?" Gradually, humans entered a time of active and rational (理性的) thinking.
Epictetus, an ancient Roman philosopher, said what makes men painful is not events, but their opinion about events. He also notes that you can't control what happens to you, you can only control how you react (应对) to it. These ideas help us control our feelings and live better.
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A. Girls were seen as a burden (负担) for centuries. B. So what is philosophy and what can it do for us? C. Philosophy makes sense to us in daily life as well. D. The birth of philosophy has helped social development. E. Philosophy has helped create many great empires (帝国). F. For example, someone might ask whether something is fair. |
