“Love of wisdom” made scientific by logical thinking

The word “philosophy” derives from Greek philosophia, which means “the love of wisdom”. This love is as universal as love towards another person — anyone can feel it. In fact, such thinkers as Plato and Aristotle state that philosophy starts with a simple sense of surprise. But, of course, one cannot become a philosopher just by staying surprised. You must contemplate the very nature of things and use logic to disentangle the mysteries and puzzles you discover. In order to achieve this, you can only follow Socrates’ example and continue a rational discussion until the truth is revealed. Seen like that, philosophy resembles a marathon race in which anyone can participate, as long as they demonstrate intellectual curiosity and rational inquisitiveness.
Members of our department mostly focus on Western – in particular European – philosophy, and their current interests span a wide range of topics, including ancient and modern philosophy, the philosophy of science, environmental philosophy and ethics, and others. We hope from the bottom of our hearts that those of you who are insatiably curious and tenacious will join us in our race rather than watching from the sidelines.