For a definition of philosophy …

… I prefer …

Philosophy is the study of the concepts, principles and techniques that can be used to conceptualize reality for the purpose of solving problems inre learning how to achieve individual desires for (1) survival, (2) water, (3) food, (4) shelter, (5) companionship, (6) sex, and (7) reproduction or/and organizational goals (desires) for purposes and organization inre government, science, religion or/and politics.

This definition links what we all do – create concepts, principles and techniques for conceptualizing reality – to the reason why we do what we do – to solve individual problems inre learning how to achieve individual desires for (1) survival, (2) water, (3) food, (4) shelter, (5) companionship, (6) sex, and (7) reproduction and organizational goals (desires) inre purposes and structure inre government, science, business, religion and politics.

A concept is a mental representation (idea) of a person, an object or an event.

A principle is a mental representation of a causal or coincidental relationship between or among people and/or objects.

Causality is the physical phenomenon wherein causes cause effects; the physical phenomenon wherein people, objects and/or events who/which exist in space, endure over time and are comprised of matter-energy and who/which are causes cause as effects [A] changes of the physical states (inertia, momentum, velocity, etc.) of pre-existing people, objects and/or events or new people, objects and/or events from pre-existing matter-energy.

Coincidentiality is the physical phenomenon wherein people, objects and/or events are non-causally (non-interactively) co-located in space and time.

A technique is the application of a principle for the purpose of solving a problem.

Philosophers have discovered and developed and continue to discover and develop the master set of concepts, principles and techniques that are The Philosophers’ Tools that can be used to conceptualize reality for the purpose of solving (I) individual problems inre learning how to achieve desires for (1) survival, (2) water, (3) food, (4) shelter, (5) companionship, (6) sex, and (7) reproduction and (II) organizational problems inre setting purposes and getting organized inre a government, a science, a religion, or a political organization.

The Philosophers’ Tools – the master set of philosophical concepts, principles and techniques used for conceptualizing reality and solving problems – include (1) Operational Definitions, (2) The Laws of Logic, (3) The Theory of Proof, (4) Inductive Logic, (5) Deductive Logic, (6) Logical Arguments (Including Q = X = P and If P, Then Q Logical Arguments); (7) The Truth Source Theory; (8) The Extrapolation Principle; (9) The Theory of Causality; (10) The Theory of Coincidentiality; (11) The Problem-Solving Process; (12) The Decision-Making Process; (13) The Theory of Knowledge; (14) The Theory of Common Sense; (15) The Theory of the Physical State; (16) The Theory of the Person (The Theory of the Body & The Theory of the Mind); (17) The Theory of The Problem; (18) The Theory of Morality; (19) The Theory of Religion; and (20) The Theory of Politics.

Among the most important of The Philosophers’ Tools are the operational definition and the extrapolation principle.

An operational definition is a definition of a term or phrase by a description of the observation(s)/measurement(s) of the space, time, matter-energy, people, objects, or/and events including causalities and coincidentialities who/which are relevant to (related to, linked to) the term/phrase being defined.

Operational definitions can be created by asking and answering questions inre observations/measurements of the space, time, matter-energy, people, objects, and/or events including causalities and coincidentialities who/which are relevant to a term/phrase being defined.

Operational definitions can be used to clarify and understand vague terms and terms previously unacceptably or incompletely defined terms and phrases including philosophy, philosophers, philosophizing, etc., but also space, time and matter-energy.

The extrapolation principle describes (1) the fact that physical phenomena observed inre one scale or reference frame or body can be considered to exist inre all scales, reference frames and bodies until disconfirmed and (2) a method by which infinities can be intuited.

The extrapolation principle: (1) Physical phenomena observed at one scalar level (relativistic/large or quantum/small), in one reference frame or upon one reference body can be expected to occur at all scalar levels, in all reference frames and upon all reference bodies until disconfirming observations are discovered; (2) Whereas the entirety of infinite physical phenomena including dimensions (any feature or characteristic that can be observed and/or measured ~ Lisa Randall, Ph.D. Physics in WARPED PASSAGES) including the fundamental dimensions of distances (lines between two points), durations (existences) and densities (ratios of masses to volumes: d = m/v) that are used for observing, measuring and defining the space, time and matter-energy that comprise the universe and the entities (objects and organisms) who/which exist in space, endure over time and are comprised of matter-energy and as causes cause as effects [A] changes of the physical states of pre-existing entities or new entities from pre-existing matter-energy cannot be observed or measured inre their entireties, the entirety of an infinite phenomenon can be intuited by observing/measuring a finite example, noting its spatial, temporal and/or physical limitations, then imagining removing those limitations and thereby extending – extrapolating – that finite reality to its infinite reality.

The extrapolation principle can be used to determine, specify and predict infinities including the infinite size (volume) and duration (existence) of the space, the infinite duration of the time, and the infinite duration of the matter-energy that comprise the universe.

A variation of the extrapolation principle is the interpolation principle: A distance between two points can be subdivided into smaller distances; a duration between two timepoints can be subdivided into smaller durations.

A philosopher is an individual who searches for, discovers or develops and studies and refines, if necessary, but also uses the concepts, principles and techniques that are The Philosophers’ Tools to conceptualize reality for the purpose of solving problems inre learning how to achieve (I) individual desires for (1) survival, (2) water, (3) food, (4) shelter, (5) companionship, (6) sex, and (7) reproduction or/and (II) organizational goals (desires) inre purposes and organization inre government, science, religion, or/and politics.

A philosophy is an individual’s or organization’s set of concepts, principles and techniques that can be used to conceptualize reality for the purpose of solving problems inre organizing himself/herself or an organization for the purpose of learning how to achieve (I) individual desires for (1) survival, (2) water, (3) food, (4) shelter, (5) companionship, (6) sex, and (7) reproduction or/and (II) organizational goals (desires) inre purposes and organization inre government, science, religion, or/and politics.

To philosophize is to discover or develop and use the concepts, principles and techniques that are The Philosophers’ Tools that can be used to conceptualize reality for the purpose of solving problems inre organizing oneself or an organization for the purpose of learning how to achieve (I) individual desires for (1) survival, (2) water, (3) food, (4) shelter, (5) companionship, (6) sex, and (7) reproduction or/and (II) organizational goals (desires) inre purposes and organization inre government, science, religion, or/and politics.

The value of philosophy to all of mankind is the set of concepts, principles and techniques that are The Philosophers’ Tools that can be used to conceptualize reality and to solve problems.