I doubt that it's central, but I know I'd just say that I find it fun and interesting -- and that's enough for me.

To me questions just seem to be created by the process of thinking.

Just out of curiosity, where did you stumble across "Propaedeutics"? Nice obscure word.

to search the core of philosophical thought — Gilliatt

Is there something in or about your own encounters with philosophy that make you think there is one? Or is it wishful thinking on your part? Do we find an ax and then go around looking for things to chop? Or do we have a notion that maybe we'd like to cut something and from that an ax evolves.

I think you're confusing logical and temporal order. What comes first as a matter of fact is often enough not what comes "first" logically. Counting came before number theory; surveying before geometry. Imo philosophy arises from a perceived need, not itself necessarily well-understood or defined. That is, it's an attempt at organized thinking toward some practical end. In that attempt, mature thinkers will spend some of their time thinking about their thinking, and that's philosophy.

Post hoc philosophizing can be anything you want - that's just looking for an ax before needing one. Of course, the chances of finding anything useful - even an ax - are slim, and the chances of it's being at all sharp, slimmer yet. But I offer this, from an intense professor of philosophy 101 to about 75 freshmen and sophomores: philos-sophia (badly translated/understood as love of wisdom) is erotic.

Will that do as an axiom?

I don't know about him, but one of my phil profs from my undergrad program used to use that word in every class somehow. I remember classmates making a bet about whether he'd forget to someday.... anywho, off topic, back to the subject at hand.

what is the core, the central axiom, of all philosophical activity? What justifies philosophical search? What is the meaning of philosophy? — Gilliatt

"The unexamined life is not worth living." Or: it's fun and a better waste of my time than watching reality tv :joke:

Joking aside, I do actually think that expanding one's mind and training it leads to a more satisfactory and well-spent life.

Just out of curiosity, where did you stumble across "Propaedeutics"? Nice obscure word. — Bitter Crank

Couldn't answer for OP, but in the Francophone world, a propedeutic is a special course requirement that is given to students who have not completed the normal requirements but which have obtained a dispensation for x or y reason.

Hypothetical case : an Ancient History doctorate wishes to complete a Philosophy Master. Asking him his 90 credits is clearly overkill. After a few interviews with the program director, he is given a list of 5-8 courses of modern philosophy to study, after which he will be accepted at the Master level. This list of 5-8 courses is called a propedeutic.