AEM 203- Introduction to Home Economics

“Philosophy” is a word you will have came across at one time or the other. Can you define “philosophy”? The original meaning of philosophy as conceived by the Greeks is as follows: Philein – meaning love Sophia – meaning wisdom i.e. philein, Sophia crystallized into “Love of wisdom”, where wisdom means the ability to relate the facts from various forms of knowledge to experience. The English dictionary meaning of philosophy is diverse (Oxford Dictionary 2001). Philosophy is defined as; (a) “the study of nature and meaning of the universe and of the human life”. The Greeks considered anyone who attained knowledge in any area to be a philosopher. Thus, philosophy once encompassed nearly everything that counted as human knowledge. That is why the highest degree in any field (Mathematics, Arts, Social, Physical, Biological, Political Sciences) is the Ph.D. (Doctorate of Philosophy). (b) “a particular set of system of beliefs resulting from search for knowledge about life and the universe” You may have heard philosophy being referred to as a discipline just as “Science” is a discipline of reason. Areas of philosophical knowledge include analytical philosophy, moral and political philosophy, and philosophy of religion. (c) a set of beliefs or an attitude to life that guides somebody’s behaviour. In the context of a profession or area of discipline like Home Economics the third definition of philosophy as given above is most applicable. That is to say that the philosophy of a profession or discipline is the fundamental belief or knowledge-attitude that guides that profession or area of discipline. Philosophy in this context can also be viewed as the value-judgment of the discipline since ones values evolve into ones philosophy.