When I use the word philosophy, I am not referring to a body of ideas, a system of beliefs, or an academic discipline reserved for specialists.
I mean something older—and more demanding.
Philosophy is the disciplined practice of examining how one lives, what one values, and how one chooses, especially under pressure.
In this sense, philosophy is not primarily about thinking well.
It is about living well.
The Philosopher Within
Every human being carries a philosopher within them, whether they recognize it or not.
We are born with an intuitive sense of right and wrong, virtue and vice, truth and error. Over time, that inner clarity is crowded by competing voices—social expectations, cultural pressures, fear, ambition, and convenience. The result is often confusion, inner conflict, and a quiet sense of dissonance.
The philosopher within is the part of us that continues to seek:
- truth rather than comfort,
- virtue rather than advantage,
- freedom rather than approval,
- and the health and well-being of the soul.
This seeking is not abstract. It is lived. It shows up in moments of choice, restraint, courage, and refusal.
Philosophy, as I understand it, is not something we possess.
It is something we practice.
Philosophy as a Way of Life
In the classical tradition of Socrates, Epictetus, and Marcus Aurelius, philosophy was never meant to be admired from a distance. It was meant to be embodied.
The philosopher does not strive to be an expert or an authority on life.
Nor is the philosopher primarily a theorist or a therapist.
And certainly not one who seeks to gather followers or construct a system for others to inhabit.
A philosopher is one who:
- examines their own life honestly,
- measures themselves against standards of virtue rather than popularity,
- gives careful attention to the condition of their inner life,
- and practices discipline in alignment with enduring principles.
This is not a performance.
It is a responsibility.
What It Means to Be a Philosopher
I practice the art of philosophy.
In that sense, I am a philosopher.
Not because I claim authority—but because I accept obligation.
A philosopher, as I understand it, is someone who:
- lives by principles rather than impulse,
- refuses to shy away from difficult or uncomfortable truths,
- carefully develops habits of virtue over time,
- and allows their own life to be examined before offering judgment on others.
Philosophy begins with self-scrutiny, not commentary.
With formation, not opinion.
The Study of Philosophy
The study of philosophy is often misunderstood.
It is not primarily the acquisition of information.
Nor is it the accumulation of knowledge for its own sake.
The study of philosophy is:
- daily rehearsal,
- moral formation,
- reflection under pressure,
- and learning how to live well in an imperfect world.
It is learning how to focus on virtue in a world saturated with vice.
How to remain steady amid distraction.
How to choose well when clarity is costly.
This kind of study never really ends.
Because life never stops testing what we claim to believe.
Dr. Brian Winsor