Is Philosophy a subject to be learnt?

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Philosophy - a name as beautiful as the science it refers to. In Greek, Philo means Love and Sophia stands for wisdom so Philsophy is, etymologically, the 'love for wisdom'. How ironic that Philosophy had to be defined using Love, which in itself is a word open to infinite interpretations? The one difference being  - more often than not - the meaning of Love is abused while the meaning of Philosophy is misused.

They say Swimming is an art that cannot be taught, it only has to be realized. Its an innate ability that is designed in each of us and we get better the more we realize its presence in us (when they say practice makes one perfect - maybe practice is a way of perfecting the self-realization through the act of "repeated reminders"). Socrates had similary believed that Ethics too cannot be taught. A person should only be shown the way to an ethical life and through sheer personal conviction, he will adopt it.

So can Love be taught? In every sense of the word, it can only be felt and shown in purely abstract ways. Words and Actions can only bear to carry the message but the real sense of it can only be felt in the realm of the soul. Hence Philosophy, grounded by definition in Love may also be an aspect that needs to be realized from within - it probably cannot be taught. Universities offer courses in it and there are a some really wise professors in the subject but their words can only serve as mere torches that will light the 'Way of the Truth'. Its the self that will have to traverse the distance, fighting the currents of passion and attachment (which more often than not mires one into its depths of helplessness) and reach the eventual summit as it will be the same self that will enjoy the bliss of eternal truth when the journey is completed to its fruitful end. Philosophy (in a formal sense) is not a subject to be learnt, rather is a way of life (along with a state of mind) that should be imbibed and leads human life to the eventual glory that it deserves.

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