People who study fundamental questions about existence, knowledge, values, and reasoning.
From Greek philosophos 'lover of wisdom,' from philos 'loving' + sophia 'wisdom.' Coined by Pythagoras in the 6th century BCE, who modestly called himself a 'lover of wisdom' rather than claiming to possess wisdom itself.
Pythagoras invented this word because he thought calling oneself 'wise' was arrogant - only the gods possessed true wisdom, so humans could only be 'lovers of wisdom.' This humility is built into the very name of the discipline, making every philosopher an eternal student!
Philosophy's canonical history was predominantly male; women philosophers were systematically excluded from universities and publishing until the 20th century. The term itself is gender-neutral but the referent population was artificially restricted.
Use 'philosophers' as-is, but when discussing history or canons, explicitly acknowledge women philosophers (e.g., Hypatia, Émilie du Châtelet, Hannah Arendt) who were erased from mainstream curricula.
Women philosophers made foundational contributions to epistemology, ethics, and metaphysics while excluded from formal academic power structures; modern philosophy gains coherence by centering their work retrospectively.
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