A philosopher is someone who studies, writes about, and/or teaches about the issues that underpin a variety of fields of inquiry. They may contribute to one or more branches of philosophy, such as language, ethics, aesthetics, logic, religion or morals, metaphysics (studies of essential being and existence), politics, or epistemology (studies on knowledge). Other areas of inquiry are possible, and it could be said that most fields of thought, whether scientific, artistic, or otherwise, are governed by at least one, if not several, underlying philosophies.
Because of this diversity, it’s difficult to pinpoint or describe what a particular philosopher does or how he or she obtains training for his or her field. Some people who are interested in traditional philosophical inquiry go to school and earn bachelor’s or higher degrees in philosophy. They may study the history of philosophy, as well as its various branches, in order to eventually prepare to teach or apply it in some way, usually through writing about it. Often, philosophers do not study philosophy in school and instead study another subject, after which they make new contributions in writing or philosophical thinking about that subject. This could alter how the subject is viewed.
Different movements in thought characterize any topic’s philosophy. Fundamental ideas about how to critique a work, for example, have shifted numerous times in literature. Plato argued that written work was problematic because it would fall into the hands of those who did not know how to properly interpret it. In direct opposition to Plato, a critic and philosopher like Stanley Fish developed reader response criticism, which served to make text much more accessible to all readers. Other schools of criticism have come and gone, but they are all the result of philosophic inquiry, or an attempt to create a new way of looking at things in a systematic way.
There have been numerous ideas that have influenced human thinking in more traditional philosophy, such as the study of metaphysics. Today’s philosopher who wishes to contribute to that field must have a thorough understanding of the past. In writing, a philosopher may not develop his own ideas but instead discuss the work of other philosophers who may have been largely ignored but whose ideas are still relevant today.
Finally, the philosopher is interested in fundamental questions that underpin fundamental knowledge systems or basic existence. He or she may come up with theories that explain how things work or should work based on a thorough examination of the past and present. Philosophers can teach and/or write, and they aren’t limited to those who have primarily studied philosophy. Because of their ability to contribute new thought to various fields of study, many people from various disciplines have contributed to the field of philosophy.