Who was the first to use the word philosophy?

The first known use of the word “philosophy” comes from the ancient Greek philosopher Pythagoras (c. 570–c. 495 BCE). He is credited with introducing the term “philosophy” to describe the pursuit of knowledge and understanding of the world and its phenomena.

The term “philosophy” is derived from the Greek words “philein” (to love) and “sophia” (wisdom). Pythagoras used the term to describe his own school of thought, which focused on the study of mathematics, music, and cosmology. He believed that the study of these subjects could help one gain insight into the nature of the universe and its governing laws.

Pythagoras is considered to be one of the earliest proponents of a unified philosophical system. His teachings were based on the idea that the universe is composed of an ordered system of numbers and proportions, and that understanding these principles could lead to understanding the nature of reality. His philosophy was also heavily influenced by the ideas of his teacher, Thales of Miletus (c. 624–546 BCE).

In the centuries since Pythagoras, the term “philosophy” has come to encompass a range of different approaches to knowledge and understanding, including metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, and aesthetics. Despite this broadening of scope, the idea of philosophy as a pursuit of knowledge and understanding of the universe and its governing laws still remains at its core.