How does philosophy evolve?

Answer 1

Philosophy naturally progresses through thinkers and movements.

For instance, in Ancient Greek philosophy, the ideas of Socrates were portrayed through the writings of Plato, but we are unable to know how much of his dialogues were his philosophy or the philosophy of Socrates. Soon after Plato, his student, Aristotle, succeeded him and had very different philosophies. He was more scientific in nature (often called the first biologist) as he approached philosophy in a methodical way. Plato's ethics involved a moderate amount of "virtue ethics", and Aristotle built from this and really ran with the idea of "virtue ethics" (especially in his Nicomachean Ethics).

Another example of natural progression is found in British Empiricism. The first main philosopher that is noted as an empiricist is john Locke. He founded his philosophy on claiming that empirical (experiential) sensation is that which is prevalent in reality -- contrasting continental rationalism (Descartes, "I think therefore I am," [thought requires an agent, so he knows there is an agent because he can think]). David Hume, a skeptical British empiricist, ran with this to the extreme. He claimed that we cannot know reality, but the closest thing we can get to knowing reality is through experience. As you can see, this is quite a dramatic shift from Locke. Yet, Hume's ideas simply progressed from Locke's.

Thus, as time goes on, ideas and philosophers build upon each others' philosophies.

Answer 2

Philosophy evolves through a continual process of critical reflection, debate, and the incorporation of new ideas and perspectives. Philosophers engage with contemporary issues and build upon the work of previous thinkers, adapting to changes in society, culture, and knowledge. This ongoing dialogue and synthesis of ideas contribute to the dynamic nature of philosophy and its evolution over time.