Definition

Noun: A structured and coherent set of fundamental principles, concepts, and theories concerning reality, existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. It represents a comprehensive worldview or doctrine developed by a philosopher or a school of thought.

Usage

The term "philosophical system" refers to an organized body of philosophical thought. It is used to describe a formal, integrated structure of ideas that provides explanations and frameworks for understanding the world.

Examples

• Noun:
  • Plato's Theory of Forms is a central component of his overall philosophical system.
  • The conference compared the Eastern philosophical system of Confucianism with various Western traditions.
  • Descartes sought to build a new philosophical system based on the certainty of his famous axiom, "I think, therefore I am."

Advanced Usage

• "to construct a philosophical system": to deliberately build a comprehensive framework of thought.
  • The philosopher spent decades attempting to construct a complete philosophical system.
• "within the framework of a philosophical system": analyzed or understood according to the rules and concepts of that specific system.
  • The ethical question was examined within the framework of the utilitarian philosophical system.

Variants and Related Words

• Philosophy (n): The broader academic discipline or the general study of fundamental questions. A "philosophical system" is a specific product of this discipline.
  • She studied philosophy at university.
• Doctrine (n): A belief or set of beliefs held and taught by a group, often religious or political. A doctrine can be part of or synonymous with a philosophical system.
  • The doctrine of non-violence.
• School of thought (n): A particular way of thinking shared by a group of philosophers or theorists. It is often synonymous with a philosophical system.
  • The empiricist school of thought.

Synonyms

• System of philosophy: A direct synonym.
• Worldview: A comprehensive conception of the world from a specific standpoint.
• Ideology: A system of ideas and ideals, often forming the basis of economic or political theory.

Related Phrases

• Underlying philosophical system: The foundational system of thought that supports other ideas.
  • To understand his politics, one must first grasp his underlying philosophical system.
• Coherent philosophical system: A system where all parts logically connect and support each other.
  • The challenge is to develop a coherent philosophical system that accounts for all the evidence.

Noun

1. a belief (or system of beliefs) accepted as authoritative by some group or school