Most thoughtful people encounter, at some time in their lives, a question or a problem that captivates them at the same time that it seems insoluble. These are interesting questions, but once questions such as these have been asked, most people do not know how to go about answering them.
Philosophers have a way of dealing with such questions that is rewarding and engaging.
These two quotations give us the essence of philosophy. Philosophers wonder about matters that most people either ignore or take for granted. But their wondering is structured, reasoned and careful - it is wondering with a purpose, and that purpose is rational understanding. Studying philosophy is a path toward such understanding. Philosophical problems arise in every endeavor - they are problems that have been felt by men and women in all cultures and at all tunes in human history.