What is Philosophy?

source of these disagreements are so ingrained that no arguments on the basis of facts are able to settle. This is also why no one philosophical perspective is acceptable to all. <b>

        Having said that, it must also be pointed out that even in the realm of science, explanation is also a matter of degree, and major disagreements also exist. Besides, the diversity and complexity of phenomena in any knowledge area that has to be tackled is simply too complicated for any one theory to satisfy on a permanent basis. For this reason, theories are often not valued in terms of being true or false. They could only be described as plausible or improbable, adequate or inadequate, in the light of what is already known. <b>

         In this connection, let me also point out that there are two general requirements that any plausible and adequate theory must attempt to fulfill. They are comprehensiveness and coherence. Comprehensiveness requires that all relevant facts must be taken into account. Coherence requires that such accounts should be systematically consistent. <b>

        However, given the progressive character of human knowledge, these are tall orders that no theory is likely to fulfill on a permanent basis. What is considered plausible and adequate is always relative to the knowledge context and intellectual climate of its time. Any theory that falls short in any of these respects will sooner rather than later be relegated. The history of thought is littered with many once considered the most comprehensive and coherent of explanations. This is true of philosophy as it is of science. History has also shown that in the shifting sand of knowledge and interpretation, even a relatively

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