--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When people ask me what philosophy is, I…" description: "\"When people ask me what philosophy is, I say philosophy is what you do when you don't know what the right questions are yet. Once you get the questions..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/94d/daniel-dennett-3895_answers_when-people-ask-me-what-philosophy-is-i_2536054.png" --- # When people ask me what philosophy is, I say philosophy is… ![“When people ask me what philosophy is, I say philosophy is what you do when you don't know what the right questions are yet. Once you get the questions right, then you go answer them, and that's typically not philosophy, that's one science or another. Anywhere in life where you find that people…” quote by Daniel Dennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/94d/daniel-dennett-3895_answers_when-people-ask-me-what-philosophy-is-i_2536054.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/94d/daniel-dennett-3895_answers_when-people-ask-me-what-philosophy-is-i_2536054.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/94d/daniel-dennett-3895_answers_when-people-ask-me-what-philosophy-is-i_2536054.png) > “When people ask me what philosophy is, I say philosophy is what you do when you don't know what the right questions are yet. Once you get the questions right, then you go answer them, and that's typically not philosophy, that's one science or another. Anywhere in life where you find that people aren't quite sure what the right questions to ask are, what they're doing, then, is philosophy.” [Daniel Dennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-dennett/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Philosophy is the practice of formulating the right questions before seeking answers, distinguishing it from established sciences. **In simple terms:** Philosophy asks the right questions first. Key Takeaway Identify and ask the crucial questions. Themes philosophy inquiry knowledge science methodology Mood curious reflective Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - academic research - personal decision making - policy development - education curriculum design Key Concepts epistemology critical thinking question formulation Questions to Reflect On - What questions are you avoiding? - How can you clarify the problem before seeking solutions? A Different Perspective Without clear questions, inquiry can become aimless or misguided. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Philosophy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy/) [Right questions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/right-questions/) ## Related quotes > [If you ask what my philosophy is, my philosophy is kind of like an entrepreneurial philosophy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-nurse/if-you-ask-what-my-philosophy-is-my-philosophy-is-kind-of-like-an/) [Nick Nurse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-nurse/) > [“I will simply ask: What is philosophy? What do the writings of the best known philosophers contain? 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