---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A philosophy is characterized more by the…"
description: "\"A philosophy is characterized more by the formulation of its problem than by its solution of them.\" — Susanne Katherina Langer"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/83d/susanne-katherina-langer-11754_characterized_a-philosophy-is-characterized-more-by-th_1243125.png"
---

#  A philosophy is characterized more by the formulation of…

![“A philosophy is characterized more by the formulation of its problem than by its solution of them.” quote by Susanne Katherina Langer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/83d/susanne-katherina-langer-11754_characterized_a-philosophy-is-characterized-more-by-th_1243125.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/83d/susanne-katherina-langer-11754_characterized_a-philosophy-is-characterized-more-by-th_1243125.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/83d/susanne-katherina-langer-11754_characterized_a-philosophy-is-characterized-more-by-th_1243125.png)

> “A philosophy is characterized more by the formulation of its problem than by its solution of them.”

[Susanne Katherina Langer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susanne-katherina-langer/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Problems define a philosophy more than its solutions.

**In simple terms:** The core issue matters more than answers.

Key Takeaway

Focus on framing the right question.

Themes

philosophy problem‑solving theory

Mood

inquisitive analytical

Type

theoretical philosophical

When to use this quote

- academic research
- ethical debates
- policy design

Key Concepts

epistemology logic methodology

Questions to Reflect On

- What problem are you trying to solve?
- How does framing affect outcomes?

A Different Perspective

Solutions may be incomplete or contested.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Characterized](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/characterized/) [Philosopher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosopher/) [Philosophy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy/) [Problem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/problem/)

## Related quotes

> [The formulation of the problem is often more essential than its solution, which may be merely a matter of mathematical or experimental skill.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/the-formulation-of-the-problem-is-often-more-essential-than-its/)

[Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/)

> [Despite its successes, in the end, philosophical thinking always falls short of its real goal. It involves both the wonder of aspiring toward the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-marmysz/despite-its-successes-in-the-end-philosophical-thinking-always-falls/)

[John Marmysz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-marmysz/)

> [You are right in demanding that an artist approach his work consciously, but you are confusing two concepts: the solution of a problem and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/you-are-right-in-demanding-that-an-artist-approach-his-work/)

[Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/)

> [The mere formulation of a problem is far more essential than its solution, which may be merely a matter of mathematical or experimental skills.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/the-mere-formulation-of-a-problem-is-far-more-essential-than-its/)

[Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/)

> [Foreign policy is about the execution of ideas as much as their formulation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ignatius/foreign-policy-is-about-the-execution-of-ideas-as-much-as-their/)

[David Ignatius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ignatius/)

> [“enduring at the time played in his formulation of the test.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaron-lanier/enduring-at-the-time-played-in-his-formulation-of-the-test/)

[Jaron Lanier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaron-lanier/)

> [Art is an experience, not the formulation of a problem.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lindsay-anderson/art-is-an-experience-not-the-formulation-of-a-problem/)

Lindsay Anderson

> [“How does one answer a question that, in its very formulation, defies belief?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-gelpke/how-does-one-answer-a-question-that-in-its-very-formulation-defies/)

[Ryan Gelpke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-gelpke/)

> [“The concept of randomness and coincidence will be obsolete when people can finally define a formulation of patterned interaction between all things within the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toba-beta-betelgeuse-incident/the-concept-of-randomness-and-coincidence-will-be-obsolete-when/)

[Toba Beta \[Betelgeuse Incident](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toba-beta-betelgeuse-incident/)

> [Fraud, robbery, and murder have characterized the English usurpation of the government of our country. Why, for the last fifty years we have been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-edward-redmond/fraud-robbery-and-murder-have-characterized-the-english-usurpation-of/)

John Edward Redmond

> [I am specifically concerned about the idea that the legislative process is one that gets characterized the way it is as the 'fiscal cliff.'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lloyd-blankfein/i-am-specifically-concerned-about-the-idea-that-the-legislative/)

[Lloyd Blankfein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lloyd-blankfein/)

> [The healthiest companies are always characterized by organic talent development.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-heffernan/the-healthiest-companies-are-always-characterized-by-organic-talent/)

[Margaret Heffernan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-heffernan/)

> [Vaudeville was characterized by sunny optimism, acts that were uplifting, cheerful, and clean. It provided a fanciful, magical escape, but after Black Friday, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-abbott/vaudeville-was-characterized-by-sunny-optimism-acts-that-were/)

[Karen Abbott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-abbott/)

> [Writing that flirts with incoherence can just as readily flounder as writing characterized by simplicity and composure. There is no reliable formula for originality,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joanna-scott/writing-that-flirts-with-incoherence-can-just-as-readily-flounder-as/)

[Joanna Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joanna-scott/)

> [My illness is one often characterized by dramatic overspending - in my case through frenzied shopping sprees, credit card abuse, excessive hoarding of unnecessary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-behrman/my-illness-is-one-often-characterized-by-dramatic-overspending-in-my/)

[Andy Behrman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-behrman/)

## More by Susanne Katherina Langer

> [the wide discrepancy between reason and feeling may be unreal; it is not improbable that intellect is a high form of feeling - a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susanne-katherina-langer/the-wide-discrepancy-between-reason-and-feeling-may-be-unreal-it-is/)

[Susanne Katherina Langer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susanne-katherina-langer/)

> [Music is our myth of the inner life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susanne-katherina-langer/music-is-our-myth-of-the-inner-life/)

[Susanne Katherina Langer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susanne-katherina-langer/)

> [Magic, then, is not a method, but a language; it is part and parcel of that greater phenomenon, ritual, which is the language of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susanne-katherina-langer/magic-then-is-not-a-method-but-a-language-it-is-part-and-parcel-of/)

[Susanne Katherina Langer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susanne-katherina-langer/)

> [Most new discoveries are suddenly-seen things that were always there. A new idea is a light that illuminates presences which simply had no form…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susanne-katherina-langer/most-new-discoveries-are-suddenly-seen-things-that-were-always-there/)

[Susanne Katherina Langer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susanne-katherina-langer/)

> [Art is just as comprehensible as science, but in its own terms.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susanne-katherina-langer/art-is-just-as-comprehensible-as-science-but-in-its-own-terms/)

[Susanne Katherina Langer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susanne-katherina-langer/)

> [Music is 'significant form,' and its significance is that of a symbol, a highly articulated, sensuous object, which by virtue of its dynamic structure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susanne-katherina-langer/music-is-significant-form-and-its-significance-is-that-of-a-symbol-a/)

[Susanne Katherina Langer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susanne-katherina-langer/)

> [The historian does not locate known facts in a hypothetical, general pattern of processes; his aim is to link fact to fact, one unique…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susanne-katherina-langer/the-historian-does-not-locate-known-facts-in-a-hypothetical-general/)

[Susanne Katherina Langer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susanne-katherina-langer/)

> [The Past, being in the mode of memory, is closed, inalienable, and irreparable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susanne-katherina-langer/the-past-being-in-the-mode-of-memory-is-closed-inalienable-and/)

[Susanne Katherina Langer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susanne-katherina-langer/)

> [We have no physical model of this endless rhythm of individuation and involvement, we do have its image in the world of art, most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susanne-katherina-langer/we-have-no-physical-model-of-this-endless-rhythm-of-individuation-and/)

[Susanne Katherina Langer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susanne-katherina-langer/)

> [The intellectual treatment of any datum, any experience, any subject, is determined by the nature of our questions, and only carried out in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susanne-katherina-langer/the-intellectual-treatment-of-any-datum-any-experience-any-subject-is/)

[Susanne Katherina Langer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susanne-katherina-langer/)

> [The fairytale is irresponsible; it is frankly imaginary, and its purpose is to gratify wishes, as a dream doth flatter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susanne-katherina-langer/the-fairytale-is-irresponsible-it-is-frankly-imaginary-and-its/)

[Susanne Katherina Langer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susanne-katherina-langer/)

> [Common-sense knowledge is prompt, categorical, and inexact.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susanne-katherina-langer/common-sense-knowledge-is-prompt-categorical-and-inexact/)

[Susanne Katherina Langer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susanne-katherina-langer/)

> [One can bear anything of which one is able to conceive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susanne-katherina-langer/one-can-bear-anything-of-which-one-is-able-to-conceive/)

[Susanne Katherina Langer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susanne-katherina-langer/)

> [The continual pursuit of meanings-wider, clearer, more negotiable, more articulate meanings- is philosophy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susanne-katherina-langer/the-continual-pursuit-of-meanings-wider-clearer-more-negotiable-more/)

[Susanne Katherina Langer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susanne-katherina-langer/)

> [Ritual is the most primitive reflection of serious thought, a slow deposit, as it were, of people's imaginative insight into life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susanne-katherina-langer/ritual-is-the-most-primitive-reflection-of-serious-thought-a-slow/)

[Susanne Katherina Langer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susanne-katherina-langer/)

[Explore all 58 Susanne Katherina Langer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susanne-katherina-langer/)

## More Characterized quotes

> [My illness is one often characterized by dramatic overspending - in my case through frenzied shopping sprees, credit card abuse, excessive hoarding of unnecessary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-behrman/my-illness-is-one-often-characterized-by-dramatic-overspending-in-my/)

[Andy Behrman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-behrman/)

> [Writing that flirts with incoherence can just as readily flounder as writing characterized by simplicity and composure. There is no reliable formula for originality,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joanna-scott/writing-that-flirts-with-incoherence-can-just-as-readily-flounder-as/)

[Joanna Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joanna-scott/)

> [Vaudeville was characterized by sunny optimism, acts that were uplifting, cheerful, and clean. It provided a fanciful, magical escape, but after Black Friday, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-abbott/vaudeville-was-characterized-by-sunny-optimism-acts-that-were/)

[Karen Abbott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-abbott/)

> [The healthiest companies are always characterized by organic talent development.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-heffernan/the-healthiest-companies-are-always-characterized-by-organic-talent/)

[Margaret Heffernan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-heffernan/)

> [I am specifically concerned about the idea that the legislative process is one that gets characterized the way it is as the 'fiscal cliff.'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lloyd-blankfein/i-am-specifically-concerned-about-the-idea-that-the-legislative/)

[Lloyd Blankfein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lloyd-blankfein/)

> [Fraud, robbery, and murder have characterized the English usurpation of the government of our country. Why, for the last fifty years we have been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-edward-redmond/fraud-robbery-and-murder-have-characterized-the-english-usurpation-of/)

John Edward Redmond

> [America was magnificently characterized in November of 2008 when we elected, for the first time, an African-American President of the United States.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-scott/america-was-magnificently-characterized-in-november-of-2008-when-we/)

[David Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-scott/)

> [I have often been characterized by one sound bite, and people say, 'That is the whole of Mike Huckabee, because we have him on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-huckabee/i-have-often-been-characterized-by-one-sound-bite-and-people-say-that/)

[Mike Huckabee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-huckabee/)

> [The soul is characterized by these capacities; self-nutrition, sensation, thinking, and movement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/the-soul-is-characterized-by-these-capacities-self-nutrition/)

[Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/)

> [Oui, dans mon rêve, j'étais un crayon, mais admittedly, I'd more suitably be characterized as a plump carrot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabel-yosito/oui-dans-mon-r-ve-j-tais-un-crayon-mais-admittedly-i-d-more-suitably/)

[Isabel Yosito](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabel-yosito/)

> [It's sobering to think of the seventeen chief justices; certainly a solid majority of them have to be characterized as failures. The successful ones…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-roberts/it-s-sobering-to-think-of-the-seventeen-chief-justices-certainly-a/)

[John Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-roberts/)

> [In general, all cancers have been traditionally characterized by the way they appear under the microscope and the organs in which they arise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-e-varmus/in-general-all-cancers-have-been-traditionally-characterized-by-the/)

[Harold E. Varmus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-e-varmus/)

> [The Affordable Care Act's requirement that certain individuals pay a financial penalty for not obtaining health insurance may reasonably be characterized as a tax.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-roberts/the-affordable-care-act-s-requirement-that-certain-individuals-pay-a/)

[John Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-roberts/)

> [I actually don't consider myself that private. I know that's how I've been characterized. That's OK.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-bird/i-actually-don-t-consider-myself-that-private-i-know-that-s-how-i-ve/)

[Sue Bird](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-bird/)

> [From a very early age onwards, people's attention had been attracted to the volatile substances, characterized by strong smells or flavours, which are among…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-wallach/from-a-very-early-age-onwards-people-s-attention-had-been-attracted/)

[Otto Wallach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-wallach/)

[Browse all 22 Characterized quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/characterized/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "A philosophy is characterized more by the formulation of its problem than by its solution of them.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Susanne Katherina Langer"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susanne-katherina-langer/a-philosophy-is-characterized-more-by-the-formulation-of-its-problem/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Characterized"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susanne-katherina-langer/a-philosophy-is-characterized-more-by-the-formulation-of-its-problem/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/83d/susanne-katherina-langer-11754_characterized_a-philosophy-is-characterized-more-by-th_1243125.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/83d/susanne-katherina-langer-11754_characterized_a-philosophy-is-characterized-more-by-th_1243125.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/83d/susanne-katherina-langer-11754_characterized_a-philosophy-is-characterized-more-by-th_1243125.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“A philosophy is characterized more by the formulation of its problem than by its solution of them.” — Susanne Katherina Langer",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Susanne Katherina Langer",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susanne-katherina-langer/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "A philosophy is characterized more by...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susanne-katherina-langer/a-philosophy-is-characterized-more-by-the-formulation-of-its-problem/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susanne-katherina-langer/a-philosophy-is-characterized-more-by-the-formulation-of-its-problem/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
