Answering various philosophical questions, and particularly "Wherefore philosophy?" (that is, what is the use of philosophy, is philosophy necessary for life), the Stagirite philosopher seems to have proposed the following, short and concise answer:

"Either one philosophises or does not philosophise, one has to philosophise. So, whatever the case may be, one needs to philosophise".

This indicates that philosophy and philosophising, which originate in wonder, are at the same time a necessary and qualitative element of every culture. However, if it is necessary to philosophise, the further question that is raised is related to the content, way and method of philosphising. Since by doing philosophy one attempts to give answers to crucially important questions regarding human life and natural world in their truth, various philosphers invented different ways and paths of research.

This is why philosophy has its history, i.e. has its beginning and course in time. In this long period of time from the Pre-socratics until now, various methods of philosophising were used, and all of them together constitute the concept and content of philosophy. That which constitutes the content of philosophy is not something static but rather a developing in time, so that there emerged differentiation in philosophising among various thinkers of different peoples and nations concerning the essence, the structure, the function and the aim of philosophising. In Greek culture, philosophy, apart from other things, was conceived as a choice of life (áßñåóéò âßïõ), e.g. as a decision that a philosopher thinker has to make and follow constistently, so that there would be harmony between his philosophical beliefs and his way of life. Thus, philosophy is not concidered as an insignificant activity that would be separated from the state of affairs of social and political life.

The papers published in the present volume examine the problems that implicity or explicity concern the essence, the work, the aim, the method and the usefulness of philosophy. Therein lies their importance and usefulness, since the question "What is Philosophy?" is not a question that can be answered once and for all.

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