Concept in Definition ABC

In the academic field, the acronym PhD is used as an abbreviation to refer to the person who has graduated in a subject. He literally wants a doctor in philosophy and it comes from the equivalent Latin expression, doctor philosophiae.

It is a proper name for Anglo-Saxon universities and has been in use since the 19th century. It is equivalent to a doctorate and is more than a degree or bachelor's degree, since it implies that the student has presented a doctoral thesis.

The historical origin of the acronyms dates back to the Middle Ages

Obtaining a PhD in medicine, biology, theology or right It does not mean that the holder of said academic rank has philosophical knowledge. This abbreviation is used because since the Middle Ages the whole of knowledge was grouped under the name philosophy, since it was understood that this discipline it represented the different scientific areas.

For centuries the educational curriculum was divided into two large blocks that included the arts and scientific disciplines: Trivium and Quadrivium. The first included the following subjects: grammar,

dialectics and rhetoric. The quadrivium included four other subjects: arithmetic, geometry, astronomy and music.

As a complement to the quadrivium, disciplines such as natural history or medicine were studied. After passing these two levels, it was understood that the student was already able to deepen the strictly philosophical knowledge. All this knowledge was taught in monastic schools and later in the first European universities.

With the passage of time, each area of ​​knowledge became independent from its original trunk. Thus, pedagogy, psychology wave sociology appeared in the 19th century and acquired a status independent in the university field in the twentieth century. At present the areas of knowledge have a very specialized and specific range, as is the case with astrophysics, biotechnology, science education or the different specializations of medicine.

In short, the use of the acronym PhD in the 21st century is a recognition of the role of philosophy in the whole of knowledge.

What is meant by philosophy

The early western philosophers, especially the pre-Socratics, did not consider themselves sages (sophos), but seekers of wisdom.

If we pay attention to the strict meaning of the word, philosophy means love of wisdom, as it is made up of philos, which wants love, and sophía, which means wisdom. Thus, more than an area of ​​knowledge, it must be understood as an attitude in search of truth.

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