to philosophize
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to philosophize
To engage with the fundamental questions of life, the world, and thought; to think and talk about philosophical problems.
Im Seminar philosophieren wir über den Begriff der Gerechtigkeit bei Platon.
In the seminar, we philosophize about the concept of justice in Plato.
The verb 'philosophieren' (to philosophize) belongs to the word family of 'die Philosophie' (philosophy) and 'der Philosoph' (philosopher). The ending '-ieren' is typical of many verbs borrowed from foreign languages.
Schon als Jugendliche hat sie gern über große Fragen philosophiert.
Even as a teenager, she liked philosophizing about big questions.
When you want to name the topic of reflection, you always use the preposition 'über' (about) with the accusative.
Die Studenten philosophierten stundenlang über die Freiheit.
The students philosophized about freedom for hours.
In everyday language, 'philosophieren' (to philosophize) is often used slightly ironically for deep but sometimes aimless conversations. It then describes thinking that does not necessarily have to be academic.
Wir saßen am Lagerfeuer und philosophierten über die Zukunft.
We sat by the campfire and philosophized about the future.
A very common idiom in colloquial use is 'über Gott und die Welt philosophieren' (to philosophize about God and the world). It means to talk about all kinds of topics, often unrelated ones.
Bei einem Glas Wein kann man wunderbar über Gott und die Welt philosophieren.
Over a glass of wine, you can wonderfully philosophize about God and the world.
to discuss
'diskutieren' and 'philosophieren' can both mean that people talk and think about a topic. 'diskutieren' is used when different opinions and arguments are exchanged. Often, the goal is to clarify a question or reach a decision. 'philosophieren' goes deeper or further: you talk about big questions in life or think about a topic for a long time, sometimes quite freely. Colloquially, it can also mean talking in a deep way without needing a clear result. The words can be confused in serious conversations. When arguments are the main focus, 'diskutieren' fits. When the thinking itself is more important, 'philosophieren' fits.
Nach dem Abendessen philosophieren die Freunde über Glück und Freiheit.
After dinner, the friends philosophize about happiness and freedom.
Im Team diskutieren wir, welche Lösung für den Kunden am besten ist.
In the team, we are discussing which solution is best for the customer.