Who is a Philosopher?

“…A philosopher… has…[a] structure of thought unified by a purpose for his own life and for mankind.” Will Durant, The Story of Philosophy, p. 141
Philosophers are commonly called “thinkers,” but really, that is not an adequate definition of a philosopher. A philosopher seeks the underlying meaning of things; he wants to understand it and codify it into a system of thought. If he succeeds in this task, he often feels compelled to share his system with the world, even knowing it is likely futile. This is because he loves the world, despite the difficulty it has given him.(Philoscifi, 2006)
“You don’t need to get a PhD, to have taken any philosophy classes, or to have read a single philosophy book. Of course all these things can help you to sharpen your thinking and to avoid “reinventing the wheel,” but they do not in themselves make you more or less of a philosopher.”(Philoscifi, 2006)
It is stated in ‘Philoscifi’ that no two philosophers are exactly alike as some as comets: long lived and brilliant like Socrates; while others are streaking meteors like Nietzsche, consumed by their romanticism and brilliance.(Philoscifi, 2006)
Socrates stated that a philosopher neither sees nor hears the so-called unwritten laws of the city, that is, the mores and conventions that govern public life. The philosopher shows no respect for rank and inherited privilege and is unaware of anyone’s high or low birth. It also does not occur to the philosopher to join a political club or a private party. As Socrates concludes, the philosopher’s body alone dwells within the city’s walls. In thought, they are elsewhere.(Critchley, 2010)
According to Stanley, a philosopher is someone who constructs some kind of admirable general theory about a discipline - be it cultural criticism, history, literature, or politics.(Stanley, 2009)
Though different people have stated “what a philosopher is” is different ways, their opinions are hardly different. However, the view ancient philosopher had about philosophy might have changed to some extent with time.
As far as I can mention in clear terms “a philosopher thinks, mainly about what concerns himself and his environment which is not limited even within the boundaries of this universe, states his thoughts in a way certainly satisfies himself despite the consequences.” Philosophers are certainly targets of criticism as every individual does not make an effort to think beyond before stating his opinion.


References
Critchley, S. (2010). What Is a Philosopher? Retrieved 11/3/2020: http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/05/16/what-is-a-philosopher/
Philoscifi. (2006). Who is a philosopher? Retrieved 11/3/2010: http://www.philoscifi.com/wisdom/on-philosophy/who-is-a-philosopher
Stanley, J. (2009). Who is a Philosopher? Retrieved 11/3/2010: http://leiterreports.typepad.com/blog/2009/05/who-is-a-philosopher-j-stanley.html