Do you ever feel like the universeEverything. Including all of time and space and its contents. is trying to tell you something? A photographer at the Paris OlympicsA major international multi-sport event held every four years. felt that way on Monday when he took the photo of a lifetime: a Brazilian surfer seeming to float above the sea in the stormy air.

The world has been amazed by this picture. Some think it is because we like to look for signs that the universe has a deeper meaning for our lives.

We often find meaning in nature. In ancient Greece, people thought a solar eclipseA solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth, casting a shadow over parts of Earth and blocking the face of the Sun for observers in those locations. meant that the gods were angry. Stories about floods sent by angry gods are common too throughout history .

It can be comfortingSomething that makes you feel better. to think there is some meaning behind any bad things that happen to us. For many, this is very true today, when the news is full of stories about climate changeLong-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns. Human action is a major cause of climate change. and war.

However, not everyone turns to religionReligion is belief in a god or gods and the activities that are connected with this belief, such as praying or worshipping in a building such as a church or temple..

PhilosophyThe study of key questions and knowledge about nature, reality and existence. began as a way of understanding the world. Most of the early philosophers were also scientists: AristotleA student of Plato, tutor to Alexander the Great and the father of political philosophy. spent much of his life cutting up and studying sea life.

And most philosophers throughout history believed truth is something that we can find in the world if we train our minds in the right way. Aristotle's tutorTeacher. PlatoOne of the most important Ancient Greek philosophers.  thought that we can understand everything we see through reason.

So it is not surprising that in the modern day, more and more people are turning to philosophers to help them figure out the truth of their own lives.

Is philosophy the answer?

Yes! Philosophy had its start as a way of understanding the world and its links with our own minds. Today it can still help us find the meaning in tricky situations.

No! Philosophy can help us understand the world. But there is no point in understanding the world if we do not know how to change it for the better. Philosophy is not the only answer.

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