Dari Pengetahuan Menuju Kebijaksanaan: Peran Filsafat Dalam Perkembangan Intelektual Mahasiswa

Abstract

Students’ intellectual development is determined not only by their ability to acquire and master knowledge, but also by their capacity to understand, evaluate, critically examine, and apply knowledge wisely. This study aims to analyze the role of philosophy in fostering students’ intellectual development, shifting the orientation from the mere mastery of knowledge toward the cultivation of wisdom. The study employs a qualitative approach using a library research method. Data were obtained from books, journal articles, and various scholarly sources addressing philosophy, critical thinking, intellectual development, and higher education. Data analysis was conducted through the stages of reduction, categorization, interpretation, and philosophically critical conclusion drawing. The findings indicate that philosophy plays a strategic role in developing students’ abilities to think logically, critically, reflectively, systematically, and argumentatively. Philosophy not only enables students to question the foundations of knowledge but also fosters epistemological awareness concerning the limits, validity, and responsible use of knowledge. Furthermore, philosophy education encourages openness to diverse perspectives, the ability to make rational decisions, and the development of ethical and responsible intellectual dispositions. Thus, students’ intellectual development should ideally extend beyond cognitive achievement and be directed toward the ability to integrate knowledge, values, experience, and moral judgment into wisdom. This study underscores the importance of strengthening philosophy education in higher education as a foundation for cultivating students who are critical, reflective, intellectually independent, and capable of responding wisely to the complexities of both academic and social life.