The meaning of philosophy is a very complicated issue and can mean many different things. It starts with trying to provide many different explanations to problems that may otherwise have no other answer. Philosophy also tries to fill the void that sometimes science leaves behind it in trying to answer everything in an empirical way. I was raised in Turkey with an Islamic background through which many questions have been brought before me in this life; but at the same time there are many answers that are already given. Therefore the meaning of philosophy to me can both help to answer the questions that my religion and culture have been unable to while also clarifying. It also helps me to better understand those that are already explained. In a sense, philosophy to me is like a tool that spur one towards understanding and explanation, while sparking thought in a mind on issues that may otherwise go un-addressed. These are all philosophical issues because they call into question the nature of knowledge while also asking metaphysical explanations on issues of religion and the universe. They ask the person to take the freedom of thought that one is given and explore issues with the thought and reason that each is given. At the same time, the meaning of philosophy can be seen as the combination of thought and experience to come up with an explanation for some object in the world. This can also spur debate and the sharing of ideas because of the differences in experiences. The meaning of philosophy to me is thus the use of experience and thought to try and explain certain actions and things in the world for which science and other areas cannot give adequate explanations to.
The first issue of what the meaning of philosophy to me is trying to deal with the answers that science cannot provide. Science can go very far in trying to provide answers to many of the questions in the universe. However, some of the questions are in areas that science just cannot seem to address.