by Philip Atkinson

The Concern of Philosophy
Philosophy is defined in many dictionaries as the love of wisdom or knowledge, but wisdom is recognising right from wrong and knowledge is recognising truth from falsity; two very different concerns which belong to two separate institutions, religion and science.

Philosophy Is The Study Of Understanding
However to understand anything is to combine both wisdom and knowledge: so philosophy can be defined as the study of understanding; or the study of a particular understanding. This is confirmed by those sources of knowledge that describe philosophy as being about ultimate reality, for reality, ultimate or otherwise, can only be the perception of an understanding.

Philosophy Is The Study Of Civilization
As a civilization is an understanding then Philosophy can be considered the study of civilization, or the study of a particular civilization. And a theory of civilization must be philosophy.