Loneliness as a philosophical problem

In this study titled 'Loneliness as a philosophical problem', the philosophical foundations of the concept of loneliness are tried to be explained. Explaining the philosophical foundations of loneliness, which is frequently revealed in its negative form today, aims to contribute to a better understanding of this concept and to cope with negative loneliness. In this regard, the introduction section primarily focuses on the definition of this concept. There are many definitions of loneliness. This makes it difficult to talk about a single definition of loneliness. Therefore, first, the definitions of loneliness in the fields of psychology and philosophy are included, and then a holistic definition of loneliness is tried to be made. Loneliness has been defined as a universal phenomenon of turning inward, by the purpose of the study. After creating a definition suitable for explaining the philosophical basis of loneliness, the first chapter includes information about the nature and types of loneliness to understand the concept of loneliness better. Loneliness is a concept that can be understood both positively and negatively due to its nature. In this respect, it can occur for a variety of reasons. They are divided into types according to the reasons for their emergence. Ontological, epistemological, and ethical loneliness types, which are three of the emerging types of loneliness, show that loneliness is a philosophically based concept, as they derive their sources from philosophical perspectives. In this context, in the second chapter, these three types are explained through the approaches of certain selected thinkers. In the conclusion section, a brief evaluation of what the concept of loneliness means in terms of modern philosophy today is included.