This text explores the essence of philosophy as a discipline that responds to various forms of human need or distress, whether external existential pressures or internal crises of consciousness and subjectivity. The author highlights the historical development of philosophy, which defined itself against myth while simultaneously incorporating its insights. In the modern era, philosophy must closely monitor scientific research and its profound impact on humanity. A central theme is the deep alienation of man from nature, which began when humanity separated itself from the natural world. No longer feeling at home in nature, humans attempt to simulate a return by cultivating their environment. This situation leads to fundamental questions about the origins of humanity, what essentially distinguishes humans from everything else, and what man's true position in the world is. The author references the Epic of Gilgamesh as the first historical record of this conflict. Ultimately, philosophical inquiry seeks to find the grounding of human existence within an alienated world.