In Tanach, the root shakaf ( ש-ק- פ ) means “to look”1 or “to be seen.”2 Recently, people have started using the word “hashkafah” to refer to one’s outlook on life. As opposed to the term “machshavah,” which people often use to refer to philosophical studies (such as metaphysics), hashkafah refers to how we understand our world’s workings and how we are meant to live within them.
Hashkafah has become an area of significant interest. As opposed to the Rishonim, whose philosophical discussions focused mainly on issues of machshavah, recent generations have concentrated more on understanding the nature and goals of our existence.
