Is Philosophy Dead?

Picking up on a topic that's come up a few times before, I'm wondering if philosophy is dead and has been for awhile. It's no surprise that the general consensus is that philosophy isn't as widely respected as it once was. I think that if you were to poll the average person today, philosophy is often considered to be basically impractical and no one really cares about it much anymore.<br><br>In the past, philosophy was integral to society. Philosophers like Plato, Kant, and Hume were towering figures that had important and influential ideas that shaped many thinkers who followed after them. Philosophers like Nietzsche, Russell, and Wittgenstein wrote influential books that shaped the way thinkers thought about their time. Philosophy was respected and encountered and considered in various forms of media, art, and literature. The field of philosophy itself was a leader in the development of ethics, metaphysics, epistemology, logic, and numerous other fields.<br><br>Over the past century or so, things have changed. Most people have no idea who the working philosophers are, and when you mention philosophy to people, they usually react with a shrug or a sarcastic remark or a certain stereotype.<br><br>I think there are many factors that have led to this, but I'm convinced that philosophy is dead in the modern sense and it certainly looks to me like philosophy's best days are well behind it.<br><br>If anyone has any thoughts on this, I'd love to hear them.<br><br>EDIT: the sub is really blowing up, so if you see this and you have a comment to share, please do! I'll do my best to respond.