I was reading Benjamin Franklin's autobiography and he wrote about philosophy in a broader sense. The context I remember is that he was hoping that a philosophe

I was reading Benjamin Franklin's autobiography and he wrote about philosophy in a broader sense. The context I remember is that he was hoping that a philosopher would take on the challenge of figuring out how best to shape and rig a sailboat, because at the time it was all more of an art than a science. Point being, up until the 19th century some or most people who would consider themselves philosophers tended to be more pragmatic/practical in their pursuits.