The meaning of life. The nature of knowledge, of truth, of beauty. What a person is, if anything, and what e should do---ethically, morally, and spiritually. Whether concepts are real, and whether concepts such as spirit make any sense. The nature of language, how and whether language attaches to the world, and how and whether language determines thought. What the meaning of meaning is. The essence of being. Determination of the definition and scope of particular ideas, such as the term ``philosophical problem''.

Some examples of problems that do not "readily submit to empirical methods of solution":

• Does God exist?
• Does the universe exist? or is it just our perception of reality?
• Why didn't they ever make History of the World Part II?
• Do we have free will? or is our future predetermined?
• Can E2 ever be intelligent?
• tastes great? or less filling?
• Why is my girlfriend mad at me this time?
• Is space infinite?
• Does calculus really solve Zeno's paradox?
• How the heck did Newton come up with calculus in the first place?
• Why the heck did I get a C in calculus?
• Do we have a soul?
• How can people listen to funk soul brother?
• I think, therefore I am?
• If I create a node and nobody is logged in to see it pass through the New Writeups list, did it really get noded?
• How many licks does it take to get to the center of a Blowpop?
• Is Mr. Owl an authority on other things besides lollipops?
• Is that your final answer?
• Will I get nailed for writing such a spurious node?

In my humble opinion, something which must have a practical consequence. Otherwise it leads into a maze of endless speculation which is tricky to escape. By this criterion many seemingly insoluble problems can be happily discarded. For example, the problem of free will and determinism, when practically approached, shows that one must act, must make a decision. Whether or not the decision is an illusion is irrelevant to any who have felt the agony of decision. Therefore the question becomes moot.