Who is a philosopher?

I guess everyone is a philosopher as everyone has to think one way or another for things. This is in general. If take the word onto higher level, a philosopher must be able to think skillfully with a large amount/scope of knowledge and get the good/reasonable results. The thought of such a philosopher wouldn't be like a speedboat surfing on the water-surface. Even if the speed of thoughts, due to skills in thinking/how to think, and wider scope of knowledge, a philosopher should get (close to) the bottom of the thought-subject. Yet, history proves many failed. Philosophy is thus in simple term - the love of knowledge and thought. A philosopher can be just a professional thinker.

anyone that can think can be a philosopher.

I consider a philosopher a person who is at free with his/her thoughts, one who questions authority, one who isn't bound to conventional ideas, one who obeys no culture but his/her own, one who has an eternal thirst for knowledge, wisdom and virtues and isn't willing to give up any of them no matter what like when Socrates bravely drank the hemlock or when the Christian zealots murdered the pagan intellectual Hypatia.

I think a philosopher is a deep thinker who can view laterally as well without a sense of humor. There are many obvious traits in a philosopher though an academic qualification in philosophy doesn't seem to be one of them. He is predominantly a thinker rather than a doer. He is shunned in social circles since often what he says goes over the heads of most. He may not use jargon, but the few words he speaks normally can be expanded into volumes. He is always serious and obviously lacks a sense of humor, since his humor is hardly what normal people can appreciate. He happily swims in grey areas unlike the scientists. He dives deep and brings up gems, but then says gems are after all another variety of stones. He seems a strange creature from another world and sure enough, knows little about how to live his life in this world. Unless he can be taken lightly, he can make every small thing look ominous and every big thing look trifle. As a result of traits mentioned above usually associated with a philosopher, the academic pursuit of Philosophy as a subject doesn't particularly fancy owning the right to title of 'Philosopher'. All said and done, one thing is for sure; the philosopher is no ordinary person!

A philosopher is an individual who ponders "science" in the human as opposed to the elements surrounding. Typically for this individual to be of social significance, he/she must present a compelling hypotheses; a body of work commonly compiled over a lifetime of work. Maria Montessori theorized on the importance of children in the context of education. It is not well known that she was an engineer and a physician; the first of women in Italy to receive a medical degree. She dedicated her life's work to the development of young minds for the purpose of advancing human potential no doubt. However, she was extraordinarily compassionate and sought to resolve problems as well as theorize state's of being. I think the difference here is what one does with their "thought". After all human beings did not create their social existence only by thought. Hence, one can philosophize, a philosopher proves the "intent" worthy.

Pretty much anyone who can think. I think that the only real prerequisite for a philosopher is intelligence (not that this is all you need, far from it). You must be able to step away from the world, seperate yourself and see things objectively then make a conclusion based on reasoning. I don't think a diploma can make you one and make you "officially" one; also its not like its a title like Dr. or Rev. As such you can't introduce yourself as Phi. Yournamehere because you'd look like a bit of an idiot.

the realistic defenition is anyone who can consider more than they expereince, thats what id say anyway there is no qualification for being a philosipher, unless its your job obviously, but in general, we aere mostly philosiphers, its only a few peopel who dont really 'think' about things and just live regardless

A person who seeks reason and truth by thinking and meditation:

every living soul is.