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- Examining the Universe: Metaphysics. One of the first questions ever posed, not just in the field of philosophy but also in science in general, is the question about Being, the question about the first principle, the root cause of all of existence.
- Examining Knowledge: Epistemology. When being faced with the question of what exists in the world, it’s almost inevitable to ask: how do these thinkers know about Being?
- Examining Reason: Logic. Another branch of philosophy that is closely linked to epistemology is logic. Logic is the study of correct reasoning. The term originates from the Greek word logos, meaning word, reason, thought, or science.
- Examining Morals: Ethics. Ethics is one of the most central disciplines of philosophy. Ethics can simply be defined as a moral philosophy, as it’s concerned with what is morally good and bad, or morally right and wrong.
- What Does Philosophy Mean?
- How Is Philosophy done?
- How Can We Think Clearly About Thinking?
- So, Philosophy Just Rests on ‘Arguments’?
- The 4 CORE Branches of Philosophy
- Who Does Philosophy?
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The word ‘philosophy’ literally means ‘love of wisdom’, and this etymology is apt, for as a subject philosophy generally refers to the study of deep, fundamental questions (like those we opened with) relating to core aspects of the human condition. These questions typically revolve around the nature of existence, knowledge, consciousness, ethics, s...
Considering such difficult, fuzzy subject matter, we might wonder how philosophers get anything done. How does philosophy make progress? How do philosophers decide what’s accurate and inaccurate? Well, it essentially comes down to thinking hard about thinking, and separating out the sound thinking from the erroneous thinking. As the philosopher Tho...
In order to separate good thinking from bad thinking, philosophy essentially runs on what philosophers call ‘arguments’, i.e. chains of reasoning that support certain conclusions. There are a whole host of ways in which arguments can be presented and structured. They can be informal, like persuading a friend to go to a certain restaurant, or a poli...
Compared to the grand instruments of modern science, the humble arguments of philosophers may not seem a very impressive toolkit. But, when you think about it, it is upon such deployments of reason that all human knowledge is built. The ability to formulate and respond to rational arguments is — arguably — among humanity’s most powerful intellectua...
While philosophical inquiry can be (and has been) applied to virtually any subject, one traditional picture organizes philosophy into four core branches. These are the branches of epistemology (the study of knowledge), metaphysics (the study of reality), value theory (the study of ethics and values), and logic(the study of correct reasoning). The p...
As we’ve seen, the concerns of philosophy are both deep and wide-ranging. There may be some areas that interest you, there may be others you find a little dry* (*cough, logic, cough). Either way, philosophers have been studying the difficult questions mentioned above for thousands of years. The ancient Greek philosophers Socrates, Plato, and Aristo...
If you’re interested in learning more about philosophy, check out our follow-up piece, Why Is Philosophy Important Today, and How Can It Improve Your Life?, as well as our bite-size Life’s Big Questions course, which distills the great philosophers’ answers to some of life’s most difficult and enduring questions: Why does anything exist? Is percept...
- Nihilism. The leading philosophy among angsty teens who misunderstand Nietzsche. The root of the word ‘nihilism’ is derived from the Latin nihil, meaning “nothing”, and it is a more of a series of related positions and problems than a single school of thought.
- Existentialism. The leading philosophy among angsty undergraduates who understand Nietzsche. Existentialism is a school of thought originating in the work of Soren Kierkegaard and Nietzsche.
- Stoicism. A philosophy popular in ancient Greece and Rome, and practiced today by many people in high-stress environments. Stoicism is a school that focuses on how to live in a world where things don’t go your way.
- Hedonism. Hedonism is the idea that pleasure or happiness is the one thing with intrinsic value. This idea has been held by many other schools across history, most famously the utilitarians.
Nov 21, 2023 · Learn what the branches of philosophy are. Identify the major questions of fields of philosophy and discover examples of the main areas of philosophy. Updated: 11/21/2023
- 7 min
Just as a toolbox contains different tools for different tasks, philosophy has diverse areas that specialize in various subjects. These areas act like different lenses through which we view and try to understand the world and ourselves. They include: Metaphysics: The study of reality and existence.
Dec 30, 2023 · 1.1 Epistemology. 1.2 Metaphysics. 1.3 Logic. 1.4 Ethics. 1.5 Aesthetics. 1.6 Other Branches. The Branches of Philosophy. Western philosophy can be divided into six branches that have assumed various importance over time. Traditionally metaphysics sets the questions for philosophy. Epistemology asks how do we know?
Branches of philosophy. The branches of philosophy and their sub-branches that are used in contemporary philosophy are as follows. Aesthetics. Aesthetics is study of the nature of beauty, art, and taste, and the creation of personal kinds of truth. Philosophy of art; Epistemology
