Philosophy The Branches of Philosophy

• (From Greek, by way of Latin, philosophia, “love of 1. METAPHYSICS

wisdom”) • is a study that somehow “goes beyond”
• The use of reason in understanding such things as • The word ‘metaphysics’ is derived from a
the nature of the real world and existence, the use collective title of the fourteen books by
and limits of knowledge, and the principles of moral Aristotle that we currently think of as
judgment. making up Aristotle's Metaphysics.
• The Study of the nature of reality and existence, of • This branch of philosophy explores the
what it is possible to know, and of right and wrong nature of reality
behavior, or a particular set of beliefs (Cambridge • Metaphysics is the foundation of
Dictionary) philosophy: Aristotle calls it “first
philosophy" (or sometimes just "wisdom"),
The Nature of Philosophy
and says it is the subject that deals with
Philosophy analyzes the foundations and presuppositions "first causes and the principles of things".
underlying other disciplines. • "What is the nature of reality?"
• "How does the world exist, and what is its
Philosophy investigates and studies the underpinnings of origin or source of creation?"
science, art, and theology. Philosophers do not ask "Are
• "Does the world exist outside the mind?",
Pablo Picasso's paintings' good' works of art?" (as art critics
• "How can the incorporeal mind affect the
do) but "Is aesthetic judgment a matter of personal taste, or
physical body?", "If things exist, what is
are there objective standards that we can apply to evaluate a
their objective nature?", "Is there a God (or
work of art?"
many gods, or no god at all)?
Philosophy attempts to develop a comprehensive conception
Monism - is the view that reality consists of just one kind of
or apprehension of the world.
thing.
Philosophy seeks to integrate the knowledge of the sciences
Dualism - is the view that reality consists of fundamentally
with that of other fields of study to achieve some kind of
two different kinds of things.
consistent and coherent worldview. Philosophers do not
want to confine their attention to a fragment of human 2. EPISTEMOLOGY
experience or knowledge, but rather, want to reflect upon life • The term “epistemology” comes from the
as a totality. Greek words “episteme “and “logos”
Philosophy studies and critically evaluates our most deeply • Episteme - can be translated as
held beliefs and attitudes; in particular, those which are often “knowledge” or “understanding “or
held uncritically. “acquaintance”.
• logos - can be translated as “account” or
Philosophers have an attitude of critical and logical “argument” or “reason”
thoughtfulness. They force us to see the significance and • The philosophical study of the nature,
consequences of our beliefs, and sometimes their origin, and limits of human knowledge.
inconsistencies. • How do we know what we know? What is
Philosophy investigates the principles and rules of language, knowledge? Is knowledge possible?
and attempts to clarify the meaning of vague words and Epistemology - is also concerned with the question of truth.
concepts
Rationalism - which claims that we know reality through the
Philosophy examines the role of language in communication use of reason alone and not through the senses.
and thought, and the problem of how to identify or ensure the
presence of meaning in our use of language. Empiricism - which claims that we know reality through the
senses.
MAIN DIVISION WITHIN ETHICS IS…
Skepticism - which claims that we really cannot know
✓ Absolutism - the view that there is one correct anything.
ethical system of moral values for all people.
✓ Relativism - the view that moral values are simply 3. AESTHICS
relative to different cultures in different times and • Introduced into the philosophical lexicon
places, or, perhaps even relative to different during the Eighteenth Century, the term
individuals. ‘aesthetic’ has come to designate, among
other things, a kind of object, a kind of
 judgment, a kind of attitude, and of
experience, and a kind of value.
• The philosophical study of beauty and
taste’
4. LOGIC
• Logic consists of a formal or informal
language together with a deductive system
and/or a model-theoretic semantics. The
language has components that correspond
to a part of a natural language
• The deductive system is to capture, codify,
or simply record arguments that are valid
for the given language, and the semantics
is to capture, codify, or record the
meanings, or truth-conditions for at least
part of the language.
• It is the study of reasoning, or the study of
the principles and criteria of valid inference
and demonstration. It attempts to
distinguish good reasoning from bad
reasoning.
• Logic investigates and classifies the
structure of statements and arguments,
both through the study of formal systems
of inference and through the study of
arguments in natural language.
5. ETHICS
• Ethics deals with such questions at all
levels. Its subject consists of the
fundamental issues of practical decision
making, and its major concerns include the
nature of ultimate value and the standards
by which human actions can be judged
right or wrong.
• Ethics is concerned with what is good for
individuals and society and is also
described as moral philosophy
• The term is derived from the Greek word
ethos which can mean custom, habit,
character or disposition.
Philosophy is a mental intercourse. It involves analysis and
evaluation of (a) what is beyond, and (b) the nature of
existing knowledge.
WESTERN VS EASTERN PHILOSOPHY