The Branches of philosophy Most outstanding are five: metaphysics, epistemology, politics, ethics and aesthetics. All of them are interrelated.
The word philosophy literally means"love of wisdom"; It is the study of knowledge, or"thinking about thought", although the breadth of what it covers in its different branches is extensive.
The first systematic investigations of humanity were carried out within a mythological or religious framework. It was a philosophy with branches not very separated from each other, which were based mostly on beliefs, supernatural powers and sacred traditions.
In Ancient Greece, the term"philosophy"meant the pursuit of knowledge by itself, and encompassed all areas of knowledge, including the arts, sciences and religion. Those were the main branches of this discipline at that time.
Philosophy is based on the process of reflection rather than empirical verification. However the methods used may be similar to those of the natural sciences. Depending on the branch of philosophy being discussed, different rules apply.
At the root is metaphysics, the study of existence and the nature of existence. Closely related is epistemology, the study of knowledge and how we know reality and existence. Dependent on epistemology is ethics, the study of how man should act.
A subset of ethics is politics: the study of how men should interact in an appropriate society and what constitutes adequate. Aesthetics, the study of art and the meaning of life, is slightly separated, but also depends on metaphysics, epistemology and ethics.
You may also be interested The 14 most important philosophical currents and their representatives .
Major Philosophy Branches
1- Metaphysics
The study of the universe is one of the themes of metaphysics.
It is the branch of philosophy responsible for the study of existence. It is the foundation of a worldview. It answers the question"What is it?"It encompasses all that exists, as well as the nature of existence itself. It says whether the world is real or simply an illusion. It is a fundamental vision of the world around us.
Why is metaphysics important?
Metaphysics is the foundation of philosophy. Without an explanation or an interpretation of the world around him, he would be helpless to deal with reality. You could not feed or act to preserve life.
The degree to which the metaphysical worldview is correct is the degree to which one is able to understand the world and act accordingly. Without this firm foundation, all knowledge becomes suspicious. Any defect in the vision of reality will make it more difficult to live.
What are the key elements of a rational metaphysics?
The reality is absolute. It has a specific nature independent of thoughts or feelings. The world is real. It has a specific character and must be consistent with that nature. An appropriate metaphysical view of the world must aim to understand reality correctly.
The physical world exists and each entity has a specific nature. Act according to that nature. When different entities interact, they do so according to the nature of both. Every action has a cause and an effect. Causality is the means by which change occurs, but change occurs through a specific nature.
Epistemology
Epistemology is the study of the method of acquiring knowledge. It answers the question:"How do we know?"It covers the nature of concepts, construction of concepts, validity of the senses and logical reasoning.
It also takes care of the thoughts, the ideas, the memories, the emotions and all the mental things. It refers to how minds are related to reality and whether these relationships are valid or invalid.
Why is epistemology important?
Epistemology is the explanation of how one thinks. It is necessary to determine the true of the false by determining an appropriate method of evaluation. It is necessary to use and gain knowledge of the world around you.
Without epistemology, one could not think. More specifically, there would be no reason to believe that thought is productive or correct, as opposed to random images flashing in the mind.
With an incorrect epistemology, one could not distinguish truth from error. The consequences are obvious.
The degree to which epistemology is correct is the degree to which reality can be understood, and the extent to which that knowledge could be used to promote lives and goals. Defects in epistemology will make it harder to achieve anything.
What are the key elements of an adequate epistemology?
The senses are valid, and are the only way to get information about the world. Reason is the method of acquiring knowledge and understanding. Logic is the method of maintaining consistency within the set of knowledge.
Objectivity is the means of associating knowledge with reality to determine its validity. Concepts are summaries of specific details of reality or other abstractions. An appropriate epistemology is a rational epistemology.
3- Policy
Politics is ethics applied to a group of people.
Why is policy important?
Politics tells you how to establish a society and how to act within it.
What is a rational policy?
The requirement of a political system is that individuals within that system can function fully according to their nature. If that is not the case, they will rebel, as in Tsarist Russia, or the system will eventually collapse, as in Communist Russia.
Reason is the main means of survival of man. A human being can not survive in an environment where reason is ineffective, and will prosper or starve to a degree in proportion to the efficacy of reason. This means that the main objective of a political system must be the preservation and habilitation of the faculty of reason.
The reason does not work under duress. A man may be forced to act at the point of a weapon, but he can not be forced to think. Likewise, in an environment where good is right, reason can not function because the fruits of rationality can not be enjoyed.
A moral political system must prohibit coercion. Or, put another way, a moral political system must prohibit the initiation of force, since retaliation must be fair.
This means that there must be some way to prevent a person from killing, threatening or striking another person. This is achieved by giving the government a monopoly on the force of reprisal and with objective laws.
4- Ethics
Ethics is the branch of study that deals with what is the appropriate course of action for man. It answers the question,"What shall I do?"It is the study of good and evil in human endeavor.
At a more fundamental level, it is the method by which values And these are followed Are you looking for your own happiness, or is sacrificing a greater cause? Is that the basis of ethics based on the Bible, the very nature of man himself, or neither?
Why is ethics important?
Ethics is a requirement for human life. It is the means of deciding a course of action. Without it, actions would be random and aimless. There would be no way to work towards a goal because there would be no way to choose between an unlimited number of goals. Even with an ethical standard, you may be unable to pursue goals with the possibility of success.
To the extent that a rational ethical standard is adopted, goals and actions can be properly organized to achieve the most important values. Any flaw in ethics will reduce your ability to succeed with your efforts.
What are the key elements of an appropriate ethic?
An adequate foundation of ethics requires a standard of value to which all goals and actions can be compared. This standard is life itself and the happiness that makes them habitable.
This is the ultimate standard of value, the goal that an ethical man must always aim for. It is achieved by an examination of the nature of man, and the recognition of his peculiar needs.
A system of ethics must consist not only in emergency situations, but in the daily decisions that are constantly made.
It must include relationships with others, and recognize their importance not only for physical survival, but for well-being and happiness. It must be recognized that lives are an end in themselves and that sacrifice is not only not necessary but also destructive.
5- Aesthetics
Aesthetics is the study of art, as well as the purpose behind it. Does art consist of music, literature and painting? Or does it include a good engineering , Or a beautiful sunset?
These are the questions that point in the aesthetics. He also studies methods of evaluating art, and allows art judgments. Is art in the eye of the beholder, anything that appeals to you falls under the umbrella of art?, or has a specific nature? Does it meet a goal?
Aesthetics are sometimes considered to be part of a larger philosophical category called axiology. Axiology is an area of philosophy that studies values and value judgments. If someone spends millions on a single painting or says that a sculpture is priceless, he or she is making an axiological judgment.
As in ethical decisions, aesthetics try to define the principles that make one thing valued over another. In its essence, aesthetics asks what is valuable in life, what is valuable beyond mere survival and, specifically, how art and beauty are defined.
Ideas about aesthetic value are really judgments about what art, beauty and good taste are. It is no coincidence that the word"taste"refers to one of the five senses, because aesthetics is based on the sensibility of the senses to make judgments and decisions about art and beauty.
Why is aesthetics important?
Art has existed throughout recorded human history. It is unique to humans because of the unique way of thinking. Its importance is based on this nature, specifically, on man's ability to abstract. Art is a little understood tool of man to bring meaning to the abstract concept.
Aesthetics is important because it delves into the reason why art has always existed, the burning need of mankind through the centuries to see the world in a different and clear way.
In addition, it evaluates art by the level of human life, and if it fulfills the task of satisfying the intellectual needs of man, or if it tends to damage or worsen those needs.
What are the key elements of an adequate aesthetic?
Art is a selective recreation of reality. Its purpose is to specify an abstraction to bring an idea or emotion to the observer.
It is a selective recreation, with the selection process depending on the value judgments of the creator. These value judgments can be observed and evaluated through the field of ethics.
References
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