Introduction to the Five Branches of Philosophy

Philosophy can be divided into five branches which address the following questions:
Metaphysics

Study of Existence

What's out there?

Epistemology

Study of Knowledge

How do I know about it?

Ethics

Study of Action

What should I do?

Politics

Study of Force

What actions are permissible?

Esthetics

Study of Art

What can life be like?

There is a hierarchical relationship between these branches as can be seen in

the Concept Chart. 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
about reality and existence. Dependent on Epistemology is Ethics, the study of how
man should act. Ethics is dependent on Epistemology because it is impossible to make
choices without knowledge. A subset of Ethics is Politics: the study of how men
should interact in a proper society and what constitutes proper. Esthetics, the study
of art and sense of life is slightly separate, but depends on Metaphysics,
Epistemology, and Ethics.

5 Branches of Philosophy
Written by Michael Vlach.

Within philosophy there are five primary categories or branches:

1. Epistemology
Epistemology is the study of knowledge. Epistemology deals with the process by
which we can know that something is true. It addresses questions such as:
--What can I know?
--How is knowledge acquired?
--Can we be certain of anything?

Within epistemology there are two important categoriesrationalism and

empiricism.

Rationalism stresses reason as the most important element in knowing. Rationalism

holds that knowledge is gained primarily through the mind. It also asserts that we
are born with innate ideas that precede any experiences we may have with our
physical senses.

Empiricism, on the other hand, asserts that all our knowledge comes from our five
senses. To use the terminology of the empiricist, John Locke, our minds are a blank
slate at birth. Thus knowledge comes from our experiences.

2. Metaphysics
Metaphysics is the study of reality. More specifically it is the study of reality that is
beyond the scientific or mathematical realms. The term metaphysics itself literally
means beyond the physical. The metaphysical issues most discussed are the
existence of God, the soul, and the afterlife.

3. Ethics
Ethics is the study of moral value, right and wrong. Ethics is involved with placing
value to personal actions, decisions, and relations. Important ethical issues today
include abortion, sexual morality, the death penalty, euthanasia, pornography, and
the environment.

4. Logic
Logic is the study of right reasoning. It is the tool philosophers use to study other
philosophical categories. Good logic includes the use of good thinking skills and the
avoidance of logic fallacies.

5. Aesthetics
Aesthetics is the study of art and beauty. It attempts to address such issues as:
--What is art?
--What is the relationship between beauty and art?

--Are there objective standards by which art can be judged?

--Is beauty in the eye of the beholder?

Metaphysics : Metaphysics investigates the nature, structure and value of

reality.

Defining Metaphysics
Metaphysics: Metaphysics is the branch of philosophy that goes beyond the realms of
science. It is concerned with answering the questions about identity and the world. The
name is derived from the Greek words, Meta which means beyond or after, and Physika
which means physics. Aristotle, one of the most well known philosophers, acknowledged
Thales as the first known meta physician. The main branches of metaphysics are ontology,
natural theology and universal science.
Problems of Metaphysics
There is a basic question about the ultimate substance as to how many substances are
required to constitute this world? Here are some theories regarding this:

Dualism

Monism

Materialism

Spiritualism

Pluralism

Epistemology: Epistemology literally means science of knowledge.

Defining Epistemology
Epistemology: It deals with the definition of knowledge and its scope and limitations. It
translates from Greek to mean theory of knowledge. It questions the meaning of
knowledge, how we obtain knowledge, how much do we know and how do we have this
knowledge? Some of the famous epistemologists are Descartes, Kant and Hume.
Problems of Epistemology

What is the nature of Knowledge?

What is the nature of the process of knowledge?

What are the sources of Knowledge? :Rationalism , Empiricism, Intuitionism.

What is the criteria of determining truth? : The Correspondence Theory of Truth, The
Coherence Theory of Truth, The Pragmatic Theory of Truth.

Ethics : Ethics, also known as moral philosophy, is a branch of philosophy

that addresses questions about moralitythat is, concepts such as good and
evil, right and wrong, virtue and vice, justice, etc.

Defining Ethics
Ethics: It is concerned with questions on morality and values and how they apply to various
situations. It can be divided into the branches of meta-ethics, normative and applied ethics.
Ethics seeks to understand the basis of morals, how they develop and how they are and
should be followed. Famous works on ethics are by philosophers as early as Plato, Aristotle,
Kant and Nietzsche.
Problems of Ethics
The central questions raised in this course in ethics are :
(1) What is the nature of the life of excellence?,
(2) What is the ultimate worth of the goals you seek?
(3) What specific courses of conduct, in keeping with these goals, will help lead to the life of
excellence?

4.

Social Philosophy:

Social Philosophy is one of the main and important branches of Philosophy. It is the
thoughtful consideration of human society. It gives insight into the actual activities of human
beings in the society.
Defining Social Philosophy
Social philosophy is the study of questions about social behavior and interpretations of
society and social institutions in terms of ethical values.

For Bertrand Russell, Social Philosophy seeks the conditions in which all the constructive
tendencies of man (such as love and sympathy) Social marriage and education can provide
maximum possible opportunities to produce the people who can save the world from future
catastrophe.
Social philosophy studies the interactions and inter-relations that exist among men and
their groups.
Problems of Social Philosophy
Social Philosophy has two main functions namely Critical and Constructive. Social Philosophy
studies the most fundamental laws which influence social cohesion, social progress, social
change and social disintegration.
It seeks insight into the causes of social crimes, juvenile delinquency, child labor,

honor killing, gender differentiation, injustice, and inequality.

It tries to find out the root causes of social pathology and suggests the remedies for

it.

It seeks to discover and restore the social bonds that hold the mankind together.

It defines the social values such as common good, happiness, peace, security,
justice, freedom, excellence/beauty, punctuality and discipline.

Aesthetics:

Aesthetics is the branch of philosophy which is concerned with definition, structure and role
of beauty, especially in the art is called aesthetics.
Defining Aesthetics
The term aesthetic has been used to designate an experience, the quality of an object, a
feeling of pleasure, classicism in art, a judgment of taste, the capacity of perception, a
value, an attitude, the theory of art, the doctrine of beauty, a state of the spirit,
contemplative receptivity, an emotion, an intention, a way of life, the faculty of sensibility, a
branch of philosophy, a type of subjectivity, the merit of certain forms, or an act of
expression.

Aesthetics is a branch of philosophy which deals with the nature of art, beauty, and taste,
with the creation and appreciation of beauty. It is more scientifically defined as the study of
sensory or sensori-emotional values, sometimes called judgments of sentiments and taste.
More broadly, scholars in the field define aesthetics as critical reflection on art, culture and
nature.

Problems of Aesthetics:
The philosopher wishes to know the answer to questions such as:

What is beauty?

What is the relation of the beautiful to the true and the good?

Are there criteria by means of which we can judge a work of art in an objective
sense?

What is the art itself?

Is it a reproduction of a vision into ultimate reality?

To what extent does the sense of appreciation of beauty contribute to the enrichment
of human life?6. Logic: Logic is the system or principles of reasoning applicable to any
branch of knowledge or study.Logic: Among the branches of philosophy, logic is
concerned with the various forms of reasoning and arriving at genuine conclusions. It
includes the system of statements and arguments. It is now divided into mathematical
logic and philosophical logic. It tries to avoid the imaginary or assumptions without real
logical proof. Among the important problems that logic can have:

Problems of Logic

Defining Logic

Consistency, which means that no theorem of the system contradicts another.

Validity, which means that the systems rules of proof will never allow a false
inference from true premises. A logical system has the property of soundness when the
logical system has the property of validity and only uses premises that prove true (or, in
the case of axioms, are true by definition).

Completeness, which means that if a theorem is true, it can be proven.

Soundness, which means that the premises are true and the argument is valid.

Other Branches of Philosophy:

Philosophy of Education: Fairly self-explanatory. A minor branch, mainly

concerned with what is the correct way to educate a person. Classic works include
Platos Republic, Lockes Thoughts Concerning Education, and Rousseaus Emile.

Philosophy of History: Fairly minor branch (not as minor as education), although

highly important to Hegel and those who followed him, most notably Marx. It is the
philosophical study of history, particularly concerned with the question whether history
(i.e. the universe and/or humankind) is progressing towards a specific end? Hegel
argued that it was, as did Marx. Classic works include Vicos New Science, and Hegel and
Marxs works.

Philosophy of Law: Also called Jurisprudence. Study of law attempting to discern

what the best laws might be, how laws came into being in the first place, attempting to
delimit human laws from natural laws, whether we should always obey the law, and so
on. Law isnt often directly dealt with by philosophers, but much of political philosophy
obviously has a bearing on it.

Philosophy of Mathematics: Concerned with issues such as, the nature of the
axioms and symbols (numbers, triangle, operands) of mathematics that we use to
understand the world, do perfect mathematical forms exist in the real world, and so on.
Principia Mathematica is almost certainly the most important work in this field.

Philosophy of Language: Ancient branch of philosophy which gained prominence in

the last century under Wittgenstein. Basically concerned with how our languages affect
our thought. Wittgenstein famously asserted that the limits of our languages mark the
limits of our thought. Classic works include Platos Cratylus, Lockes Essay, and
Wittgensteins Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus.

Philosophy of Politics: Closely related to ethics, this is a study of government and

nations, particularly how they came about, what makes good governments, what
obligations citizens have towards their government, and so on. Classic works include
Platos Republic, Hobbes Leviathan, Lockes Two Treatises, and J.S. Mills On Liberty.

Philosophy of Mind: Study of the mind, attempting to ascertain exactly what the
mind is, how it interacts with our body, do other minds exist, how does it work, and so
on. Probably the most popular branch of philosophy right now, it has expanded to
include issues of AI. Classic works include Platos Republic and Wittgensteins
Philosophical Investigations, although every major philosopher has had some opinion at
least on what the mind is and how it works.

Philosophy of Religion: Theology is concerned with the study of God,

recommending the best religious practices, how our religion should shape our life, and
so on. Philosophy of religion is concerned with much the same issues, but where

Theology uses religious works, like the Bible, as its authority, philosophy likes to use
reason as the ultimate authority.

Philosophy of Science: Study of science concerned with whether scientific

knowledge can be said to be certain, how we obtain it, can science really explain
everything, does causation really exist, can every event in the universe be described in
terms of physics and so on. Also popular in recent times, classic works include Humes
Treatise on Human Nature, Kripkes Naming and Necessity, Kuhns Structure of Scientific
Revolutions.