Branches of Philosophy

There are 7 branches of Philosophy, namely, Metaphysics, Axiology, Logic, Aesthetics, Epistemology, Ethics and Political Philosophy. Philosophy is the study of the search for the truth and equally an effort to know the hidden realities and truths about ourselves. As an academic discipline, Philosophy is hardly any different. Students who are in Philosophy programs are engaged in a pursuit of asking, answering, and resolving problems. In a sense, Philosophy is a type of Science, a reservoir of knowledge that can only be understood through rigorous investigation and study. Read this blog to learn about these branches of Philosophy, the nature of philosophy and more!

What are the 7 Branches of Philosophy?

To unburden a student from the discouraging task of going through fat books and dense literature on every concept of Philosophy, experts in this field came up with the idea of creating various branches of Philosophy. In this blog, we have collated a list of major and much-discussed branches of Philosophy, which have triggered some famous debates in this field.

The main branches of Philosophy are:

1. Axiology: Study of the nature of value and valuation
2. Metaphysics: Study of the fundamental nature of reality
3. Epistemology: Study of the nature, origin, and limits of human knowledge
4. Ethics Philosophy: Study of what is right and wrong in human behaviour
5. Aesthetics: Study of beauty and taste
6. Logic Philosophy: Study of the nature and types of logic
7. Political Philosophy: Study of government, addressing questions about the nature, scope, and legitimacy of public agents and institutions

Also Read: How to pursue PhD in Philosophy?

Let’s now explore some of these branches of Philosophy in detail.

Axiology

Also referred to as the theory of value, Axiology explores the nature of value and its metaphysical aspects. Value Theory is often interchangeably used with Axiology and this branch of Philosophy peruses upon the value of goodness. To put it simply, Axiology looks at the concept of value in terms of its philosophical terms and argues questions about nature and what actually is valued.

Metaphysics

Metaphysics has been a primary area of philosophical debate. It is mainly concerned with explaining the nature of being and the world. Traditionally, it has two different study areas, including Cosmology and Ontology. Cosmology is focused on understanding the origin, evolution, and eventual fate of the universe, which includes laws that keep it in perfect order. On the other hand, Ontology investigates various types of things that exist and their relationship with each other. Much before the discovery of modern science, all science-related questions were asked as a part of Metaphysics.

Also Read: Branches of Astronomy

Epistemology

Another major component of Philosophy is Epistemology. Going back into history, this term originated from the Greek word “episteme” which literally means “knowledge”, and the other half of the word ‘logy means ‘the study of’. Basically, it is about the study of knowledge. What can we know? A fundamental question concerning Epistemology is, what is knowledge? It also asks questions like, can knowledge ever be absolute? Is there a limit for humans to know certain things? If we are living in a world of simulation, how can we know it? These are some of the essential questions Epistemology seeks answers for.

Epistemology, throughout its extensive history, has had different aspects that attracted attention. Plato attempted to comprehend the nature of knowledge and how it benefits the knower. Locke aimed to understand the workings of human understanding, while Kant sought to understand the conditions for the possibility of human understanding. Bernard Russell, on the other hand, made an effort to justify modern science by relating it to sensory experience.

Ethics

Everyone in their day-to-day life tries to conduct themselves according to some established ethical norms. This philosophical concept has different applications in a person’s real life. For instance, certain organisations have ethical committees that lay down rules of behaviour for their employees. Ethics is concerned with the definition of right and wrong. It elucidates schools of thought that instruct us how to act in a given situation, which has always been a matter of contention between philosophers. Every philosopher has defined it according to their own subjective understanding.

Political Philosophy

The origin of the word “politics” can be traced back to ancient Greek times when the term “polis” was used to refer to city-states and their associated matters. These matters included governance, laws, and traditions. Gradually, the subject area was widened to include the study of power and the process of analysis or decision-making across various institutions and social platforms.

Combining the two fields of Politics and Philosophy, Political Philosophy studies political government, laws, liberty, justice, rights, authority, political states and systems, ethics, and more. It explores the concepts of why we need governments, the role played by governments, and what are its constituents, amongst others.

Aesthetics

Every person defines beauty as per his or her own perspectives. This philosophical subject is wholly devoted to defining the different aspects of beauty, even its contours. How do we find something beautiful? Is beauty always subjective or can it be objective too? Can everyone find a thing beautiful? It also examines individual tastes and attempts to provide answers about these things in a scientific manner. Aesthetic Philosophy’s primary topic of investigation is beauty and art. It is often debated inside its classrooms. It also talks about performing arts like music.

Logic

We use this word in our commonplace conversations, so we are all aptly familiar with it. People constantly ask each other, “where is the logic behind this or that?”. People even acknowledge a good thought or act by calling it logically correct. Hence, the question arises, what does the Science of logic has to do with Philosophy? In logic, we usually construct two sentences which are called premises, and they are used to make a conclusion. This sort of logic is called syllogism, pioneered by Aristotle.

Nature of Philosophy

The literal meaning of Philosophy is the ‘love of wisdom’ and it enquires into human reality finding rational conception of our being. The nature of philosophy can be said to be purely scientific as it incorporates curious discovery of human reality and integrates with other sciences like Psychology, Sociology, Physics, and Political Science, amongst others to understand various philosophical questions. Through the 7 branches of Philosophy, i.e. Metaphysics, Axiology, Epistemology, Logic, Ethics, Political Philosophy and Aesthetics, it sets out to harmonize sciences to understand the human mind and the world.

Which Branches of Philosophy Deal with the Study of Religion?

Philosophy of Religion is a vast arena of Philosophy and consists of many branches like metaphysics, epistemology, value theory (including moral theory and applied ethics), philosophy of language, science, history, politics, and art, to name a few. This is concerned with the study of philosophy in terms of religion and religious beliefs like arguments over the nature and existence of God, prayer, miracles, the connection between religion and value systems and religious language.

Branches of Philosophy PDF

Here is the PDF of Branches of Philosophy:

Branches of Philosophy in Research

Philosophy of History is also an area of study in Philosophy which studies the historical events of significance and if there is a role of any design, purpose, directive principle, or finality in these events and their processes of human history. The Philosophy of History is mainly studied in terms of four main branches:

• Metaphysics
• Hermeneutics
• Epistemology
• Ethics

Also Read: Scope of Philosophy

Branches of Philosophy PPT

Unit 2 branches of philosophy from Wahida Lisqis

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