PHILOSOPHY

● Philosophy is the rational, methodical, and systematic consideration of topics that

are of greatest importance to men.
● derived from Philosophia (φιλοσοφία) which is a combination of the Greek terms
Philos (love) and Sophia (wisdom). Thus, philosophy means “love of wisdom.”
● also viewed as a study of subjects that can be understood as how they are talked
about

MAJOR BRANCHES OF PHILOSOPHY

- Philosophy examines a wide range of problems and issues that are
fundamental to understanding the nature of things, human actions, human reasoning,
and reality. The following are the major branches of philosophy.

ETHICS
● derived from the Greek term ethos meaning “custom”
● Concerned about human conduct.
● it deals with norms or standards of right and wrong applicable to human
behavior.
● considered as prescriptive as it prescribes what people ought to do rather
than describes what people do.
● Helps people prioritize their values.

A philosopher engaged in ethics is concerned with finding out what norms or

standards of human behavior lead to ends or goals that are desirable or undesirable.

His or her evaluation and analysis are directed toward knowing whether there are
higher human ends that may be considered as the chief end of man. What constitutes
this end is analyzed through the nature of a human being and his or her moral and
social virtues in relation to others.

Example: What should I do?

AESTHETICS

● Greek word aisthetikos “sensitive or perceptive”

● Concerned with the analysis of aesthetic experience and the idea of what
is beautiful.
● analysis is directed toward the nature of the aesthetic judgment, standards
of beauty, and the objectivity of these standards in response to the
questions raised about the meaning of aesthetic experience.

Philosophers analyze whether beauty is based on utility, experience, form,

pleasure, or expression.

Example: What life can be like?

EPISTEMOLOGY

● Greek word episteme “knowledge” logos “study”. Therefore, it is study of

knowledge.
● deals with various problems concerning knowledge
● Major concerns:
○ Origin of knowledge - empiricism (experience) or rationalism (mind
prior to experience)
○ Verification or confirmation of knowledge.
○ Helpful in making judgments such as in the courts of law.
 Other highly specialized problems in this branch of philosophy include the
distinction between belief and knowledge, the nature of truth, the problems of
perception, the external world, and meaning and other minds.

Example: Determining whether there is an objective truth and

investigating the bases of certainty are among the specific problems tackled in
epistemology

LOGIC

● Looks into whether there are rules and principles that govern reasoning
● incorporates the analysis of the methods of deduction and induction to
provide the rules on how people ought to think logically.

Knowing the rules of logic gives a person the techniques to create sound
arguments and avoid fallacious reasoning. Logic also increases one’s ability to reason
correctly and distinguish irrational reasoning

Example: Why do you think they are true?

METAPHYSICS

● Metaphysica “after physics”

● Early Greek philosophers claimed that it is the study of the nature of
reality.
● analyzes whether everything is material and if life, energy, and mind are
their different manifestations
● Metaphysicians reflect on the subject of appearances (how something
looks by how it appears) and reality (that which actually is)

Example: What is the meaning of life?

What is the purpose of life?

Does God exist?

THEORETICAL FIELD OF PHILOSOPHY

- It studies the principles of human knowledge, the development of science

and the basis for scientific knowledge, the principles of thought,
argumentation and communication, the nature of language and
consciousness, metaphysics, and the history of the subject itself.
- What is knowledge and what is the difference between knowledge
and information?
- What do logical thought and rational argumentation mean?
- What does it mean to think critically?
- What ultimately exists?
- What is causation?
- What characterizes a scientific explanation?
- How should we change our views and theories in the light of new
facts?
- What distinguishes typical human cognition and communication?
- What is verbal meaning?
- How does cooperation work?
 SUBJECTS UNDER THEORETICAL PHILOSOPHY
● Epistemology
● Logic
● Philosophy of Mathematics
● Philosophy of Science
● Philosophy of Language
● Philosophy of Mind
● Metaphysics

PRACTICAL FIELD OF PHILOSOPHY

- the study of the bases of philosophy (metaphysics, knowledge theory,

logic) for "practical thinking", with the emphasis on values, attitudes to life
and norms of behaviour.
- Value theory and analysis of normative positions constitute the core of
practical philosophy.
- also the use of philosophy and philosophical techniques in everyday life.
- The fields of "practical thinking" that are particularly studied are morals
(moral philosophy and applied ethics), law (philosophy of law), politics
(political philosophy), practical rationality (decision theory), religion
(philosophy of religion) and art (aesthetics).
- also come to include philosophical anthropology (the study of human
nature), scientific theory for humanities and social sciences and the
analysis of argumentation.

SUBJECTS UNDER PRACTICAL PHILOSOPHY

● Ethics
● Aesthetics
● Decision theory
● Political philosophy