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Introduction: Branches of Philosophy

In order to approach philosophy systematically and then grasp its meaning, there is need
for one to begin with its basic branches. A general division of philosophy can be made according
to two kinds of order; first is the order already existing in nature—Things, second is the order we
bring into existence—Activities. While the first group exists independently, all one does is to
look carefully at it to investigate if they are to be called speculative philosophy. The second
group involves man’s actions. Its formation lies in our actions, will, thoughts and our external
use of things. Because of its practical nature, it is called practical philosophy.

The whole essence of what I asserting in effect is that philosophy is divided into two
areas, namely: Speculative and Practical philosophy. Under the speculative philosophy there are
the following aspects of philosophy:

Speculative Philosophy Practical Philosophy

Metaphysics Ethics

Epistemology Aesthetics

Logic Political

Traditionally, Philosophy is of five branches, namely: Metaphysics, Ethics,

Epistemology, Aesthetics, and Logic. In the pages of this paper, I laid major emphases on the
five traditional branches of Philosophy, reason is that politics as practical philosophy is part of
Ethics.
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Political Philosophy

Political Philosophy is the philosophy of society. 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 of played by governments, what are its constituents, amongst others.

Metaphysics

Metaphysics is derived from the two Greek words meta and phisika.1 Meta = beyond or
after Physika = physical or nature. It is the study of the nature of reality. It analyzes whether
everything is material, and if life, energy, and mind are in its different manifestation.
Metaphysicians reflect on the subject of appearances (how something looks by how it appears)
and reality (that which actually is). While arranging Aristotle's works in the Philosophical School
of Alexandria, Andronicus placed the work that Aristotle called First Philosophy after the ones
on Physics and called it Metaphysics - After the Physics.2

Questions we may come across are: ‘Can people exercise freedom of choice?’ ‘Is reality
essential, spiritual, or material?’ ‘Is the mind distinct from the body?’

It is an ordered investigation into the nature of existence, involving a critical study of the
real nature of things through their ultimate causes.3 This can be further subdivided into Ontology
and Cosmology. Both investigate into the basic principles of being. But the major difference is
that Ontology studies these principles according to its inner structure, while Cosmology concerns
itself with the basic principles of being in relation to nature and science. It can also be called the
philosophy of nature. For Plato, it is the knowledge of the supersensible 4, while Descartes takes
it as the knowledge of things which lie beyond sense experiences. 5 In Thomas Aquinas' view, it
is the ultimate explanation of the mystery of being, visible and invisible, in the Ultimate being. 6
For Kant, it is, the transcendental analysis of the contents of the human mind.7
1
Pantaleon, Jroegbu, Metaphysics, Owerri, international University Press, 1995. p.21
2
ibid
3
Ausiotlc, “Meiaphyics” in W. D. Ross, (ed.), The Students Oxford Aristotle, Oxford: Oxford Uni. Press, 1942, Vol. 8-
12
4
A cited in lroegbu, Metaphysics, op. cit., p.22
5
ibid
6
ibid
7
Immanuel, Kant, Critique of Pure Reason, New York: Anchor Books. 1966.p.16
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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 is one of the most important branches of philosophy. It is also called

Gnoseology or theory of knowledge. It concerns itself with the study of the nature and means of
human knowledge. it investigates into the nature of the mind, as well as the source of the
fallibility such as passion or emotion. Thus, in Locke’s empirical theory, knowledge is limited to
the respects in which various ideas of ours agree or disagree. Perhaps if we can rely only upon
experience, it may actually be the case that we cannot know anything about what goes on outside
of the ideas in our minds.

Empiricism - This is a doctrine in philosophy that holds that the source of our knowledge is in
sense experience. Nihil in intellectu quod prius non fuerit in sensu. This means that there is
nothing in the intellect that was not first in the senses.8

Rationalism - This doctrine holds that the intellect contains important truths that were not placed
there by sense experience. To this school of thought reason is the source of knowledge.

Scepticism - This is the claim that knowledge is impossible or that we can never be sure that we
have attained knowledge.

Ethics

Ethics is a study of the concepts and principle that underlie our evaluation of human
behaviour. It is taken from the Latin word ethos, which means character, habit or custom.

8
N. Brooke. & B. Kenneth, Philosophy (5th ed.), USA: McGraw-Hill. 2002. p.1 09
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Questions asked in ethics are: By what standard can we to distinguish between moral right and
moral wrong actions? Is pleasure the only basis for describing a state of affairs as ‘good’? Is
moral decision arbitrary? How shall we behave? What is happiness?

Ethics is a branch of philosophy which provides a code of values to guide man’s choice
and actions, which determines the purpose and the course of his life. It not only describes, but
also prescribes for man. It studies the behavour of human beings living in the society with regard
to what is right or wrong, good or bad. Thomas Hobbes in his book Leviathan, described Ethics
as “the science of what is good and evil in the conversation and society of mankind.” This is to
say that ethics in the characteristics way of doing things. It is also referred to as moral
philosophy it concerns itself with the human conduct as to concerns its correctness and
incorrectness. The term ethics came from the Greek word “ethos” meaning custom, habit or
character. It is divided into two: General Ethics and Special Ethics. While General Ethics looks
into the truth about human act based on general principle of morality, Special Ethics is the
application of principle of general ethics in different departments of human activities, e.g.
medical ethics: which means the application of ethics in medicine. We can also talk of Christian
ethics and teaching ethics and other professional and behavioral ethics.

Aesthetics

Aesthetics is the study of the principle that underlies our evaluation of different art forms.
It is the science of the beautiful whose central point is in turn the philosophical teaching on the
beautiful. It is based on that part of metaphysics, which considers the transcendental attributes of
being. It addresses issues like: What is the purpose of art? What is the role of feeling in aesthetic
judgement? How does one recognize a great work of art? This is the branch of philosophy which
deals with beauty. It is the science of the beautiful especially in art. Its central point is the
attitude we adopt that determines how we perceive the world. Aesthetics considers both artistic
beauty and natural beauty. It comes from the Greek word “aesthetikos” which means perceptive.
Aesthetics therefore, is the subject that studies:

a. Work of art
b. The process of providing and experiencing art
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c. Certain aspect of nature and human production outside the field of art, especially those
that can be considered in terms of beautiful or ugly with regard to form and sensory
qualities.

Though artistic beauty is the principle object of aesthetics yet it also includes other types
of beauty as it is found in things like sunset, flowers, human beings, machines, figures, shapes
and sizes.

Logic

Logic is a study of thought-contents in term of their inner structure, according to their

forms, and according to their mutually necessary relationship. It is the study of the principles by
which we distinguish sound from unsound reasoning and at the time, different types of
reasoning. For example, what is the difference between deductive and inductive thinking? Logic
can therefore, be defined as the science of correct reasoning.

Logic may be defined as the branch of philosophy that reflects upon the nature of
thinking itself. It attempts to answer such questions as “What is correct reasoning?” “What
distinguishes a good argument from a bad one?” “Are there any methods to detect fallacies in
reasoning, and if so, what are they?” It can be seen from these remarks that logic is perhaps the
most fundamental branch of philosophy employ thinking; whether this thinking is correct or not
will depend upon whether it is in accord with laws of logic; hence the need for a thorough
grounding in logic. Logic is thus concerned with the relation between evidence and conclusion.9

More specifically, logic which was coined from the Greek word logos— meaning
'reasoned discourse', can be defined as the science and art of correct reasoning, for it directs the
mind in the attainment of truth.10 William Wallace defines it as the art of sound discourse11; the
science of good reasoning and the science of the laws of thought. Marcel describes it as an
intellectual habit or virtue that strengthens the mind for its characteristically human operation –
that is, reasoning or understanding and judgement. Logic is a study which enhances clarity of the

9
l. Onyeocha, Introfil, op. c it. p.213
10
ibid., p.214
11
A.W William, Elements of Philosophy, New York: Alba House, 1977. p.13
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thought and systematisation of principles. It is a study that analyses the nature of correct
reasoning in accordance with basic logical cannons.12

References

A.W William, Elements of Philosophy, New York: Alba House, 1977. p.13

As cited in lroegbu, Metaphysics, op. cit., p.22

Ausiotlc, “Meiaphyics” in W. D. Ross, (ed.). The Students Oxford Aristotle, Oxford: Oxford Uni.
Press, 1942, Vol. 8-12

Immanuel, Kant, Critique of Pure Reason, New York: Anchor Books. 1966.p.16

l. Onyeocha, Introfil, op. c it. p. 213-214

M. Brooke, & B. Kenneth, Philosophy, op. cit., p.7

N. Brooke. & B. Kenneth, Philosophy (5th ed.), USA: McGraw-Hill. 2002. p.1 09

Pantaleon, Jroegbu, Metaphysics, Owerri, international University Press, 1995. p.21

12
M. Brooke, & B. Kenneth, Philosophy, op. cit., p.7