WHAT IS PHILOSOPHY

• Philosophy, particularly Western philosophy, comes from the two

Greek words philia, which means “love” and sophia, “wisdom”. Thus,
etymologically speaking, philosophy means the love of wisdom.
• philosophy is defined as a science that studies beings in their
ultimate causes, reasons, and principles through the aid of human
reason alone
• In other words, philosophy is concerned with the reason and principles
that account for everything that exists. Thus, some of the basic questions
in philosophy are:
• What is the origin of the world, of everything that exists?
• Why do these things exist, rather than not exist at all?
• Is there God? If so, how can we justify the goodness of God in the face of
evil?
• What is the meaning and purpose of life? Why do we have to suffer?
• If one is suffering from an unbearable pain, such as cancer, is it morally
right to resort to euthanasia or assisted suicide?
• It is important to note, however, that philosophers do not agree on a
single definition of philosophy. In fact, philosophers differ in their
basic understanding of philosophy. For example, Karl Jaspers, a
famous German existential philosopher, understands philosophy as a
discipline in which questions are more important than answers
because answers themselves will, in turn, become questions.
Major Branches of Philosophy

• Metaphysics
• Epistemology
• Logic
• Ethics