BRANCHES OF

PHILOSOPHY
 PHILOSOPHY
(FROM Greek philos, meaning “lover” a
nd sophia, meaning “wisdom”)

The great virtue of philosophy is that it

teaches not what to think, but how to
think. It is the study of meaning, of the
principles underlying conduct, thought
and knowledge.
Why is there a need to
philosophize?
We all the potential to philosophize.
A. the Greek philosopher Plato traced
man’s need to philosophize to his
sense of wonder.
B. French philosopher Rene Descartes
traced the need to philosophize to
doubt.
C. Swiss German philosopher Karl
Jasper saw the need to philosophize
because of experience.
 What are the reason that
compel a person to engage in
philosophical thinking?

How can you as a person

benefit from philosophizing?
 REASON
Practical reason has to do with acting
to realize the goal
Theoretical reason – has to do with
beliefs.
A theoretical proposition is good if it conforms to
reality, while a practical proposition has more
complicated and debatable standards. While practical
reason decides what to do, it cannot remake reality
any way it likes. The successful practical agent must
take into account truths about the world.
 Introduction to the Five
Branches of Philosophy
Philosophy can be divided into five branches which address the followin
g questions:

Metaphysics Study of What's out

Existence there?
Epistemology Study of How do I know
Knowledge about it?
Ethics Study of Action What should I
do?
Politics Study of Force What actions are
permissible?
Æsthetics Study of Art What can life be
like?
The main branches of philosophy
There is a hierarchical relationship between these branches as c
an 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 Epistemol
ogy because it is impossible to make choices without knowledge.
A subset of Ethics is Politics: the study of how men should inter
act in a proper society and what constitutes proper. Esthetics, t
he study of art and sense of life is slightly separate, but depend
s on Metaphysics, Epistemology, and Ethics.
 Metaphysics
What is Metaphysics?
Metaphysics is the branch of philosophy responsible for the stud
y of existence. It is the foundation of a worldview. It answers th
e question "What is?" It encompasses everything that exists, as
well as the nature of existence itself. It says whether the world i
s real, or merely an illusion. It is a fundamental view of the worl
d around us.
Why is Metaphysics important?
Metaphysics is the foundation of philosophy. Without an explan
ation or an interpretation of the world around us, we would be
helpless to deal with reality. We could not feed ourselves, or act
to preserve our lives. The degree to which our metaphysical wor
ldview is correct is the degree to which we are able to compreh
end the world, and act accordingly. Without this firm foundation,
all knowledge becomes suspect. Any flaw in our view of reality
will make it more difficult to live.
 Epistemology
What is Epistemology?
Epistemology is the study of our method of acquiring knowledge. It ans
wers the question, "How do we know?" It encompasses the nature of c
oncepts, the constructing of concepts, the validity of the senses, logical
reasoning, as well as thoughts, ideas, memories, emotions, and all thin
gs mental. It is concerned with how our minds are related to reality, an
d whether these relationships are valid or invalid.
Why is Epistemology important?
Epistemology is the explanation of how we think. It is required in order
to be able to determine the true from the false, by determining a prope
r method of evaluation. It is needed in order to use and obtain knowled
ge of the world around us. Without epistemology, we could not think.
More specifically, we would have no reason to believe our thinking was
productive or correct, as opposed to random images flashing before ou
r mind. With an incorrect epistemology, we would not be able to disting
uish truth from error. The consequences are obvious. The degree to w
hich our epistemology is correct is the degree to which we could under
stand reality, and the degree to which we could use that knowledge to
promote our lives and goals. Flaws in epistemology will make it harder
to accomplish anything.
 Ethics
What is Ethics?
Ethics is the branch of study dealing with what is the proper course of actio
n for man. It answers the question, "What do I do?" It is the study of right
and wrong in human endeavors. At a more fundamental level, it is the met
hod by which we categorize our values and pursue them. Do we pursue ou
r own happiness, or do we sacrifice ourselves to a greater cause? Is that fo
undation of ethics based on the Bible, or on the very nature of man himself,
or neither?
Why is Ethics important?
Ethics is a requirement for human life. It is our means of deciding a course
of action. Without it, our actions would be random and aimless. There woul
d be no way to work towards a goal because there would be no way to pic
k between a limitless number of goals. Even with an ethical standard, we m
ay be unable to pursue our goals with the possibility of success. To the deg
ree which a rational ethical standard is taken, we are able to correctly orga
nize our goals and actions to accomplish our most important values. Any fla
w in our ethics will reduce our ability to be successful in our endeavors.
 Æsthetics
What is Æsthetics?
Æsthetics is the study of art. It includes what art consists of, as well as th
e purpose behind it. Does art consist of music, literature, and painting? Or
does it include a good engineering solution, or a beautiful sunset? These ar
e the questions that aimed at in esthetics. It also studies methods of evalu
ating art, and allows judgments of the art. Is art in the eye of the beholder?
Does anything that appeals to you fit under the umbrella of art? Or does it
have a specific nature? Does it accomplish a goal?
Why is Æsthetics important?
Art has existed through all of recorded human history. It is unique to huma
ns because of our unique form of thinking. Its importance is based on this
nature, specifically, man's ability to abstract. Art is a little understood tool o
f man to bring meaning to abstract concept. Esthetics is important because
it delves into the reason why art has always existed, the burning need of m
ankind through the ages to see the world in a different, clear way. It furthe
r evaluates art by the standard of human life, and whether it accomplishes
the job of satisfying man's intellectual needs, or whether it tends to hurt or
make worse those needs.
 The branches of philosophy

Axiology: the study of value; the

investigation of its nature, criteria, and
metaphysical status.
 Two parts of axiology
Ethics: the study of values in human
behaviour or the study of moral
problems.
Æsthetics: the study of value in the
arts or the inquiry into feelings,
judgments, or standards of beauty and
related concepts. Philosophy of art is
concerned with judgments of sense,
taste, and emotion.
 The branches of philosophy
Dialectics – the study of sources,
essence and laws of development
Logic – the study of the laws and
forms of argument
Philosophical anthropology – the
study of a man
 ACTIVITY
1. Identify the 3 common meanings of philosophy
as discussed in the lesson.
2. Explain the etymological meaning of
philosophy.
3. Who are sophists and what is their view about
the nature of truth?
4. What are some of the traits of a wise person?
5. What do we mean when we say that
philosophical questions are framework
questions?
6.What is the difference between internal and
external questions?
7. What are the traits of philosophy when we
studied as a kind of activity?
 What is the difference
between holistic thinking and
partial thinking?
Holistic thinking- refers to a
perspective that considers large-
scale patterns in system, often
describe as looking at the big picture
when describing and analyzing
situation or problem.
A holistic perspective requires an
individual to have an open mindset
and an ability to get general sense or
impression regarding a situation.
Partial thinking –focuses on a
specific aspects of a situation.
The partial view is an
important component of
analytical thinking, as an
individual focuses on certain
areas or aspects of a problem
in order to understand it.
Answer the ff. questions:
1. Cite a situation where you
adopted a holistic view in looking
at a problem or situation. How
did adopting a holistic view help
you make sense of a situation?
2. How can having a holistic view
help us become better
individuals?
That's all. Thank you for your
attention.