Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind and language. Philosophy is a rational term to formulate and answer different question.
The word philosophy comes from a combination of two Greek words- “philos” meaning “love” and “sophi” meaning “wisdom.” Etymologically, philosophy means the love of wisdom.
As by “plato” the one who has every sort of knowledge and is curious to know more is termed a philosopher. Every person has his own vision. So, philosophy can vary depending upon different people’s perspectives.
Branches of philosophy
Philosophy deals with the most basic issues faced by human beings. The content of philosophy is better seen as asking questions rather than providing answers. It can even be said that philosophy is the study of questions. Philosophical content has been organized around three fundamental categories:
1. Metaphysics
The study of questions concerning the nature of reality or existence. Typical Metaphysical questions:
What is reality? Does God exist, and if so, can we prove it? The problem of evil are human actions free, or are they determined by some forces outside of our control? Do minds/souls exist, or are humans’ simply complex physical objects? What is time? What is the meaning of life? Is there life after death? etc.
Metaphysical questions may be divided into four subsets.
1st Aspect The cosmological aspect
Cosmology consists in the study of theories about the origin, nature, and development of the universe as an orderly system. Deals with questions like, How did the universe originate and develop? Did it come about by accident or design? Does its existence have any purpose?
2nd Aspect The theological aspect
Theology is that part of religious theory that deals with conceptions of and about God.
Questions like, Is there a God? If so, is there one or more than one? What are the attributes of God? If God is both all good and all powerful, why does evil exist? If God exists, what is His relationship to human beings and the ‘real’ world of everyday life?
3rd Aspect The anthropological aspect
Anthropology deals with the study of human beings and asks questions like the following: What is the relation between mind and body? Is mind more fundamental than the body, with the body depending on the mind, or vice versa? What is humanity’s moral status? Are people born good, evil, or morally neutral? etc.
4th Aspect The ontological aspect
Ontology is the study of the nature of existence, or what it means for anything to exist.
Several questions are central to ontology: “Is basic reality found in matter or physical energy (the world we can sense), or is it found in spirit or spiritual energy? Is it composed of one element (e.g., matter or spirit), or two (e.g., matter and spirit), or many?”.
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2. Epistomology
The study of the nature of knowledge and how these are attained and evaluated.
Typical Epistemological questions: What is knowledge and how does it differ from belief or opinion? What is truth, and how can we know if a statement is true? What are the sources of knowledge? Do absolutes exist, and if so, can we know them? What is the relationship between faith and reason? etc.
A major aspect of epistemology relates to the sources of human knowledge.
Sources of human knowledge
- Empiricism: Empiricism is known knowledge obtained through senses, Empirical knowledge appears to be built into the very nature of human experience.
Revelation: A second influential source of knowledge throughout the span of human history has been revelation. Revealed knowledge has been of prime importance in the field of religion. It differs from all other sources of knowledge. Such revelation is God’s communication concerning the divine will. - Authority: A third source of human knowledge is authority. Authoritative knowledge is accepted as true because it comes from experts or has been sanctified over time as tradition.
- Reason: A fourth source of human knowledge is reason. The view that reasoning, thought, or logic is the central factor in knowledge is known as rationalism. In its extreme form, rationalism claims that humans are capable of arriving at irrefutable knowledge independently of sensory experience.
- Intuition: A fifth source of knowledge is intuition- the direct apprehension of knowledge that is not derived from conscious reasoning or immediate sense perception. In the literature dealing with intuition, one often finds such expressions as “immediate feeling of certainty.” Intuition occurs beneath the threshold of consciousness and is often experienced as a sudden flash of insight.
3. Axiology
The study of the question of value. Deals with issues of value in the following areas: Ethics – the study of moral principles, attempts to establish rational grounds for good conduct Typical Ethical questions:
What is good/bad? What is right/wrong? What is the foundation of moral principles? Are moral principles universal?
Axiology has two main branches, ethics and aesthetics.
- Ethics: Ethics is the study of moral values and conduct. “How should I behave?” is an ethical question. The ethical theory seeks to provide the right values as the foundation for the right actions.
- Aesthetics: The second major branch of axiology is aesthetics. Aesthetics asks such questions as “What is beautiful?” and “What should I like?” Evaluations of beauty and ugliness fall into the aesthetic realm. Thus, aesthetic valuation is a part of daily life and cannot be avoided.
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