This is a first introductory tutorial on what philosophy is about. Philosophy, philosophical inquiry, and the main branches of philosophy are characterized. The result has been an abandoning of the big questions and the age of nihilism that had to be a necessary consequence of such a rupture. Metaphysics metaphysical issues are concerned with the nature of reality. What are the first few books that every person attempting to learn these areas of philosophy at an undergraduate level read. The four main branches of philosophy are metaphysics, epistemology, axiology, and logic. I cover traditional theories of right action in the third of these. If you dont know what these are, read this onehowto article and find out what the main branches of philosophy are. Metaphysics forotheruses,seemetaphysicsdisambiguation. Links to more articles and resources about the philosophy of metaphysics on metaphysics. The five branches of philosophy metaphysics for life. Take a quick look at the different branches of metaphysics. Metaphysics is a branch of philosophy concerned with explaining. Weve had a century in which philosophy and its lifelong partner, metaphysics, have been divorced.
Metaphysics an overview basic concepts, methods, issues. From a psychological point of view, philosophy is an attitude, an approach, or a calling to answer or to ask, or even to comment upon certain peculiar problems i. It is a mental process by which the mind makes an inference from certain given. There are the five main branches of philosophy, encompassing every aspect of existence and thought.
Speaking loosely, all philosophy is a type of metaphysics where we can denote the study of anything as the philosophy of it, or the metaphysics of it, and denote two general categories as natural philosophy and moral philosophy. It is concerned with answering the questions about identity and the world. The word metaphysics comes from two greek words that, together, literally mean after or behind or among the study of the natural. The first philosophy is an account of what is, or what it means to be, fundamental. A contemporary introduction is for students who have already done an introductory philosophy course. There is a transition from thou conception to it conception o f nature. Most of todays beliefs and theories about metaphysics are derived from the study of ancient greek philosophy.
Because of this, those are the three traditional branches of metaphysical inquiry. I discuss the main branches of philosophy metaphysics, epistemology and. As such, how we understand metaphysics forms the foundation for all other philosophical studies, as well as how we apply our resulting belief systems to our lives. Logic logic is a branch of philosophy that deals with reasoning.
Other branches of philosophy deal with this or that aspect of reality with justice and wellbeing, for example, or with feeling and thought. Metaphysics is the philosophical investigation of the ultimate nature of reality. It has its origins in aristotelian greek philosophy and is still very much debated and discussed by contemporary metaphysicians today. The name is derived from the greek words, meta which means beyond or after, and physika which means physics. Aristotle calls it first philosophy or sometimes just wisdom, and says it is the subject that deals with first causes and the principles of things. In other words, metaphysics is the study of the most general aspects of reality, pertaining to subjects such as substance, identity, the nature of the mind, and free will. The assumption that the word means beyond physics is misleading metaphysics is the branch of philosophy concerned with the study of first principles and being ontology. The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to metaphysics. Students are first invited first to think about what is good for.
It is not generally considered a branch of science. The branches of philosophy most outstanding are five. Some treat metaphysics as the study of higher reality or the invisible nature behind everything. Apr 21, 20 the importance of metaphysics posted on 210420 by pauladkin weve had a century in which philosophy and its lifelong partner, metaphysics, have been divorced. However, philosophical theology and cosmology are also usually considered branches of metaphysics. The word metaphysics is notoriously hard to define. Metaphysics is the branch of philosophy concerned with the nature of existence, being and the world. Metaphysical cosmology is the branch of metaphysics. It is the study of knowledge, orthinking about thought, although the breadth of what it covers in its different branches is extensive. Kisak metaphysics is a traditional branch of philosophy concerned with explaining the fundamental nature of being and the world that encompasses it, although the term is not easily defined. As you write your philosophy of education, it is important to gain an understanding of the field of philosophy and its importance in education.
Arguably, metaphysics is the foundation of philosophy. This text concludes with four chapters on ethics, broadly construed. Branches of philosophyreality, knowledge and value 2. In the history of philosophy there have been many great metaphysical systems. Cosmology a central branch of metaphysics, that studies the origin, fundamental structure, nature, and dynamics of the universe. As noted, of the major branches, metaphysics is the main one. Reasoning is making a claim and giving justifications for the claim. Metaphysics the study of the true nature of reality forms the basis from which we perceive and give meaning to our world. Main branches of philosophy elements of philosophy. Each of these two branches of metaphysics must be carefully cleansed of everything empirical, so that we can know how much pure reason can achieve in each branch, and from what sources it creates its a priori teaching. List of books and articles about metaphysics online. The hierarchical nature of the five branches of philosophy, method of defining personal philosophy, choosing values. For instance, as a firstorder approximation, mathematics can be subdivided into three main categories at the first level. Written throughout in an accessible, nontechnical style, time, change and freedom is an ideal introduction to the key themes of contemporary metaphysics.
Metaphysics is the branch of philosophy that goes beyond the realms of science. Within metaphysics, one of the main sub branches is ontology, or the study of being. Loux provides a fresh look at the central topics in metaphysics, making this essential reading for any student of the subject. Introduction to philosophythe branches of philosophy. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach, and its. Philosophy originated with metaphysics both in greece and as well as in india. Branches of metaphysics epistemology philosophy of mind free. Philosophy is a very vast subject, and therefore has various other branches like philosophy of science, law, history, psychology, and anthropology. Introduction existence and consciousness mind and matter objects and their properties identity and change space and. Philosophy of metaphysics love of wisdom and the true.
Download as docx, pdf, txt or read online from scribd. It says whether the world is real, or merely an illusion. Ontology, cosmology and philosophical theology are the. Metaphysics an overview basic concepts, methods, issues, questions, and arguments topic i. Pdf 5 branches of philosophy danica casapao academia. Some treat metaphysics as the study of higher reality or the invisible nature behind everything, but instead, its the study of all of reality, visible and invisible. That is, metaphysics investigates what actually exists, what might exist, and what cannot exist. Physical cosmology study of the largestscale structures and dynamics of the universe and is concerned with fundamental questions about its formation, evolution, and ultimate fate. Metaphysics, the first branch of philosophy, is the study of the true nature of reality. Esthetics also studies the methods of evaluating arts and also the judgment of arts itself.
Aristotle seems to have understood his first philosophy as continuous with what is now called his physics, and indeed it can be said that the more fundamental branches of natural science are a kind of metaphysics as it. Elements of philosophy notes university of nairobi. Its the branch that deals with the first principles of existence, seeking to define basic concepts like existence, being, causality, substance, time, and space. Search of wisdom or truth is called philosophy and the man who engages himself in this search is called a. It will be invaluable for all students on introductory philosophy courses as well as for those interested in metaphysics and the philosophy of time. It encompasses everything that exists, as well as the nature of existence itself. Philosophy is the study of this meaning, the nature of reality, existence, values, reason, mind and language. Closely related is epistemology, the study of knowledge and how we know about reality and existence. Metaphysicsisabranchofphilosophyconcernedwith explainingthefundamentalnatureofbeingandtheworld. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach, and its reliance on rational argument. I discuss the main branches of philosophy metaphysics, epistemology and ethics. At the root is metaphysics, the study of existence and the nature of existence. Metaphysics is also distinguished from other branches of philosophy, not by the aprioricity of its methods but by the generality of its concerns.
Philosophy the study of the fundamental nauture of existence, of man, and of mans relationship to existence. One of the most carefully constructed systems is that of the scholastic philosophy see scholasticism, which essentially is based on aristotles metaphysical system. Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. As such, how we understand metaphysics forms the foundation for all other philosophical studies, as well as how we apply our resulting belief systems to.
Branches of philosophy and their role in contemporary affairs. Metaphysics is the branch of philosophy concerned with the nature. A basic overview of the branches, see our more complete list below. Understanding educational philosophy will contribute to the understanding of how these foundations have given rise to what is commonly practiced and believed in the classroom today. The philosophy of metaphysics the study of the true nature of reality forms the basis from which we perceive and give meaning to our world. There is a hierarchical relationship between these branches as can be seen in the concept chart. Metaphysics concepts of time, reality, and existence epistemology truth, belief, and theories.
Why is metaphysics so important in the philosophy of. Ontology, cosmology and philosophical theology are the branches of metaphysics. The relationship with metaphysics is, however, particularly close in the case of science and the philosophy of science. Philosophy, on the other hand, takes seriously the possibility of rational inquiry into these matters. Three branches of philosophymetaphysicswhat is the nature of reality.
The word philosophy is derived from two greek wordsphilos and sophia. Things that are the most fundamental are not grounded in anything more fundamental, they are ontologically independent. These two terms are so closely related that you can often hear people use. The last branch of philosophy is also known as the study of arts and the sense of life which is called esthetics. Dependent on epistemology is ethics, the study of how man should act. We will discuss the four branches of philosophy relative to teaching and five philosophies of education.
Metaphysics is the most abstract branch of philosophy. Philosophy has five main branches of study that can be divided. Metaphysics traditional branch of philosophy concerned with explaining the. Learning about the branches of philosophy, philosophical world views, and different educational philosophies and theories will help you to determine and shape your own educational philosophy, combined with these other aspects. When you examine a philosophy different from your own, it helps you to wrestle with your own thinking. The history of philosophy has, in the main, been dominated by two ideas. This branch of philosophy depends on the previous branches of philosophy which is metaphysics, epistemology, and ethics. Nov 19, 2011 this is a first introductory tutorial on what philosophy is about. Metaphysics is the branch of philosophy responsible for the study of existence. This third edition is revised and updated and includes. Thinking of metaphysics as a part of the academic discipline of philosophy, we can adopt, as a conventional definition, that it is the critical or rational investigation into the first principles or most basic questions regarding reality. It forms the basis from which we perceive, and give meaning to our existence. Metaphysics is a branch of philosophy which helps us get into the depths of natural phenomena. Let me take the liberty of applying the technical jargon of contemporary metaphysics to answer.
Metaphysics by branch doctrine the basics of philosophy. Metaphysics the philosophy of existence, being and reality. It is a widely studied subject, and philosophers from different parts of the world have come up with their own unique ideas and theories. What are some examples of metaphysics newmoon blog. Within metaphysics, one of the main subbranches is ontology, or the study of being. In western philosophy, metaphysics has become the study of the fundamental nature of all reality what is it, why is it, and how are we can understand it. Twentiethcentury coinages like metalanguage and metaphilosophy encourage the impression that metaphysics is a study that somehow goes beyond physics, a study devoted to matters that transcend the mundane concerns of. Science, especially physics, is also concerned with arriving at knowledge of the ultimate nature of reality. Our understanding of metaphysics forms the foundation of the other four branches. He had four names for the branch of philosophy that is the subjectmatter of metaphysics. Ontology is the branch of philosophy which deals with the study.
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