Explanation:
There are 7 branches of Philosophy, namely, Metaphysics, Axiology, Logic, Aesthetics, Epistemology, Ethics and Political Philosophy. Philosophy is the study of the search for the truth and equally an effort to know the hidden realities truths about ourselves. As an academic discipline, Philosophy is hardly any different. Students who are in Philosophy programs are engaged in a pursuit of asking, answering, and resolving problems. In a sense, Philosophy is a type of Science, a reservoir of knowledge that can only be understood through rigorous investigation and study. Read this blog to know all about these branches of Philosophy, the nature of philosophy and more!
What are the 7 Branches of Philosophy?
Branches of Philosophy
To unburden a student from the discouraging task of going through fat books and dense literature on every concept of Philosophy, experts of this field came up with the idea of creating various branches of Philosophy. In this blog, we have collated a list of major and much-discussed branches of Philosophy, which have triggered some famous debates in this field.
The main branches of Philosophy are:
Axiology: Study of the nature of value and valuation
Metaphysics: Study of the fundamental nature of reality
Epistemology: Study of the nature, origin, and limits of human knowledge
Ethics Philosophy: Study of what is right and wrong in human behaviour
Aesthetics: Study of beauty and taste
Logic Philosophy: Study of the nature and types of logic
Political Philosophy: Study of government, addressing questions about the nature, scope, and legitimacy of public agents and institutions
Axiology
Also referred to as the theory of value, Axiology explores the nature of value and its metaphysical aspects. Value Theory is often interchangeably used as Axiology and this branch of Philosophy peruses upon the value of goodness. To put it simply, Axiology looks at the concept of value in terms of its philosophical terms and argues questions about nature and what actually is valued.
Metaphysics
Metaphysics has been a primary area of philosophical debate. It is mainly concerned with explaining the nature of being and the world. Traditionally, it has two different study areas, including Cosmology and Ontology. Cosmology is focused on understanding the origin, evolution, and the eventual fate of the universe, which include laws that keep it in perfect order. On the other hand, Ontology investigates various types of things that exist and their relationship with each other. Much before the discovery of modern science, all the science-related questions were asked as a part of Metaphysics.
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.
Ethics
Everyone in their day to day life tries to conduct themselves according to some established ethical norms. This philosophical concept has different applications in a person’s real life. For instance, there are certain organizations that have ethical committees which lay down rules of behaviour for its employees. Ethics is concerned with the definition of right and wrong. It elucidates schools of thought that instruct us how to act in a given situation, which has always been a matter of contention between philosophers. Every philosopher has defined it according to their own subjective understanding.
