Branches of Philosophy.pptx
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The document summarizes the four core branches of philosophy: 1. Epistemology is the study of knowledge. 2. Metaphysics is the study of reality. 3. Ethics/value theory is the study of values and morality. 4. Logic is the study of correct reasoning.
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Branches of Philosophy.pptx
- 4. The 4 core branches of philosophy While philosophical inquiry can be (and has been) applied to virtually any subject, one traditional picture organizes philosophy into four core branches. These are the branches of i. epistemology (the study of knowledge), ii. metaphysics (the study of reality), iii.ethics value theory (the study of values), iv logic (the study of correct reasoning).
- 5. 1. Epistemology, the study of knowledge: What is knowledge? What makes knowledge possible? Are we born with innate knowledge, or is knowledge only acquired through sensory experience? Is the world around us ‘real’, i.e. is perception reality? Are our experiences of the world trustworthy? Is the potential of human knowledge unlimited? Or is it curtailed by our sensory apparatus and brainpower? (To learn more about these questions, view our epistemology reading list).
- 6. 2. Metaphysics, the study of reality: What is the fundamental nature of reality? What is time? What is space? Is there a God? Do numbers exist? What makes a person a person? What is causation, and can there be such a thing as a ‘first cause’? Do we have free will? Why is reality like it is? What is consciousness? What does it mean for something to exist? Why does anything exist? (To learn more about these questions, view our metaphysics reading list).
- 7. 3. Value Theory, the study of ethics and values: What is good? What is bad? Is it ever permissible to tell a lie, to steal something, to intentionally hurt or even kill someone? If not, why not? What’s the right thing to do, and what makes it right? What do we owe to each other as humans? What do we owe to non-human life? What’s the justification for any moral belief, and where do morals come from? What is beauty? Is it in the eye of the beholder, or are there objective standards for aesthetic quality? (To learn more about the questions on ethics, view our ethics and morality reading list).
- 8. 4. Logic, the study of correct reasoning: How do you prove that a model of logic is correct? How do you prove that a logical proof is correct? How did nature produce logic? Is logical reasoning the best kind of reasoning everywhere in the universe? Can language be reduced to logic, and is the language of logic coherent?