Philosophy is the study of beings through reason alone. It seeks to answer fundamental questions about existence, reality, knowledge, and ethics. The major branches of philosophy are metaphysics, epistemology, logic, and ethics. Metaphysics studies beings in their ultimate causes and principles, and includes the study of God, the soul, and the world. Epistemology examines the nature and scope of knowledge. Logic analyzes principles of reasoning. Ethics explores morality and determining right conduct. Philosophy uses questions to gain understanding rather than provide definitive answers.