What are the major and minor branches of philosophy?

Open In App Sign In

11,421 Views

What are the achievements of philosophy?

7,130 Views

OTHER ANSWERS

Andrew Layman, Principal Program Manager at Microsoft (2019-present)

Answered Nov 25, 2018 · Author has 227 answers and 96.7k answer views

Originally Answered: What are the different branches of philosophy?

Original question: “What are the different branches of philosophy?”

Philosophy is the science that identifies the nature of existence, the nature of men and women, and of the
relationship between existence and men and women.

The branches of philosophy are:

Metaphysics, which studies the nature of existence, per se. That is, what are the characteristics of all things that
exist by virtue of existing. For example, the “law of identity” states that whatever something is, it is that thing and
not something else. Or the law of causality, which states that nothing can act contrary to its nature. (There is
more to metaphysics than just this.)

Epistemology, which studies knowledge. That is, what is the nature of consciousness, what knowledge consists
of, how is it gained, validated, updated, and applied. For example, on a Platonic/Kantian basis, knowledge is
gained by mystic revelation. For example, on an Aristotelian/Objectivist basis, knowledge is gained by perceptual
evidence and held in the form of concepts and predicates. (There is a lot more to epistemology than just this.)

Ethics, which builds on metaphysics and epistemology to provide a code of values to guide man’s and woman’s
choices and actions. For example, on a Platonic/Kantian basis, what is right to do is intuited by mystic revelation
and consists of duty. For example, on an Aristotelian/Objectivist basis, what is right to do is discovered by a
process of reason from observation of reality and consists of that which will in reason lead to one’s personal
happiness. (There is a lot more to ethics than just this.)

Politics, which builds on ethics to define how men and women should relate to others. For example, on a
Platonic/Kantian basis, the unit of value is society and individuals should devote their lives to society, and be
forced to if they are unwilling. For example, on an Aristotelian/Objectivist basis, the political fundamental is
individual rights and governments derive their just powers from what is needed to protect these rights. (There is
more to politics than just this.)

Aesthetics, which builds on epistemology and ethics to define what the nature of art is, why it is needed by men
and women, and the standards of aesthetic judgement. For example, on a Platonic/Kantian basis, art is primarily
didactic, molding people to be servants of the state. For example, on an Aristotelian/Objectivist basis, art serves
a conceptual function of integrating complex, higher-level abstractions and making them available to direct
experience. (There is a lot more to aesthetics than just this.)
Open in app
7.8k views · View 10 Upvoters
 Open In App Sign In
Sponsored by Home Stratosphere

Wow! 33 clever space saving breakfast nook ideas.

Space-saving breakfast nooks are taking kitchen design by storm. Find out why!

Learn More

Keerti Shrivastava
Answered Jun 7, 2018

Philosophy seeks to trace the branches of human knowledge to their first principles in the constitution of our
nature.The problems of philosophy are the nature of being or reality, of God, of the world, of purpose,of
causality,of mind.Philosophy embraces all the higher questions concerning beauty( aesthetics),
values(axiology),goodness(ethics),knowledge (epistemology & logic).

The above extract has been taken from’The Essays in Philosophy’ by Swami Shivananda.

8.5k views · View 3 Upvoters

Aisha Qadoos
Answered Aug 27, 2017 · Author has 142 answers and 196k answer views

I separate philosophy into 6 branches which are:

Ethics (study of conduct)

Metaphysics (study of nature)

Aesthetics (study of art)

Epistemology (study of knowledge)

Politics (study how society should be organised and governed)

Logic (study of reasoning)

10.3k views · View 20 Upvoters

Sponsored by HBR Ascend

7 intelligent comebacks for when conversations turn negative.

How do you create leverage when you're in a difficult spot at work? Use these super useful comebacks.

Learn More
Open in app
RELATED QUESTIONS (MORE ANSWERS BELOW) Open In App Sign In

What are the major and minor branches of philosophy?

11,421 Views

What are the achievements of philosophy?

7,130 Views

What is the importance of the different branches of philosophy?

6,950 Views

What are the branches of philosophy of education?

3,393 Views

What are the different branches of philosophy and how do they differ?
2,636 Views

OTHER ANSWERS

Michael Sturm, 5 years experience teaching ethics, philosophy, and political theory.
Answered Nov 21, 2018

Originally Answered: What are the two branches of philosophy?

It’s hard to know what you’re after here, but without further context, I’ll take a shot.

Philosophy is regarded as having two “flavors” if you will: analytic and continental.

Analytic philosophy is what you find in most philosophy departments in the US, UK, and Australia. It’s a more
rigorous and structured form of analysis that follows pretty strict argumentation in the papers and books that its
practitioners write. For that reason it has been accused of being “dry” and devoid of passion—as well as
inaccessible to the general public. If you read works of analytic philosophy, they mostly read...Read More

Michael Rogers, BS Philosophy & Business, California State University, Sacramento (1978)
Answered Sep 27, 2019

I have a different take on what constitutes the main branches of philosophy. In general, the branches of
philosophy are determined by the “Big Questions” of life that nearly everyone asks at some time in their life.
These questions are based in the roots of all questions we ask, the “what”, “how”, “why” of all
experience/universe and their implications to us personally and collectively.

1. Ontology - What is real? This question (along with epistemology) is at the heart of philosophy, as the
answer you arrive at sets the table for the other Big Questions to follow. This question asks us to
consi...
Open in app
Read More
Open In App Sign In

Ethan Davis, M.A. Philosophy & Ethics, University of Mississippi (2020)

Answered Jul 1, 2019

Originally Answered: What are the 5 branches of philosophy?

Metaphysics - the study of reality. Questions about what “stuff” exists and what the nature of that “stuff” is fall
under this branch.

Epistemology - the study of knowledge. Questions about what knowledge is, how we get knowledge, and the
nature of knowing fall under this branch.

Ethics - the study of morality and what it means to live “the good life.” Questions about right and wrong, the
source of morality, and the nature of morals fall under this branch.

Politics - the study of political systems. Questions about what a political society is, how best to structure one,
and to what extent moral...Read More

Bill Talts, studied at Loyola University New Orleans College of Law

Answered Apr 7, 2018

Traditionally, the main branches are Metaphysics, Epistemology, Logic, Aesthetics, and Ethics. The reality is less
simple.

Start backwards from a subject of study (the leaves, if you will), and you may find that there are various and
intertwined branches.

For example, take the study of genomics (an issue within the study of molecular biology that deals with the
structure, function, evolution, and mapping of DNA). There may be questions about the moral implications
derived from such study (what this information tells about morals in general); there is also the ethics of
conducting certain type...Read More

Lou Reich, Ph.D Philosophy, University of California, Riverside (1993)

Answered Nov 22, 2018 · Author has 1.8k answers and 214.6k answer views

Originally Answered: What are the two branches of philosophy?

Four Traditional Areas of “Philosophy” :LR

(Greek, “philos”--love, and “sophia”--wisdom: “love of wisdom“)

I. Logic: (Greek, “logos”-- “a term denoting either reason or one of the expressions of reason or order in words or
things.” D. Runes, Dictionary Of Philosophy). Logic is the study of Deductive and Inductive methods of reasoning
and “argumentation.” An “argument” is a piece of reasoning, or a process of reasoning. It is the giving of reasons
in support of a conclusion. An argument consists of “propositions,” or “statements,” i.e. sentences that make
assertions, which can be true or false...Read More
Open in app
 Open In App Sign In
Charles Gray, Cannot decide between philosopher and critic.
Answered Aug 27, 2017 · Author has 1.2k answers and 603.9k answer views

Some people distinguish three branches of philosophy: Metaphysics, epistemology, and ethics. Metaphysics is
the inquiry into first principles, epistemology is the inquiry into the nature of knowledge itself, and ethics is the
inquiry into human actions. What kind of inquiry does this triumvirate fail to cover?

2.3k views · View 1 Upvoter

Derrick Reither, studied Meditation Coach

Answered Jul 2, 2019 · Author has 121 answers and 5k answer views

1.Epistomology (knowledge) 2.Metaphysics (The study of Reality including those subtle laws or principles that
govern our whole human nature 3.Ethics (Moral values, right and wrong) 4.Logic (Systemmatic organised
reasoning) 5.Aesthtetics (The study of Art and Beauty)

Regards, Derrick

332 views

RELATED QUESTIONS

Explain the branches philosophy?

437 Views

The major branches of philosophy?

265 Views

What are the main branches of philosophy?

129,599 Views

What are the major and minor branches of philosophy?

11,421 Views

What are the achievements of philosophy?

7,130 Views

What is the importance of the different branches of philosophy?

6,950 Views

What are the branches of philosophy of education?

3,393 Views
Open in app
What are the different branches of philosophy and how do they differ? Open In App Sign In

2,636 Views

What are the major fields of philosophy?

9,048 Views

What are the branches of philosophy and logic?

5,535 Views

What are the branches of metaphysics?

11,113 Views

What are the major branches of philosophy and their corresponding key description?
4,373 Views

Is logic one of the five main branches of philosophy?

1,577 Views

What is the most important philosophical branch?

3,178 Views

Branches of philosophy?
17 Views

IN OTHER LANGUAGES

En Français : Quelles sont les 5 branches principales de la philosophie ?

Auf Deutsch: Was sind die 5 Hauptzweigen der Philosophie?

Em Português: Quais são os 5 principais ramos da filosofia?

About · Careers · Privacy · Terms · Contact

Open in app