Philosophy Dictionary. Chart.html. Branches of Philosophy. Philosophy can be divided into five branches which address the following questions: There is a hierarchical relationship between these branches as can be seen in the Concept Chart. At the root is Metaphysics, the study of existence and the nature of existence.
Closely related is Epistemology, the study of knowledge and how we know about reality and existence. Dependent on Epistemology is Ethics, the study of how man should act. Ethics is dependent on Epistemology because it is impossible to make choices without knowledge. A subset of Ethics is Politics: the study of how men should interact in a proper society and what constitutes proper. Philosophy | Define Philosophy at Dictionary. Philosophy. Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with reality, existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language.[1][2] Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational argument.[3] In more casual speech, by extension, "philosophy" can refer to "the most basic beliefs, concepts, and attitudes of an individual or group".[4] The word "philosophy" comes from the Ancient Greek φιλοσοφία (philosophia), which literally means "love of wisdom".[5][6][7] The introduction of the terms "philosopher" and "philosophy" has been ascribed to the Greek thinker Pythagoras.[8] Areas of inquiry Philosophy is divided into many sub-fields.
These include epistemology, logic, metaphysics, ethics, and aesthetics.[9][10] Some of the major areas of study are considered individually below. Epistemology Rationalism is the emphasis on reasoning as a source of knowledge. Logic. Top 10 Pre-Socratic Philosophers. History Plato has left us one of the greatest philosophical bodies of work. So great has the influence of Plato been that his representation of Socrates has eclipsed all of the philosophers who existed in the Greek world at the time and before. These preceding philosophers are commonly known as pre-Socratic, not necessarily because they were inferior to Socrates but merely because they came before. We do not have nearly as much information about their lives and teachings but what we do have is very interesting.
For a more full reading on these, the best source we have, though not totally trustworthy, is Diogenes Laertius’ ‘Lives of the Philosophers.’ Here are ten of best pre-Socratic philosophers. Empedocles is the source of the Classical idea that the universe is composed of four elements: Earth, Water, Air, and Fire. The belief in reincarnation probably led to the stories which surround Empedocles’ death. Zeno was the student of another philosopher on this list, Parmenides.