We explain the main philosophical branches to better understand their usefulness.
In fact, early scientists were known as “natural philosophers” because they were people who thought about nature in order to understand it more deeply.
Today philosophy is stilla very interesting and necessary branch of studyfor the advancement of societies, and in this article we list some of its main aspects to facilitate access to this field of knowledge.
What are the main branches of philosophy?
Philosophy, especially to those who are not overly familiar with it, may seem a dense and impassable field of study, accessible only to those who dedicate themselves to it or to their passionate. Nothing could be further from the truth, sincephilosophy is part of our daily livesand has shaped societies as we know them today.
To understand a little better what exactly philosophy covers, we can look at its multiple aspects of study and its main authors. In this way we will gain a general understanding aboutthe main facets of philosophy, while obtaining references that we can visit if we were interested.
Within the philosophy we find the so-called “five main branches”:
1. Metaphysics
Metaphysics (from the Latin metaphysica, meaning “beyond nature”) is responsible for studying reality, looking at its structure, nature and fundamental principles.
Thanks to metaphysicswe can explain concepts such as being, existence, objects, relationships, causality or time. It is within metaphysics that natural philosophy was once located, the predecessor current of thought of science as we understand it today.
There is debate, even within metaphysics itself, about its field of study. Within this,two main lines of thought are studied, ontology, which asks questions such as “what makes an object real?”, “does chance exist?” or “do thoughts exist?”, as well as teleology, which proposes the attribution of purpose to different objects or processes.
Some of the main metaphysical thinkers were Aristotle, Plato, or Immanuel Kant.
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2. Epistemology
Epistemology is the branch of philosophy that is responsible for studying knowledge , including its nature, possibility and scope. It was especially relevant after the appearance of René Descartes, who began the search for a solid base on which knowledge could be built.
Within the most common epistemic concepts we would find objectivity, truth or justifications, as well as questions such as “what does it mean to know something?” or “How can we know that we know?”
Among its most influential philosophers we would find Stuart Mill, René Descartes or Francis Bacon.
3. Logic
Logic is the branch of philosophy that studies the ways of inferring knowledge or conclusions in a valid and accurate way. A valid inference would be one in which there is a logical structure , linking the assumptions of the inference with its final conclusion.
Today logic is applied to mathematics, philosophy, psychology, and linguistics , among other branches of knowledge. According to this philosophy, the validity of an argument rests on how logical it is, regardless of its content.
Some famous logisticians are Thomas Equine, Lewis Carroll or William of Ockham, the proponent of the famous ” Ockham’s razor “.
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4. Ethics
Ethics is also known as “moral philosophy”, its function is to study human behavior , as well as the concepts of goodness and badness, morality, duty or happiness, for example.
This part of philosophy is the one in charge of studying moral problems and morality itself , based on the study of the actions of individuals, especially when they are in an environment of freedom, which allows moral behaviors to appear without interference. external.
Ethics forms a fundamental part of today’s society , since ethics committees are responsible for establishing a series of standards for good practices in different professions, such as biology or medical sciences, where bad practices Ethics can have a high cost.
Within the important moral philosophers we would find examples such as Spinoza, David Hume or Socrates.
5. Aesthetics
Aesthetics is a branch of philosophy that is responsible for studying the essence of beauty and the way we perceive it. Within it, art is an important object of study for many authors who investigate the relationship between artistic expression and beauty.
Aesthetics can also include the study of perception in general, not limited to beauty. The concept of unsightly, of the shocking, is also of special interest to this curious branch of philosophy.
Aesthetic concepts have been of interest to countless Western philosophers, such as Plato, Saint Augustine, or Immanuel Kant, but they have also been the subject of study and interest in many other cultures, such as Asian and African cultures.
Other philosophical slopes
Philosophy does not include only these main branches. Even within the slopes themselves, there are various authors who establish new study frameworks , subdividing philosophy into a whole mosaic of opinions and ways of thinking.
Some of the most interesting branches of philosophy are:
6. The philosophy of language
The philosophy of language is the branch that studies the fundamental bases of human communication . They study, for example, the relationship that exists between our languages, our ways of thinking and the world around us, as well as the limits presented by the different forms of communication.
The philosophy of language attempts to use thought experiments to support its arguments. For example, the bouba/kiki effect , discovered by Wolfgang Köhler, which shows that people tend to associate certain abstract vocalizations with concepts such as the shapes of objects.
We find philosophers such as Wittgenstein, Ockham, Derrida or Chomsky among language researchers.
7. The philosophy of science
The philosophy of science is the philosophical field that studies the foundations, methods, consequences and implications of science and the scientific process. Questions are asked, for example, about what can qualify as science, its purpose, or to what extent it can explain reality.
Currently this branch of philosophy is highly influenced by authors such as Karl Popper or Thomas Kuhn , author of “The structure of scientific revolutions”, where it was argued that science works in a cyclical manner, built on scientific paradigms that sooner or later are replaced by stronger theories about our knowledge of the universe.
8. Political philosophy
Political philosophy could be considered a branch of moral philosophy , since it is in charge of establishing explanations for the behavioral dynamics that appear in political systems.
Famous philosophers who spoke about politics are Machiavelli, Thomas Hobbes or Karl Marx, author of “Das Kapital”, of very strong influence in various political revolutions , especially in countries like Russia, but also in the way of thinking of the current political left.
9. Philosophy of Mind
The philosophy of mind is one thatis responsible for studying the mind and its properties, such as consciousness or thought. Today it is strongly linked to sciences such as psychology or those that study the brain itself, the so-called neurosciences.
One of the central problems studied by the philosophy of mind is the relationship between body and mind, which also enters the field of metaphysics. Within it there are very separate currents, which can be summarized in the dualistic ones, which believe in the separation of body and mind, and the monists, who discard this separation.
A great example of an author on the philosophy of mind would be Ludwig Wittgenstein, but we would also find philosophers like Noam Chomsky or Karl Popper.
References
- Spinoza, B., & Escohotado, A. (2009). Spinoza. Spain: Tusquets Publishers.
- Wittgenstein, L., & Pears, D. (2014). Tractatus logico-philosophicus. Oxfordshire, England: Routledge.
To the classic question “what do you do?” I always answer “basically I am a psychologist”. In fact, my academic training has revolved around the psychology of development, education and community, a field of study influenced my volunteer activities, as well as my first work experiences in personal services.