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Wikipedia,

Website Summary   by:nafees    
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Philosophy

Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language.[1][2] It is distinguished by some from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational argument.[3] However, philosophy is not seen by all practitioners as limited by the methods of rational argument, and some philosophers see the suitability of such methods of engagement with problems as a matter for investigation.[4][5][6] The word "philosophy" comes from the Greek φιλοσοφία (philosophia), which literally means "love of wisdom".

Branches of philosophy

The following branches are the main areas of study, in modern academia:

Metaphysics is the study of the nature of reality, including the relationship between mind and body, substance and accident, events and causation. Traditional branches are cosmology and ontology.

Epistemology is concerned with the nature and scope of knowledge, and whether knowledge is possible. Among its central concerns has been the challenge posed by skepticism and the relationships between truth, belief, and justification.

Ethics, or "moral philosophy", is concerned with questions of how persons ought to act or if such questions are answerable. The main branches of ethics are meta-ethics, normative ethics, and applied ethics. Meta-ethics concerns the nature of ethical thought, comparison of various ethical systems, whether there are absolute ethical truths, and how such truths could be known. Ethics is also associated with the idea of morality. Plato's early dialogues include a search for definitions of virtue.

Political philosophy is the study of government and the relationship of individuals and communities to the state. It includes questions about justice, the good, law, property, and the rights and obligations of the citizen.

Aesthetics deals with beauty, art, enjoyment, sensory-emotional values, perception, and matters of taste and sentiment.

Logic is the study of valid argument forms. Beginning in the late 19th century, mathematicians such as Frege focused on a mathematical treatment of logic, and today the subject of logic has two broad divisions: mathematical logic (formal symbolic logic) and what is now called philosophical logic.

Philosophy of mind deals with the nature of the mind and its relationship to the body, and is typified by disputes between dualism and materialism. In recent years there has been increasing similarity between this branch of philosophy and cognitive science.
 
Philosophy of language is inquiry into the nature, origins, and usage of language.
Philosophy of religion is a branch of philosophy that asks questions about religion.
Most academic subjects have a philosophy, for example the philosophy of science, the philosophy of mathematics, the philosophy of logic, the philosophy of law, and the philosophy of history. The philosophical study of philosophy itself is known as metaphilosophy.

In addition, a range of academic subjects have emerged to deal with areas that historically were the subject of philosophy. These include science, anthropology, and psychology.
Published: December 17, 2010   
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  1. 2. nafees

    philosophy

    wow nafeesa u have great writing skills

    0 Rating Friday, January 07, 2011
  2. 1. nafees

    about the summary

    wow its so beautiful summary miss nafeesa u have written a clear passage of philosophy

    1 Rating Friday, January 07, 2011
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