Some may argue that philosophy is the essence of education and without knowing your philosophy how can you learn, how can you teach, how can you live? In this article the four main branches of philosophy will be discussed as an overview to aid in understanding the importance of philosophy as a teacher, educator, parent, or student.
The word philosophy is derived from two Greek words. The first word, philo, means “love.” The second, sophy, means “wisdom.” Literally, then, philosophy means “love of wisdom”. Each individual has an attitude toward life, children, politics, learning, and previous personal experiences that informs and shapes their set of beliefs. Although you may not be conscious of it, this set of beliefs, or personal philosophy, informs how you live, work, and interact with others. What you believe is directly reflected in both your teaching and learning processes. This chapter explores the various philosophical views that influence the teaching profession.
Although the role of Eastern philosophy in the history of the world and in education has been significant, this chapter focuses on the role of Western philosophy in shaping the educational philosophies prevalent in the United States. It is important to understand how philosophy and education are interrelated. To become the most effective teacher you can be, you must understand your own beliefs, while at the same time empathizing with others. Developing your own educational philosophy is a key part of your journey to becoming a teacher.
To understand the foundations of educational philosophies, it’s necessary to first examine philosophy’s four main branches. Understanding educational philosophy will contribute to the understanding of how these foundations have given rise to what is commonly practiced and believed in the classroom today. The four main branches of philosophy are metaphysics, epistemology, axiology, and logic.
Metaphysics
Metaphysics is the branch of philosophy that considers the physical universe and the nature of ultimate reality. It asks questions like, What is real? What is the origin of the world? What is beyond the stars? Your consideration of reality as an external creation or an internal construct can influence your metaphysical beliefs and perspectives and your teaching. Regardless of your definition of reality, the exploration and categorization of the physical universe form the foundation of several school subjects.
Epistemology
Epistemology is the branch of philosophy that considers how people come to learn what they know.
Derived from the Greek word episteme, meaning knowledge or understanding, epistemology refers to the nature and origin of knowledge and truth. Epistemology proposes that there are four main bases of knowledge: divine revelation, experience, logic and reason, and intuition. These influence how teaching, learning, and understanding come about in the
classroom.
Axiology
Axiology is the branch of philosophy that considers the study of principles and values. These values are divided into two main kinds: ethics and aesthetics. Ethics is the questioning of morals and personal values. Aesthetics is the examination of what is beautiful, enjoyable, or tasteful. In axiology education is more than just about knowledge but also quality of life.
Logic
Logic is the branch of philosophy that seeks to organize reasoning. Students of logic learn how to think in a structurally sound manner. Logic has two types: deductive and inductive reasoning. Deductive reasoning involves examining a general case, deducing a general set of rules or principles, and then applying these rules to specific cases. Inductive reasoning involves taking specific examples and considering the general principles, rules, or cases that caused them.
What is your philosophy? Are all four branches incorporated into your values on education?
There are 7 branches of Philosophy, namely, Metaphysics, Axiology, Logic, Aesthetics, Epistemology, Ethics and Political Philosophy. Philosophy is the study of the search for the truth and equally an effort to know the hidden realities truths about ourselves. As an academic discipline, Philosophy is hardly any different. Students who are in Philosophy programs are engaged in a pursuit of asking, answering, and resolving problems. In a sense, Philosophy is a type of Science, a reservoir of knowledge that can only be understood through rigorous investigation and study. Read this blog to know all about these branches of Philosophy, the nature of philosophy and more!
This Blog Includes:
- What are the 7 Branches of Philosophy?
- Axiology
- Metaphysics
- Epistemology
- Ethics
- Political Philosophy
- Aesthetics
- Logic
- Nature of Philosophy
- Which Branches of Philosophy Deals with the Study of Religion?
- Branches of Philosophy PDF
- Branches of Philosophy of History
- Branches of Philosophy Slideshare
What are the 7 Branches of Philosophy?
To unburden a student from the discouraging task of going through fat books and dense literature on every concept of Philosophy, experts of this field came up with the idea of creating various branches of Philosophy. In this blog, we have collated a list of major and much-discussed branches of Philosophy, which have triggered some famous debates in this field.
The main branches of Philosophy are:
- Axiology: Study of the nature of value and valuation
- Metaphysics: Study of the fundamental nature of reality
- Epistemology: Study of the nature, origin, and limits of human knowledge
- Ethics Philosophy: Study of what is right and wrong in human behaviour
- Aesthetics: Study of beauty and taste
- Logic Philosophy: Study of the nature and types of logic
- Political Philosophy: Study of government, addressing questions about the nature, scope, and legitimacy of public agents and institutions
Let’s now explore some of these branches of Philosophy in detail.
Also referred to as the theory of value, Axiology explores the nature of value and its metaphysical aspects. Value Theory is often interchangeably used as Axiology and this branch of Philosophy peruses upon the value of goodness. To put it simply, Axiology looks at the concept of value in terms of its philosophical terms and argues questions about nature and what actually is valued.
Credits – PHILO-notesMetaphysics has been a primary area of philosophical debate. It is mainly concerned with explaining the nature of being and the world. Traditionally, it has two different study areas, including Cosmology and Ontology. Cosmology is focused on understanding the origin, evolution, and the eventual fate of the universe, which include laws that keep it in perfect order. On the other hand, Ontology investigates various types of things that exist and their relationship with each other. Much before the discovery of modern science, all the science-related questions were asked as a part of Metaphysics.
Credits – PHILO-notesEpistemology
Another major component of Philosophy is Epistemology. Going back into history, this term originated from the Greek word episteme which literally means knowledge, and the other half of the word ‘logy means ‘the study of’. Basically it is about the study of knowledge. What can we know? A fundamental question concerning Epistemology is, what is knowledge? It also asks questions like, can knowledge ever be absolute? Is there a limit for humans to know certain things? If we are living in a world of simulation, how can we know it? These are some of the essential questions Epistemology seeks answers for.
Credits – Wireless PhilosophyEthics
Everyone in their day to day life tries to conduct themselves according to some established ethical norms. This philosophical concept has different applications in a person’s real life. For instance, there are certain organizations that have ethical committees which lay down rules of behaviour for its employees. Ethics is concerned with the definition of right and wrong. It elucidates schools of thought that instruct us how to act in a given situation, which has always been a matter of contention between philosophers. Every philosopher has defined it according to their own subjective understanding.
Credits – The Ethics CentrePolitical Philosophy
Combining the two fields of Politics and Philosophy, Political Philosophy studies political government, laws, liberty, justice, rights, authority, political states and systems, ethics, and more. It explores the concepts of why we need governments, the role of played by governments, what are its constituents, amongst others.
Aesthetics
Every person defines beauty as per his or her own perspectives. This philosophical subject is wholly devoted to defining the different aspects of beauty, even its contours. How do we find something beautiful? Is beauty always subjective or can it be objective too? Can everyone find a thing beautiful? It also examines individual taste and attempts to provide answers about these things in a scientific manner. Aesthetic Philosophy’s primary topic of investigation is beauty and art. It is often debated inside its classrooms. It also talks about performing arts like music.
Credits – PHILO-notesLogic
We use this word in our commonplace conversations, so we are all aptly familiar with it. People constantly ask each other, “where is the logic behind this or that?”. People even acknowledge a good thought or act by calling it logically correct. Hence, the question arises, what does Science of logic has to do with Philosophy? In logic, we usually construct two sentences which are called premises, and they are used to make a conclusion. This sort of logic is called a syllogism, pioneered by Aristotle.
Credits – PHILO-notesNature of Philosophy
The literal meaning of Philosophy is the ‘love of wisdom’ and it enquires into the human reality finding rational conception of our being. The nature of philosophy can be said to be purely scientific as it incorporates curious discovery of human reality and integrates with other sciences like Psychology, Sociology, Physics, Political Science, amongst others to understand various philosophical questions. Through the 7 branches of Philosophy, i.e. Metaphysics, Axiology, Epistemology, Logic, Ethics, Political Philosophy and Aesthetics, it sets out to harmonize sciences to understand the human mind and the world.
Which Branches of Philosophy Deals with the Study of Religion?
Philosophy of Religion is a vast arena of Philosophy and consists of many branches like metaphysics, epistemology, value theory [including moral theory and applied ethics], philosophy of language, science, history, politics, art, to name a few. This is concerned with the study of philosophy in terms of religion and religious beliefs like arguments over the nature and existence of God, prayer, miracles, the connection between religion and value systems and religious language.
Branches of Philosophy PDF
Courtesy: Mary Lee Harsha, SlideshareBranches of Philosophy of History
Philosophy of History is also an area of study in Philosophy which studies the historical events of significance and if there is a role of any design, purpose, directive principle, or finality in these events and their processes of human history. The Philosophy of History is mainly studied in terms of four main branches:
- Metaphysics
- Hermeneutics
- Epistemology
- Ethics
In conclusion, we hope that we have meticulously provided you with all the relevant content about branches of Philosophy, along with other important details. Aiming to pursue your higher studies in Philosophy at a top-notch educational institution? Then what are you waiting for? Book your free 30 minutes of e-counseling with the Leverage Edu experts who will facilitate your overseas educational journey and help you choose best-matched career & higher education options.