What is Philosophy?

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The subject of Philosophy and its subcategories have been widely discussed in both the Western and non-Western world albeit with different focuses. Philosophy includes many different subfields involving investigation into our existence. These subfields include epistemology, ethics, logic, metaphysics, philosophy of science, social and political philosophy, and Metaphilosophy. Epistemology focuses on the study of Knowledge, also known as “Theory of Knowledge”. Ethics involves the study of moral values and rules, Logic; the study of reasoning. Metaphysics is the study of being and knowing also known as the principles of reality. The Philosophy of Science analyzes the nature and results of scientific inquiry. Social and Political Philosophy tend to cover human behavior. Social Philosophy centers on the study of questions about social behavior, usually in humans, and Political philosophy centers on the study of concepts such as liberty, justice, property, rights, law, and the enforcement of a legal code by authority. Metaphilosophy is the study of the nature, aims, and methods of philosophy more commonly known as the philosophy of philosophy. Philosophy itself can be interpreted through its Greek origin standing literally for ‘love of wisdom’ Philosophy aims at explaining what why and how existence ‘is’. Philosophers attempt to analyze our reality, behavior, morality, and rules, all to understand and create a structure for our world. We use philosophy to understand our reality. Plato described philosophy as the science of the Idea. Aristotle defined it as the science of the universal essence of that which is real or actual. Philosophies purpose is, put simply, to explain this science and, in doing so, achieve power over our own li... ... middle of paper ... ... Stephanie. "The Purpose and Importance of Philosophy." Associated Content - Associatedcontent.com. 11 Apr. 2006. Web. 14 Oct. 2010. . • Shermus, S. S. "Reflective Thought, Critical Thinking." Eric Digest. Indiana University, Nov. 1999. Web. 14 Oct. 2010. • Solomon, R. (2001). 'What Is Philosophy?' The Status of World Philosophy in the Profession. Philosophy East & West, 51(1), 100. Retrieved from Academic Search Premier database. • Vector, Dick V. "What Is the Difference Between Continental and Analytic Philosophy?" Associated Content. 9 July 2007. Web. 14 Oct. 2010. .

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