Philosophy

Philosophy ('love of wisdom' in <a href="/facts/Ancient_Greek/LIK7NlUh">Ancient Greek</a>) is a systematic study of general and fundamental questions concerning topics like <a href="/facts/Existence/IRAl4dlu">existence</a>, <a href="/facts/Reason/tcBImN8J">reason</a>, <a href="/facts/Knowledge/joozoaup">knowledge</a>, <a href="/facts/Value_(ethics_and_social_sciences)/f2RW9TXW">value</a>, <a href="/facts/Mind/Y5JhtFj4">mind</a>, and <a href="/facts/Language/IRcTok2q">language</a>. It is a rational and critical inquiry that reflects on its methods and assumptions.
Historically, many of the individual <a href="/facts/Science/IJoaD7rs">sciences</a>, such as <a href="/facts/Physics/a7aH2y08">physics</a> and <a href="/facts/Psychology/duoqW7Sz">psychology</a>, formed part of philosophy. However, they are considered separate academic disciplines in the modern sense of the term. Influential traditions in the <a href="/facts/History_of_philosophy/zAH5PVD6">history of philosophy</a> include <a href="/facts/Western_philosophy/4m6EnYCI">Western</a>, <a href="/facts/Islamic_philosophy/QSzAKr2j">Arabic–Persian</a>, <a href="/facts/Indian_philosophy/ddnT7Vec">Indian</a>, and <a href="/facts/Chinese_philosophy/Tx4ruDzB">Chinese philosophy</a>. Western philosophy originated in <a href="/facts/Ancient_Greece/PTVBrWXq">Ancient Greece</a> and covers a wide area of philosophical subfields. A central topic in Arabic–Persian philosophy is the relation between reason and <a href="/facts/Revelation/xMygzvLv">revelation</a>. Indian philosophy combines the <a href="/facts/Spirituality/o2neYDkN">spiritual</a> problem of how to reach <a href="/facts/Enlightenment_in_Buddhism/AGFXqGgz">enlightenment</a> with the exploration of the nature of reality and the ways of arriving at knowledge. Chinese philosophy focuses principally on practical issues about right social conduct, government, and <a href="/facts/Self-cultivation/kfjwUsaV">self-cultivation</a>.
Major branches of philosophy are <a href="/facts/Epistemology/NsDwpcYH">epistemology</a>, <a href="/facts/Ethics/wNVNgL5q">ethics</a>, <a href="/facts/Logic/8JnpJLtt">logic</a>, and <a href="/facts/Metaphysics/fSFt6SHe">metaphysics</a>. Epistemology studies what knowledge is and how to acquire it. Ethics investigates moral principles and what constitutes right conduct. Logic is the study of <a href="/facts/Logical_reasoning/NwR4hQva">correct reasoning</a> and explores how good <a href="/facts/Argument/1K1e3Xg4">arguments</a> can be distinguished from bad ones. Metaphysics examines the most general features of <a href="/facts/Reality/oC1xokDB">reality</a>, existence, <a href="/facts/Object_(philosophy)/rf48DMvm">objects</a>, and <a href="/facts/Property_(philosophy)/mejP0slr">properties</a>. Other subfields are <a href="/facts/Aesthetics/FSD8f7oF">aesthetics</a>, <a href="/facts/Philosophy_of_language/qwNCwF4W">philosophy of language</a>, <a href="/facts/Philosophy_of_mind/o6yNRjwd">philosophy of mind</a>, <a href="/facts/Philosophy_of_religion/1yI4cqMx">philosophy of religion</a>, <a href="/facts/Philosophy_of_science/aonsfhTY">philosophy of science</a>, <a href="/facts/Philosophy_of_mathematics/z7xBcdWA">philosophy of mathematics</a>, <a href="/facts/Philosophy_of_history/gRxLws9I">philosophy of history</a>, and <a href="/facts/Political_philosophy/JuLBNdAX">political philosophy</a>. Within each branch, there are competing <a href="/facts/Schools_of_philosophy/aLtqluH2">schools of philosophy</a> that promote different principles, theories, or methods.
Philosophers use a great variety of methods to arrive at philosophical knowledge. They include <a href="/facts/Conceptual_analysis/5mFCG4UP">conceptual analysis</a>, reliance on <a href="/facts/Common_sense/TlPpRoAx">common sense</a> and <a href="/facts/Intuition/Mshu0Vxb">intuitions</a>, use of <a href="/facts/Thought_experiments/GXlr0lz9">thought experiments</a>, analysis of <a href="/facts/Ordinary_language/pA43hoje">ordinary language</a>, <a href="/facts/Phenomenology_(philosophy)/AILzLkKx">description of experience</a>, and <a href="/facts/Socratic_questioning/Vj7GF5xS">critical questioning</a>. Philosophy is related to many other fields, including the sciences, <a href="/facts/Mathematics/pxTouaz4">mathematics</a>, <a href="/facts/Business/For1e8Nh">business</a>, <a href="/facts/Law/luzxWkg0">law</a>, and <a href="/facts/Journalism/hue0m1xf">journalism</a>. It provides an <a href="/facts/Interdisciplinary/HP0uaNUs">interdisciplinary</a> perspective and studies the scope and fundamental concepts of these fields. It also investigates their methods and ethical implications.

Philosophy open-in-new

Philosophy