Philosophy

Philosophy is derived from the ancient Greek words philo-sophia, meaning the love of wisdom. Thus, the study of philosophy is a study in the love of wisdom. Philosophy is more specifically a formalized process of logical thought, emphasizing consistency, clarity and validity of argumentation. Contemporary philosophy is typically divided into two categories, namely, Continental and Analytic philosophy. Continental philosophy pertains to those philosophical thoughts derived from German Idealists, existentialist and phenomenologist, which places emphasis on one’s experience. In contrast, analytic philosophy emphasizes logical argumentation and the semantics of language and cognitive sciences. Typically, analytic philosophers give great credence to empirical verification and epistemology.

Basically, the study of philosophy can be divided into 5 major components, which are metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, politics, and esthetics. Metaphysics is the branch of philosophy responsible for the study of existence. It is the foundation of a worldview. It answers the question "What is?" It encompasses everything that exists, as well as the nature of existence itself. It says whether the world is real, or merely an illusion. It is a fundamental view of the world around us. Epistemology can be derived as the study of our method of acquiring knowledge. It answers the question, "How do we know?" It encompasses the nature of concepts, the constructing of concepts, the validity of the senses, logical reasoning, as well as thoughts, ideas, memories, emotions, and all things mental. It is concerned with how our minds are related to reality, and whether these relationships are valid or invalid. Ethics, on the other hand, is the branch of study dealing with what is the proper course of action for man. It answers the question, "What do I do?" It is the study of right and wrong in human endeavors. At a more fundamental level, it is the method by which we categorize our values and pursue them. Politics is the study of political force in the general community while jurisprudence is the study of how laws can and should be used to achieve political and social goals. Lastly, Esthetics is the study of art. It includes what art consists of, as well as the purpose behind it. Does art consist of music, literature, and painting? Or does it include a good engineering solution, or a beautiful sunset? These are the questions that aimed at in esthetics. It also studies methods of evaluating art, and allows judgments of the art. Is art in the eye of the beholder? Does anything that appeals to you fit under the umbrella of art? Or does it have a specific nature? Does it accomplish a goal?

Philosophy is important for numerous reasons. All human beings orient their lives around ideas about what reality is like, that our belief explains our experiences and ideas about what reality and human beings should be like, that we use to guide our behaviour. The first of these kinds of ideas is a metaphysical theory, the second an ethical or moral theory. Besides that, we seem to need metaphysical and moral ideas because we are not born with instincts that determine for them what we should think and want, and are born with the capacities to make up our own minds and to question any belief they have or meet. It is also evident that most of the ideas in history that people have used to explain human experiences have been false or unfounded in many respects, and it is also evident that most of the ideas in history or direct human behaviour have been harmful to other human beings or to themselves. The ideas people live and die for, go to war for and kill each other for, or let themselves be inspired to the making of great art or science, are all philosophical ideas.