Philosophy: Core Branches Overview

Study Notes

Derived from the Greek words: philos (love) & sophia (wisdom)
The discovery of philosophy is attributed to Pythagoras of Samos
The goal is to be wise in all aspects of human discipline, investigating all forms of human phenomena.
Seeks to answer fundamental questions.

Metaphysics:
- Derived from the Greek word "Metaphysika"
- Deals with the nature of reality.
- "Study of Existence"
Epistemology:
- Deals with the study of the nature and scope of knowledge and justified beliefs.
- Derived from the Greek words episteme (knowledge) and logos (to study)
Ethics:
- Also known as Moral Philosophy.
- Derived from the Greek word ethos meaning "custom" or "habit"
- Aims to synthesize the concepts of right and wrong behavior.
- Divided into three domains:
  - Metaethics: Origin and meaning of ethical concepts.
  - Normative Ethics: The study of setting standards of moral right & wrong.
  - Applied Ethics: Attempts to apply ethical theories to real-life situations.
Aesthetics:
- Deals with the nature and appreciation of art, beauty, and good looks.
- Derived from the Greek word aisthetikos meaning "of sense perception"

Rationalism:
- Views reason as the chief source of knowledge & the most important element in acquiring knowledge.
- René Descartes is known for the quote: "Cogito, ergo sum, - I think, therefore I am."
- Argued that knowledge is derived through reason.
Empiricism:
- Asserts that all knowledge comes from the five senses.
- John Locke is known for the idea that the mind is a tabula rasa (blank slate).

Pythagoras of Samos:
- The first person to call themselves a philosopher or lover of wisdom.
- Known for his Pythagorean Theorem in Geometry.
Thales of Miletus:
- The first person to explain the world and universe outside mythical concepts.
- Explained the world as made of "water".
- Teacher of Pythagoras.
Heraclitus:
- Known for stating that "Everything flows".
- Believed that change is a fundamental aspect of reality.
Plato:
- Student of Socrates and teacher of Aristotle.
- Founder of the Academy of Athens.
- Believed in the immortality of the soul, even after physical death.
Aristotle:
- Student of Plato and teacher of Alexander the Great.
- Known as the "Father of Logic" and the first to formalize a system of reasoning.

Epistemology:
- A science devoted to discovering the proper method of acquiring and validating knowledge (Ayn Rand).
Purpose of Epistemology:
- To show how we acquire knowledge.
- To give a method of demonstrating whether acquired knowledge is truly knowledge.
Nature of Knowledge:
- Ayn Rand defined knowledge as "Mental grasping of the facts of reality."