Branches of Philosophy Branches of Philosophy PDF

Metaphysics is the branch of philosophy exploring the fundamental nature of reality, including: **Core Topics** 1\. **Ontology**: Study of existence, being, and reality. 2\. **Cosmology**: Origin, structure, and fate of the universe. 3\. **Time and Space**: Nature of time, space, and causality....

Metaphysics is the branch of philosophy exploring the fundamental nature of reality, including: **Core Topics** 1\. **Ontology**: Study of existence, being, and reality. 2\. **Cosmology**: Origin, structure, and fate of the universe. 3\. **Time and Space**: Nature of time, space, and causality. 4\. **Mind-Body Problem**: Relationship between mental and physical entities. 5\. **Free Will and Determinism**: Human agency vs. causal determinism. **Key Concepts** 1\. **Substance**: Fundamental entities (e.g., matter, energy). 2\. **Attribute**: Properties of substances (e.g., color, shape). 3\. **Potentiality and Actuality**: Possibility and realization. 4\. **Essence and Existence**: Intrinsic nature and external existence. 5\. **Causality**: Cause-and-effect relationships. **Theories and Positions** 1\. **Monism**: One fundamental substance (e.g., materialism, idealism). 2\. **Dualism**: Two fundamental substances (e.g., mind-body). 3\. **Pluralism**: Multiple fundamental substances. 4\. **Panpsychism**: Consciousness inherent in all entities. 5\. **Emergentism**: Complex systems exhibit novel properties. **Influential Metaphysicians** 1\. **Aristotle**: Founder of Western metaphysics. 2\. **Immanuel Kant**: Developed transcendental idealism. 3\. **René Descartes**: Introduced mind-body dualism. 4\. **Plato**: Explored immaterial reality. 5\. **David Hume**: Skeptical empiricism. **Contemporary Debates** 1\. **Physicalism vs. Non-Physicalism**: Materialism vs. immaterial entities. 2\. **Determinism vs. Indeterminism**: Causal necessity vs. randomness. 3\. **Emergentism vs. Reductionism**: Complex systems vs. constituent parts. 4\. **Panpsychism vs. Emergentism**: Consciousness origins. 5\. **Multiverse Hypothesis**: Existence of parallel universes. **Key Texts** 1\. Aristotle\'s \"Metaphysics\" 2\. Kant\'s \"Critique of Pure Reason\" 3\. Descartes\' \"Meditations on First Philosophy\" 4\. Plato\'s \"Republic\" 5. Hume\'s \"A Treatise of Human Nature\" Ethics encompasses principles, values and norms guiding human behavior, ensuring respect, fairness, honesty and compassion. Key ethics categories include: **Fundamental Ethics** 1. **Metaethics**: Examines the nature of ethical judgments and moral statements 2. **Normative Ethics**: Prescribes moral rules and principles (e.g., utilitarianism, deontology). 3. **Applied Ethics**: Addresses specific issues (e.g., bioethics, environmental ethics).