Major Branches Of Philosophy PDF

 "In what ways do speculative sciences and empirical sciences complement each other in the pursuit of truth, and how can their integration provide a more comprehensive understanding of reality?" The Purpose of Philosophy Philosophy as a “science of being or reality to its ulti...

 "In what ways do speculative sciences and empirical sciences complement each other in the pursuit of truth, and how can their integration provide a more comprehensive understanding of reality?" The Purpose of Philosophy Philosophy as a “science of being or reality to its ultimate causes, principles and reasons in the light of human reason”.  Science Philosophy is a science because it is a complete and systematically arranged body of connected knowledge with causes, principles and reasons which made this knowledge known to be TRUE. Just like other sciences, philosophy has its process and procedures when it comes to study  Reality/Being If astronomy studies stars, space and other heavenly bodies, Philosophy studies “Being” as one of its subjects  Being is anything “that is” or anything that exists. In other words, reality is existence. Anything that is tangible (can be perceived by your senses) are called being. All that you can observe is being. 3 Kinds of Being: Material Being – sensible (ex. Stone, chair, animals, human) Spiritual Being– non-sensible (ex. love, care, soul) Logical Being – exists primarily in the mind (ex. idea).  Cause It is that which influences the production, motion, existence and becoming of something. Cause is something that produces and effect. Ex. Why there is a table? The answer is, because there is someone who made it. Why your head aches? Because you did not slept well last night. The person who made the table is the cause while the table is the effect. The act of not sleeping last night is the cause while the effect is the headache. Thus, in studying the being, we should also study the cause because beings cannot exist without cause.  4 Kinds of Cause: Material cause – the material composition of a thing. (ex. The materials used to make a table) Formal cause – the account of what it is to be. (ex. The form or the shape you want for the table) Efficient cause – the one who made or created a thing. (ex. The person who made the table) Final cause – the purpose of a thing. (ex. What is the purpose of the table. Why you made it?).  Principle is out of which something else proceeds. It is also called Law. We will understand better what is being if we will know and follow some principles.  Human Reason the ability of human beings to abstract the essence of the things. Its proper object is the Truth. Obviously, human reason is responsible of grasping the truth.  MAJOR BRANCHES OF PHILOSOPHY  Metaphysics it studies the fundamental nature of reality, the Metaphysics asks these existence and the essence kinds of questions: of all things. What is reality? What is the difference between appearances from reality? Is reality constant or changing?  Epistemology it aims to determine the nature and extent of knowledge. It explores the various ways in knowing the This branch asks these truth. Epistemology is also called kinds of questions: as Philosophy of knowledge. It How do we form ideas? also discusses on how the human reason acquired knowledge. Is truth absolute or relative? How do we know that we know?  Two theories of knowledge: Empiricism Rationalism ◦ is a theory that states ◦ the view that regards reason as the that knowledge comes only or chief source and test of knowledge or any view appealing to reason as primarily from sensory a source of knowledge or experience. It claims that we justification. Other philosophers, acquire knowledge through who are rationalists, claim that we our experiences. have “innate knowledge”. Meaning, our knowledge is inborn.  Example: You have knowledge that it is a dog because you saw it first. It will be recorded to your mind forever and every time you will see the same thing next time you will recognize it as dog because you already saw it.  Two theories of knowledge: Empiricism Rationalism ◦ is a theory that states ◦ the view that regards reason as the that knowledge comes only or chief source and test of knowledge or any view appealing to reason as primarily from sensory a source of knowledge or experience. It claims that we justification. Other philosophers, acquire knowledge through who are rationalists, claim that we our experiences. have “innate knowledge”. Meaning, our knowledge is inborn.  Ethics it concerns on the morality of human actions. It studies the This branch asks these goodness or badness of kinds of questions: human being in the society. It What is good? discusses why such action is What are good and evil actions? wrong or right. Is there a universal standard of morality?  Aesthetics it deals with creation and the principles of It asks a question: art and beauty. what is beauty?  Theodicy it studies the nature, knowledge and the It is an attempt to ways to understand God’s existence. explain God using philosophy.  Logic it deals with the principles and methods of correct and sound reasoning. Upon searching for the truth we might be confuse of what really is the truth. How are you going to know the truth? Answer: Truth is the conformity or agreement of ◦ Example: the mind to the objective You see this as cat. How are reality. you going to prove that it is a cat? You say that it is a cat because that being exists first. Your mind agrees to what you perceive and you will claim that it is a cat and not a dog. Something is good as long as it exists or all that exists are good and beautiful. Metaphysically speaking, we are beautiful and handsome as long as we exist.  Something is good if it tends for which it is created; if it follows the norms of morality.