Introduction to the Five Branches of Philosophy
Philosophy can be divided into five branches which address the
following questions:
Consciousness
is Conscious
Metaphysics: Study of Existence: What's out there? What
sorts of things exist? What is the nature of those things?
Do some things exist independently of our perception?
What is the nature of space and time? What is the nature
of thought and thinking? What is it to be a person? What is
it to be conscious? Is there a god?
Reality is
Absolute
Epistemology: Study of Knowledge:
How do I know about it? Is knowledge
possible? How do we come to know
what we know? How can we know that
there are other minds?
Esthetics:
Study of Art
What can life
be like?
A is A:
Identity
Objectivity
Logic
Reason is
absolute
Reason is
Man's
Means of
Survival
Ethics: Study of Action. What should
I do? Is there a difference between
morally right and wrong actions (or
values, or institutions)? Which
actions are right, and which wrong?
Are values absolute, or relative? In
general or particular terms, how
should I live?
Politics: Study of Force:
What actions are
permissible?
Existence
Exists
Harmony of
Interests
Initiation
of Force
is Immoral
Trader
Principle
Man's Life
is His Moral
Standard
Morality
as a Guide
to Living
Virtue
Rousseau
Hierarchical relationship between these branches :
Productiveness
Rationality
Pride
Benevolence
Justice
Independence
Honesty
Integrity
At the root is Metaphysics, the study of existence and the nature of existence.
Closely related is Epistemology, the study of knowledge and how we know
about reality and existence.
Rights Are
Absolute
Dependent on Epistemology is Ethics, the study of how man should act. Ethics
is dependent on Epistemology because it is impossible to make choices without
knowledge.
A subset of Ethics is Politics: the study of how men should interact in a proper
society and what constitutes proper. Esthetics, the study of art and sense of life
is slightly separate, but depends on Metaphysics, Epistemology, and Ethics.
Government
Must Protect
Rights
Laissez
Faire
Capitalism
Taxation is
Immoral