Meaning of philosophy
The word philosophy comes from a combination of two Greek words- “philos” meaning “love” and “sophi” meaning “wisdom.” So basically philosophy means the love of wisdom, search for knowledge and mother of all sciences. In this regard, Plato in his “Republic” stated that “He who has a taste for every sort of knowledge and who is curious to learn and is never satisfied may be termed as philosopher”
Major Branches of Philosophy
Philosophy deals with the most basic issues faced by human beings. The content of philosophy is better seen as asking questions rather than providing answers. It can even be said that philosophy is the study of questions. So we can say Philosophy is the systematic study of fundamental questions about life, knowledge, values, reality, and existence. To understand it deeply, philosophy is divided into three major branches:
- Metaphysics (Reality)
Epistemology (Knowledge)
- Axiology (Values)
Metaphysics (Reality)
Metaphysics is the branch of philosophy that studies the ultimate nature of reality or existence. It asks questions such as ‘What exists?’ or ‘What is real?’ The term metaphysics is derived from the Greek words “meta” means(“beyond”, “upon” or “after”) and physika, means (“physics”). Literally it refers ‘those thing safter the physics.’
- The term “metaphysics” was coined by Andronicus of Rhodes.
Meaning: Study of the nature of reality and existence.
Key Questions:
What is real?
Does God exist?
What is the nature of being?
Epistemology (Knowledge)
Epistemology is the branch of philosophy concerned with the nature and scope of knowledge and is also referred to as “theory of knowledge”. The word epistemology has been derived from the Greek words episteme, meaning “knowledge, understanding”, and logos, meaning “study of”. In other words we can say that Epistemology is the study of the nature, source, and validity of knowledge.
- The term “epistemology” was coined by the Scottish philosopher James Frederick Ferrier.
Meaning: Study of knowledge—its nature, source, and limits.
Key Questions:
What is knowledge?
How do we know what we know?
What is truth?
Axiology (Values)
Axiology, which stems from two Greek words- “Axios” means “value, worth” and “logos” means “reason/ theory/ symbol / science/study of”. Hence, Axiology is the philosophical study of value and “value” originally meant the worth of something.
- The term “axiology” was independently coined by Paul Lapie in 1902 and Eduard von Hartmann in 1908.
Meaning: Study of values, including ethics and aesthetics.
Sub-branches:
Ethics: Right and wrong behavior.
Aesthetics: Beauty and art.
Key Questions:
What is good or bad?
What is beautiful?
Summary Table
| Branch | Area of Focus | Educational Relevance |
|---|---|---|
| Metaphysics | Reality and Existence | Aims and nature of education |
| Epistemology | Knowledge and Truth | Learning process and curriculum |
| Axiology | Values (Ethics & Art) | Moral education and aesthetics |
MCQs for Practice
🧠 Quiz: Major Branches of Philosophy
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📕 Schools of Philosophy: Idealism, Realism, Pragmatism
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📘 MCQs on Educational Philosophy with Answers
