Branches of Philosophy
Ever wondered what reality is really made of or how we should treat others? Philosophy has organized these big questions into specific branches that make them easier to tackle.
Metaphysics literally means "after physics" and digs into whether everything around us is just material stuff, or if things like life, energy, and our minds are something more. Ethics comes from the Greek word "ethos" and focuses on figuring out which behaviors and standards actually lead to good or bad outcomes in life.
Epistemology is all about knowledge itself - where it comes from, how we can verify it's true, and what makes knowledge different from just believing something. Logic gives us the rules for reasoning correctly and helps us spot when someone's argument doesn't make sense.
Think About It: Every time you question whether something is fair, wonder how you know something is true, or try to win an argument logically, you're doing philosophy!
Theodicy uses human reason to understand God's nature, while Aesthetics (from "aesthetikos" meaning "perceptive") analyzes what makes something beautiful. Cosmology studies our material universe, helping us figure out our place and purpose in existence.