BRANCHES OF PHILOSOPHY

 While studying the philosophical thoughts of a philosopher, we study his thinking in
different branches of philosophy. These branches of philosophy are as follows:
(1) Epistemology. Philosophy is the search for knowledge. This search is critical.
Hence, the first problem which arises before a philosopher is about the nature of
knowledge and its limitations. Therefore, epistemology is the most fundamental
branch of philosophy. It discusses philosophically truth, falsehood, validity of
knowledge, limits of knowledge and nature of knowledge, knower and known etc.

(2)	Metaphysics. This is the study of existence, reality or essence. Its main branches are as follows:
(i)	Cosmogony. This is a study of creation. Is the world created, or is it eternal? How was world created? Why was it created? Who created the world? What is the purpose in creation? All these are the problems of cosmogony. Cosmology. The main problems of cosmology are: Is the world one or it many, or is it both one and many? Ontology. Ontology is the study of ultimate reality. Is the reality one or is it
(ii)
(iii)

many or is it both one and many? If reality is many, what is the relation
between these many elements? All these are ontological questions.

(iv)	Philosophy of self. This is mainly concerned with the philosophical analysis of self. What is self? What is its relation with the body? Is it free of does it

depend on the body? Is it one or many? All these are problems of philosophy
of self.

(v)	Eschatology. The discussion of the condition of soul after death, the nature of the other world, etc., form the subject matter of this branch of philosophy.

(3) Axiology. This branch of philosophy philosophically studies value. It has been
divided into the following three branches:

(i) (ii) (iii)	Ethics. Ethics discusses the criteria of right and good. Aesthetics. Aesthetics discusses the nature and criteria of beauty. Logic studies truth. The subject matter of logic includes the methods of judgment, types of proposition, hypothesis, definition, comparison, division, classification and fundamental laws of thoughts, etc.
(4)	Philosophy of Sciences. This branch of philosophy is concerned with the philosophical examination of the postulates and conclusions of different sciences.

(5)	Philosophies of Social Science. The philosophical problems in different social sciences give birth to different branches of philosophy of which the main are as follows:
(i)	Philosophies of Education. This is concerned with the aim of education and the basic philosophical problems arising in the field of education. Social Philosophy. This branch of philosophy discusses the philosophical basis of social processes and social institutions. Political Philosophy. This branch of philosophy is concerned with the forms
(ii)
(iii)

of government, forms of state and other basic problems arising in the
political field.