Philosophy is a discipline that studies the fundamental laws and principles of reality. It is aimed at understanding the main issues of life, determining the nature of the relationship between man and the world. The essence of philosophy is to answer the question: why? Despite the fact that this science is engaged in the study of theoretical issues, its practical value is also important, since the answers found allow us to better understand the reality surrounding us.
The main sections of philosophy
There are many branches of philosophy (the number exceeds 50 units), they differ, first of all, by the subject of study. So, the philosophy of anthropology gives answers to questions about a person: his role in the world, origin, self-consciousness and many others. Religious is engaged in the study of religious issues: the essence of God, ideas about him, the nature of belief is considered, etc.
Initially, the sections of philosophy can be divided into groups: general philosophical, philosophy of means of cognition, theoretical and practical.
So, the following main sections of this science are distinguished:
- ethics;
- aesthetics;
- social, political and religious philosophy;
- ontology;
- logics;
- metaphysics;
- axiology.
Sections of philosophy dedicated to man and his activities
Anthropology. This section is devoted to the study of the nature and essence of man, his relationship to God, nature, his role in society, life and death, and other phenomena. One of the founders of the German direction of the 20th century, Max Scheler himself noted in his works that it is impossible to know a person, because he is wide. Nevertheless, philosophical studies of man are still being conducted, they are still aimed at understanding two basic principles: a life impulse and a spirit.
Social philosophy. Here, the subject of study is society, as well as the relationship of a person to it. The subject of study here brings philosophy closer to theoretical sociology, however, their difference is that philosophy performs a critical function, and sociology determines the laws.
Political philosophy. This section is devoted to the study of political ideas, values and the essence of this phenomenon. Here, criteria are developed by which they can be evaluated, and relations between the state, society and the individual are analyzed.
Religious philosophy. This direction explores the connection of the Higher principle and being. This section, unlike theology, deals with evidence-based substantiation.
Sections of the philosophy of being
Metaphysics. This is one of the most important sections of philosophy, since it is devoted to its main questions concerning being. It explores the original nature of the world and reality. Even in ancient times, when philosophy was born, metaphysics was given the main meaning. Based on this, three of its branches are distinguished: antique, classical and modern.
Ontology. This section at first glance does not differ from metaphysics, but there is a significant difference between them: in ontology, philosophical thought is devoted to the principles of being and the categories of things.
Sections of Philosophy on Thinking and Perception
Axiology. This section deals with the study of values and the development of a theory about them. For the first time, Socrates spoke of this, whose thoughts were mainly aimed at understanding the question: what is good?
Ethics. The main subjects of ethics are morality. Here they consider the nature of these concepts, types and characteristics, and also study their changes and role in society. Much attention is paid to the study of the criteria of good and evil, the meaning of life, justice and due.
Aesthetics. This section is devoted to the doctrine of the essence of beauty and its forms in life, nature and artistic creation. In a general sense, the subject of aesthetics is art and its expressive form.
Logics. This science is about human thinking, its methods, laws and forms. The subject of this section is intellectual cognitive activity, the laws of which are studied by this discipline.
The branches of philosophy are not limited to the above: those presented here are the most generalized.