Philosophy, its Branches, Terms, Critical Thinking, and Philosophical Arguments

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Philosophy Discussion Post
Defining Philosophy, Branches, and Terms
The term philosophy is coined from two Greek words philo and sophia, which mean "lover of wisdom." A basic interpretation of these words is the study of basic and profound issues of human existence. Therefore, philosophy can be defined as a rational and intelligent investigation into a matter of existence, ethics, and knowledge. Philosophy can be applied to any area of intelligence where the focus is on answering questions about and understanding major phenomena. According to Mark, philosophy may have emerged as a result of the failure of religion to provide answers to fundamental questions. Additionally, people often turn to philosophy when religion fails to address their needs fully.
Philosophy comprises several branches, which can be described simply as areas of interest. First, metaphysics studies existence and was so named following Aristotle's work on this subject. Metaphysics deals with the first principles of things, including knowing, time, space, being, and identity. Second, epistemology studies knowledge by defining it and determining how people gain knowledge. The third branch is ethics, which studies behavior or actions and focuses on morality. Politics is the fourth branch, which focuses on governance and how governments are run. Lastly, aesthetics is the branch that studies art, including such dimensions as beauty, nature, and culture.
Several key terms are used in philosophy, most of which are aligned with key theories and frameworks. For example, materialism is a theory that states that only real objects can be experienced through senses. Ontology is a section of metaphysics that deals with the nature of being. Physicalism is the thesis that descriptive terms in science language are connected with terms describing observab...