What is the branch of philosophy that answers the question what should I do?

Some may argue that philosophy is the essence of education and without knowing your philosophy how can you learn, how can you teach, how can you live? In this article the four main branches of philosophy will be discussed as an overview to aid in understanding the importance of philosophy as a teacher, educator, parent, or student.

The word philosophy is derived from two Greek words. The first word, philo, means “love.” The second, sophy, means “wisdom.” Literally, then, philosophy means “love of wisdom”. Each individual has an attitude toward life, children, politics, learning, and previous personal experiences that informs and shapes their set of beliefs. Although you may not be conscious of it, this set of beliefs, or personal philosophy, informs how you live, work, and interact with others. What you believe is directly reflected in both your teaching and learning processes. This chapter explores the various philosophical views that influence the teaching profession.

Although the role of Eastern philosophy in the history of the world and in education has been significant, this chapter focuses on the role of Western philosophy in shaping the educational philosophies prevalent in the United States. It is important to understand how philosophy and education are interrelated. To become the most effective teacher you can be, you must understand your own beliefs, while at the same time empathizing with others. Developing your own educational philosophy is a key part of your journey to becoming a teacher.

To understand the foundations of educational philosophies, it’s necessary to first examine philosophy’s four main branches. Understanding educational philosophy will contribute to the understanding of how these foundations have given rise to what is commonly practiced and believed in the classroom today. The four main branches of philosophy are metaphysics, epistemology, axiology, and logic.

Metaphysics

Metaphysics is the branch of philosophy that considers the physical universe and the nature of ultimate reality. It asks questions like, What is real? What is the origin of the world? What is beyond the stars? Your consideration of reality as an external creation or an internal construct can influence your metaphysical beliefs and perspectives and your teaching. Regardless of your definition of reality, the exploration and categorization of the physical universe form the foundation of several school subjects.

Epistemology

Epistemology is the branch of philosophy that considers how people come to learn what they know.
Derived from the Greek word episteme, meaning knowledge or understanding, epistemology refers to the nature and origin of knowledge and truth. Epistemology proposes that there are four main bases of knowledge: divine revelation, experience, logic and reason, and intuition. These influence how teaching, learning, and understanding come about in the classroom.

Axiology

Axiology is the branch of philosophy that considers the study of principles and values. These values are divided into two main kinds: ethics and aesthetics. Ethics is the questioning of morals and personal values. Aesthetics is the examination of what is beautiful, enjoyable, or tasteful. In axiology education is more than just about knowledge but also quality of life.

Logic

Logic is the branch of philosophy that seeks to organize reasoning. Students of logic learn how to think in a structurally sound manner. Logic has two types: deductive and inductive reasoning. Deductive reasoning involves examining a general case, deducing a general set of rules or principles, and then applying these rules to specific cases. Inductive reasoning involves taking specific examples and considering the general principles, rules, or cases that caused them.

Metaphysics: Metaphysics is the branch of philosophy that goes beyond the realms of science. It is concerned with answering the questions about identity and the world. The name is derived from the Greek words, Meta which means beyond or after, and Physika which means physics. Aristotle, one of the most well known philosophers, acknowledged Thales as the first known meta physician. The main branches of metaphysics are ontology, natural theology and universal science.

Problems of Metaphysics

There is a basic question about the ultimate substance as to how many substances are required to constitute this world? Here are some theories regarding this:

• Dualism
• Monism
• Materialism
• Spiritualism
• Pluralism

• Epistemology: Epistemology literally means “science of knowledge.”

Defining Epistemology

Epistemology: It deals with the definition of knowledge and its scope and limitations. It translates from Greek to mean ‘theory of knowledge’. It questions the meaning of knowledge, how we obtain knowledge, how much do we know and how do we have this knowledge? Some of the famous epistemologists are Descartes, Kant and Hume.

Problems of Epistemology

• What is the nature of Knowledge?
• What is the nature of the process of knowledge?
• What are the sources of Knowledge? :Rationalism , Empiricism, Intuitionism.
• What is the criteria of determining truth? : The Correspondence Theory of Truth, The Coherence Theory of Truth, The Pragmatic Theory of Truth.

• Ethics : Ethics, also known as moral philosophy, is a branch of philosophy that addresses questions about morality—that is, concepts such as good and evil, right and wrong, virtue and vice, justice, etc.

Defining Ethics

Ethics: It is concerned with questions on morality and values and how they apply to various situations. It can be divided into the branches of meta-ethics, normative and applied ethics. Ethics seeks to understand the basis of morals, how they develop and how they are and should be followed. Famous works on ethics are by philosophers as early as Plato, Aristotle, Kant and Nietzsche.

Problems of Ethics

The central questions raised in this course in ethics are :

(1) What is the nature of the life of excellence?,

(2) What is the ultimate worth of the goals you seek?

(3) What specific courses of conduct, in keeping with these goals, will help lead to the life of excellence?

1. Social Philosophy:

Social Philosophy is one of the main and important branches of Philosophy. It is the thoughtful consideration of human society. It gives insight into the actual activities of human beings in the society.

Defining Social Philosophy

Social philosophy is the study of questions about social behavior and interpretations of society and social institutions in terms of ethical values.

For Bertrand Russell, ‘Social Philosophy seeks the conditions in which all the constructive tendencies of man (such as love and sympathy) Social marriage and education can provide maximum possible opportunities to produce the people who can save the world from future catastrophe.

“Social philosophy studies the interactions and inter-relations that exist among men and their groups”.

Problems of Social Philosophy

Social Philosophy has two main functions namely Critical and Constructive. Social Philosophy studies the most fundamental laws which influence social cohesion, social progress, social change and social disintegration.

• It seeks insight into the causes of social crimes, juvenile delinquency, child labor, honor killing, gender differentiation, injustice, and inequality.
• It tries to find out the root causes of social pathology and suggests the remedies for it.
• It seeks to discover and restore the social bonds that hold the mankind together.
• It defines the social values such as common good, happiness, peace, security, justice, freedom, excellence/beauty, punctuality and discipline.

• Aesthetics:

Aesthetics is the branch of philosophy which is concerned with definition, structure and role of beauty, especially in the art is called aesthetics.

Defining Aesthetics

The term “aesthetic” has been used to designate an experience, the quality of an object, a feeling of pleasure, classicism in art, a judgment of taste, the capacity of perception, a value, an attitude, the theory of art, the doctrine of beauty, a state of the spirit, contemplative receptivity, an emotion, an intention, a way of life, the faculty of sensibility, a branch of philosophy, a type of subjectivity, the merit of certain forms, or an act of expression.

Aesthetics is a branch of philosophy which deals with the nature of art, beauty, and taste, with the creation and appreciation of beauty. It is more scientifically defined as the study of sensory or sensori-emotional values, sometimes called judgments of sentiments and taste. More broadly, scholars in the field define aesthetics as “critical reflection on art, culture and nature.”

What branch of philosophy answers the question of what knowledge is?

Which branch of philosophy is mainly focus on answering questions related to what is real?