Philosophy: Origins, Branches and Core Concepts

Filosofía: Definition

Filosofía Definition: Etymologically, the word philosophy comes from the Greek terms philia (friendship, love) and sophia (wisdom). In Spanish this is often paraphrased as <amor a la sabiduría>. Philosophy is a continuous, rational, and radical questioning; it is the persistent search for wisdom and understanding.

Philosophy vs. Myth, Religion, and Science

Delimitation of philosophy against other camps: myth, religion, science:

1. Of course, the questions that occupy philosophy did not originate in Greece; nor was it only in Greece that human beings became rational. Philosophical questioning has antecedents in many cultures.
2. There are various modes to comprehend the world:
   • Myths: intended to explain what exists through narratives transmitted by tradition.
   • Religion: also claims to explain reality, but typically does so on the basis of faith and the supposed word or revelation of a god.
   • Philosophy: attempts a rational and universal understanding of the world, engaging with myths and religious conceptions to clarify and systematize them.
   • Science: isolates a portion of reality and focuses on it empirically and methodically; it centers on observable, testable aspects of nature.

Branches of Filosofía

Branches of filosfia -

• Physics: From Greek physis = nature. It studies natural reality. Historically, natural philosophy (physics) was a part of philosophy until the 17th century.
• Metaphysics: Metaphysics has two main aspects:
  • Ontology (from Greek &lt;on&gt;, being): the study of the principles, causes, properties, and types of beings, including questions about existence and the nature of entities.
  • Theology: the rational study of a very special being attributed with particular characteristics—God (from Greek &lt;theos&gt;).
• Reason / Philosophy of Mind: The rational study of the human being. It is a holistic discipline that seeks to understand humans in their natural and cultural dimensions.
• Psychology (philosophical): The rational study of the soul (psyche in Greek). This is why Aristotle's philosophical treatise De Anima (On the Soul) is closely connected to biological studies.
• Theory of Knowledge (Gnoseología): From the Greek gnosis (knowledge). It studies the nature, scope, and limits of human knowledge.
• Epistemology: From Greek episteme (science, knowledge). Epistemology is the branch that examines scientific knowledge, its methods, justification, and claims.
• Ethics (Moral Philosophy): Concerns values, norms, and our behavior; it helps us decide what is right or wrong and guides moral action.
• Political Philosophy: From Greek politikós (of the citizen) and polis (city-state). It studies how society should be organized, how rights and duties should be distributed, and access to property and resources.
• Aesthetics: From Greek aisthesis (sensation). It is the rational reflection on beauty, art, and the identification of art with the production of beautiful works.