Philosophy

Philosophy is derived from the Ancient Greek word φιλοσοφία (philosophía), which comes from φίλος (phílos) and σοφία (sophía), meaning friend/lover and wisdom respectively.

Western analytic Philosophy has its origins in Ancient Greece, and in this tradition the task, or activity, of philosophy is one of categorizing and analyzing Human concepts and ideas about ourselves and the world. This of course, makes philosophy an overwhelmingly broad subject, encompassing every aspect of human experience and endeavor.

Broadly speaking however, there are a number of topics one would expect to fall under the title Philosophy:

• Logic: The analysis of terms, propositions and the principles of reasoning
• Metaphysics: The analysis of concepts which transcend physical science, including the Philosophy of mind.
• Epistemology: The analysis of the nature of knowledge, how we know, and what we can and cannot know.
• Ethics: The analysis of the nature of morality and morals, how and why we determine right from wrong.
• Political Philosophy: The analysis of the nature of the human public sphere, which one may consider the ethics of the way society is arranged.
• Philosophy of Science: The analysis of scientific concepts and methodology, which concerns itself mostly with the foundations of science, and interdisciplinary areas.
• Aesthetics: The analysis of the nature and experience of art and beauty.

There are very many more topics of philosophy, both beyond those outlined above, and within them.