THE 14 MAIN PHILOSOPHICAL DISCIPLINES AND WHAT THEY STUDY - PHILOSOPHY - 2025

The philosophical disciplines are each and every one of the branches of study that are responsible for analyzing a specific problem or part of the all studied philosophy, which is nothing but another finding answers to the main questions of the human being.

Some of these questions are as decisive as its existence, its reason for being, morality, knowledge and many other transcendental topics, always analyzed from a rational perspective.

This rational gaze distances philosophy from religion, mysticism or esotericism, where arguments of authority abound over reason. Also, and although philosophy is often spoken of as a science, it is not such, since its studies are not empirical (based on experience).

In this way, Bertrand Russell could be quoted who affirms that “philosophy is something intermediate between theology and science.

Like theology, it consists of speculations on subjects in which until now the knowledge has not been able to reach; but like science, it appeals to human reason instead of authority ”.

Main philosophical disciplines

1- Logic

Bertrand Russell is one of the main referents of the philosophy of logic. Bassano Ltd / Public domain

Logic, although it is a formal and non-empirical science, is also considered a fundamental discipline of Philosophy. The term comes from the Greek Lógos, which means thought, idea, argument, principle or reason.

Logic is, then, the science that studies ideas, therefore, it is based on inferences, which is nothing other than conclusions from certain premises. These inferences may or may not be valid, and it is logic that allows us to differentiate one from the other based on their structure.

Inferences can be divided into three groups: inductions, deductions, and abductions.

Starting in the 20th century, Logic has been associated almost exclusively with mathematics, giving rise to the so-called "Mathematical Logic" applied to problem solving and calculations and being widely applied in the field of computing.

2- Ontology

Parmenides of Elea was one of the first to propose an ontological characterization of nature.

Ontology is in charge of studying which entities exist (or not) beyond mere appearances. Ontology comes from the Greek "Onthos" which means to be, so Ontology analyzes the being itself, its principles and the different kinds of entities that may exist.

According to some scholars, Ontology is considered part of Metaphysics, which studies knowledge in its ontological sphere regarding the subject and the more general relationships between subjects.

Metaphysics studies the structure of nature to achieve a greater empirical understanding of the world. Try to answer questions like What is being? What is there? why is there something and rather than nothing?

Maybe you might be interested in the 50 best books on metaphysics.

3- Ethics

Portrait of Kant, one of the leading scholars of ethics. Source: nach Veit Hans Schnorr, via Wikimedia Commons.

Ethics is the philosophical discipline that studies morality, the principles, foundations and elements of moral judgments. It is derived from the Greek "Ethikos" which means character.

Ethics, therefore, analyzes, defines and differentiates what is good and what is bad, what is mandatory or permitted regarding human action. Ultimately, it determines how the members of a society should act.

An ethical sentence is nothing other than a moral judgment. It does not impose penalties but it is a fundamental part in the drafting of legal regulations in a State of law. That is why Ethics is commonly understood as the set of norms that direct human behavior within a group, community or society.

About Ethics is, perhaps, what philosophers and various authors have written the most over time, especially because the dilemma of what is good is posed, from the perspective of whom, in what situation and many others. questions.

In this sense, the German philosopher Immmanuel Kant was the one who wrote the most on the subject, trying to give sufficient explanation to issues such as moral limits and freedom.

4- Aesthetics

Plato established many concepts of aesthetics in his work 'The Republic'. Source: Glyptothek, via Wikimedia Commons.

Aesthetics is the philosophical discipline that studies beauty; the conditions that make someone or something look beautiful or not. It is also called Theory or Philosophy of Art, as it studies and reflects on art and its qualities.

The term comes from the Greek "Aisthetikê" which means perception or sensation. Already from this first approximation, Aesthetics - like Ethics - falls into the field of subjectivity, because the study of beauty also implies the study of aesthetic experiences and judgments.

Is beauty objectively present in things or does it depend on the gaze of the individual who qualifies it? What is beautiful, from the perspective of whom, in what place or historical moment, are questions that make “the beautiful” cannot be determined sharply.

Although the concept of beauty and harmony have been present throughout history and has been the subject of study of many philosophers from Plato onwards, the term "Aesthetics" was only coined in the middle of the 18th century, thanks to the German philosopher Alexander Gottlieb Baumgarten, who brought together all the material on the subject.

5- Epistemology

Karl Popper is the main representative of scientific logic. Source: Lucinda Douglas-Menzies link

The word Epistemology comes from the Greek "Episteme" which means knowledge. Therefore, Epistemology is the study of knowledge, dealing with the historical, psychological and sociological facts that lead to obtaining scientific knowledge, as well as the judgments by which they are validated or rejected. It is also known as the Philosophy of Science.

Epistemology studies the different types of possible knowledge, their degrees of veracity and the relationship between the subject who knows and the known object. It deals with the contents of thought, but also with its meaning.

Until the middle of the last century, Epistemology was considered a chapter of Gnoseology (also called Theory of Knowledge), since by then the ethical, semantic or axiological problems had not yet come into conflict in scientific research.

Now Epistemology has gained importance not only within philosophy itself, but also in the conceptual and professional area within the sciences.

6- Gnoseology

Thomas Hobbes was one of the representatives of empiricism and gnoseology. Source: John Michael Wright

The term comes from "Gnosis", which in Greek means knowledge, that is why it is also defined as Theory of Knowledge. Gnoseology studies the origin of knowledge in general, as well as its nature, foundations, scope and limitations.

Basically, the difference between Gnoseology and Epistemology is based on the fact that the latter is specifically dedicated to the study of scientific knowledge, while Gnoseology is a broader term. In part, the confusion of terms may be due to the fact that, in the English language, the word "Epistemology" is used to define Gnoseology.

Gnoseology also studies phenomena, experience and their different types (perception, memory, thought, imagination, etc.). This is why it can also be said that Phenomenology is a philosophical branch derived from Gnoseology.

Gnoseology basically raises three premises: “know what”, “know how” and properly “know”.

On the subject of knowledge, most of the philosophical thought surrounds and they do it from different conceptions or angles, depending on the historical moment and the predominant philosophers in each one, so it is worth briefly describing each of these doctrines or positions:

1. Dogmatism. Man acquires universal knowledge that is absolute and universal. Known things as they are.
2. Skepticism. He opposes dogmatism and argues that firm and secure knowledge is not possible.
3. Criticism. It is an intermediate position between dogmatism and skepticism. It states that knowledge is possible, but does not accept that, in itself, this knowledge is final. All truth is open to criticism.
4. Empiricism. Knowledge lies in the intelligible reality in consciousness. Experience is the foundation of knowledge.
5. Rationalism. Knowledge lies in reason. It comes out of consciousness to enter the evidence.
6. Realism. Things exist regardless of the consciousness or reason of the subject. In fact, it poses knowledge as an exact reproduction of reality.
7. Gnoseological Idealism. He does not deny the existence of the outside world, but he argues that it cannot be known through immediate perception. The known is not the world, but a representation of it.
8. Relativism. Defended by the sophists, he denies the existence of an absolute truth. Each individual has his own reality.
9. Perspectivism. It states that there is an absolute truth, but that it is much greater than what each individual can appreciate. Each one has a small part.
10. Constructivism. Reality is an invention of the one who builds it.

7- Axiology

Max Scheler, promoter of this philosophical current. Source: Wikipedia Commons

Axiology is the philosophical discipline that studies values. Although the concept of value was the subject of deep reflections by ancient philosophers, the term as such was used for the first time in 1902 and it was from the second half of the 19th century that Axiology as a discipline began to be formally studied.

Axiology tries to distinguish "being" from "worth." Commonly value in being was included and both were measured by the same yardstick. Axiology began to study values ​​in isolation, both positive and negative (antivalues).

Now, the study of values ​​presupposes evaluative judgments, with which, again, subjectivity is presented, the personal appreciation of the subject who studies the value of the object and which is given by its moral, ethical and aesthetic concepts, its experience, your religious beliefs, etc.

Values ​​can be divided into objective or subjective, permanent or dynamic, they can also be categorized according to their importance or hierarchy (which is called "value scale"). As a philosophical discipline, Axiology is closely linked to ethics and aesthetics.

8- Philosophical Anthropology

Helmuth Plessner, one of the most representative figures in philosophical anthropology. Unknown author / Public domain

Philosophical Anthropology focuses on the study of man himself as an object and at the same time as a subject of philosophical knowledge.

Kant, in his "logic", is credited with the conception of anthropology as a primary philosophy, when his questions "What can I know?" (epistemology), "what should I do?" (ethics) and "what can I expect?" (religion) all refer to a great question: "what is man?"

Philosophical anthropology differs from Ontology in that it studies "being" in its essence of being, while anthropology analyzes the most differential and personal of being, which determines the rational and spiritual condition of man.

9- Policy

Karl Marx. Wikimedia commons

The philosophical discipline of politics is in charge of answering the fundamental questions about governments and their derived concepts such as laws, power, justice, property, types of governments, etc.

It is closely linked to philosophical sub-disciplines such as Law and Economics and has a strong link with ethics.

Some of the philosophers who developed this discipline were John Locke, Karl Marx, Jacques Rousseau or John Stuart Mill.

10- Science

Nicolás Oresme. Source:

The philosophy of science is the discipline that focuses on scientific knowledge and how it is developed, applied or evaluated in society. It is an empirical discipline, but with a strong ethical load when formulating and using science.

Some of the most prominent figures in this discipline are Plato, Galilei, Tomás de Aquino, Averroes and Nicolás de Oresme.

11- Religion

Saint Thomas of Aquino.

Discipline in charge of moderating the discussions about the concepts that concern religion, spirituality and their traditions. An exercise in reflection on man and his existence, the hereafter, God or good and evil.

Some of its main representatives are Jesus Christ, Confucius, Saint Thomas Aquinas, Vasubandhu or Friedrich Nietzsche.

12- Nature

Plato and Socrates, student and teacher and two philosophers of nature.

This discipline focuses on natural phenomena and is currently what is known as physics. Movement, density, the cosmos or compositions are some of the fronts covered by what is also known as natural philosophy.

Plato, Socrates, Aristotle or Thales of Miletus were the pioneers in this ancient philosophical discipline.

13- Mind

Rene Descartes. Via wikimedia commons.

Also known as philosophy of the spirit, this discipline focuses on perceptions, fantasies, feelings, beliefs, dreams and other mental functions and their relationship with the body.

There are many sciences that go hand in hand with this philosophical trend, such as neurobiology, psychology, computer science or linguistics. Among the referents of the philosophy of mind we can highlight John Searle, René Descartes or Immanuel Kant.

14- Language

Wilhelm von Humboldt. Lithographie von Franz Krüger (http://www.sammlungen.hu-berlin.de/dokumente/6012/) / Public domain

The philosophy of language focuses on the analysis of meaning, the reference of language and possible conclusions. It differs from linguistics in that this discipline uses non-empirical methods.

Some of its main references are Mikhail Bakhtin, Gottlob Frege, Wilhelm von Humboldt, Bertrand Russell or John Langshaw Austin.

References

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4. Research Methodology I. (1988). Topic: Knowledge and Science (1st Part) Recovered from ceavirtual.ceauniversidad.com.
5. Immanuel Kant, CR Panadero and RR Aramayo (1988). Ethics lessons. Barcelona: Criticism.
6. AG Baumgarten (1936) Aesthetica. Recovered from philpapers.org.
7. P. Thullier (1993). Philosophy of human and social sciences. Ed. Fontamara, Mexico.
8. Bohuslaw BLAŽEK (1979) Dialectic. Can Epistemology as a Philosophical Discipline Develop into a Science? Recovered from Wiley Online Library.
9. Risieri Frondizi. (1997) What are values? Recovered from thoughtpenal.com.ar.
10. Tugendhat, Ernst (1997). Anthropology as a first philosophy. Recovered from idus.us.es.