Introduction to Philosophy Essay

Introduction to Philosophy

“Philosophy is a training guide for your mind, showing you how to think in clear, analytic, and powerful ways” (Chaffee, 2013, p. 5). Philosophy is what makes people think more in depth about everything around them such as life, people, and other various issues that arise., some people may call it critical thinking. Studying philosophy will allow one to gain personal growth and become more aware of what is going on their lives and how to face those questions that people ask themselves. Understanding that there are two sides to everything and understanding that you have to look at both sides reasonably will change your outlook to any situation. No matter what you are doing in your life whether it’s religion, going to school, or deciding where to live, philosophy has an influence in everything you do.

The major branches of philosophy are metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, political and social philosophy, aesthetics, and logic. Metaphysics is the study of characteristics of reality. This is the branch where you would ask questions about religion and what it means to you. Next, epistemology is the study of knowledge where truth is questioned and the things that we know. Ethics is your moral values and the principals that you live by. This is the everyday philosophy that people use. Political and social philosophy is studying social values and the political ways of the government. This is when people ask if there is justice in the justice system and if the government is doing what they say they are doing. Studying the beauty and art is what you would use aesthetics for. Logic is where you use the rules of clear understanding and valid arguments.