MAJALAH AL-HIKMAH EDISI 05 | 2017

Definitions of Philosophy Philosophy is a critical ap- proach to the human life, all objective events and to all scien- tific knowledge, which is the es- sence of all knowledge, sciences and the human life. Here are some definition of philosophy given by famous philosophers : • Philosophy is that which grasps its own era in thought.” — [ Hegel] • Philosophy is an interpreta- tion of the world in order to change it.” — [ Karl Marx] • “… [philosophy] is the ac- quisition of knowledge.” — [Plato] • Philosophy is the science which investigates the nature of being, as it is in itself.— [Aristotle] • Philosophy is a science of sciences.— [Comte] • Philosophy is the science and criticism of cognition.— [Immanuel Kant] Philosophy as a possible third branch at this level). Going by this literal meaning, a philosopher is most of the time and at the most of the place is preoccupied with the search for truth and wisdom. He pays little attention to the conclusions; he searches in cause of his search. His search is endless because the truth is infinite. He wants to keep himself always engaged in this pursuit of truth rather than its possession. ‘What is philoso- phy?’;This question has baffled the philosophers and thinkers from ancient times. Metaphysics Study of Existence What’s out there? Epistemology Study of Knowledge How do I know about it? Ethics Study of Action What should I do? Politics Study of Force What actions are permissible? Esthetics Study of Art What can life be like? Philosophy can be divided into five branches which address the following questions: There is a hierarchical relation- ship between these branches as can be seen in the Concept Chart. At the root is Metaphys- ics, the study of existence and the nature of existence. Closely related is Epistemology, the study of knowledge and how we know about reality and existence. De- pendent on Epistemology is Eth- ics: the study of how man should act. Ethics is dependent on Epis- temology because it is impossible to make choices without knowl- edge. A subset of Ethics is Poli- tics: the study of how men should interact in a proper society and what constitutes proper. Esthet- ics, the study of art and sense of life is slightly separate, but depends on Metaphysics, Episte- mology, and Ethics. A philosophy is a system of theories about reality. It is one’s integrated view of the world. It includes an understanding of the nature of existence, man, and his role in the world. Philosophy is the foundation of knowledge. It is the standard by which ideas are integrated and understood. Philosophy is a necessary product of man’s rational mind. To live, man must gain knowledge of the world. To understand the world, man must form conclusions about its very nature. For instance, to gain knowledge of particular objects, man must recognize that objects have identity. He must recognize that conclusions are possible because the world does Branches of Philosophy Importance of Philosophy AL-HIKMAH.indd 13-14 15/8/2017 1:48:48 PM