lesson 1

• etymology (or the study of origin of words) 
• Pythagoras He was the first to use the ancient Greek word φιλόσοφος (philosophos), which means lover of wisdom.
• lover of wisdom. The root words of this word are φιλία (philia), which means love, and σοφία (sophia), which means wisdom. Literally, therefore, philosophy means the love of wisdom
• philia is commonly understood as fraternal love or friendship
• Philia is the longing to know the truth of things, and knowledge of the truth is wisdom
•  the ancient Greek philosopher Socrates claims that "philosophy begins in wonder" (Theaetetus 155c-d)
• the Greek philosopher Aristotle says, For men were first led to study philosophy, as indeed they are today, by wonder. Now he who is perplexed and wonders believes himself to be ignorant . . . they took to philosophy to escape ignorance (Metaphysics 982b).
• philosophy is technically defined as the science that investigates the first and ultimate causes, reasons, or principles of all beings using human reason alone.
• 20th century German philosopher Karl Jaspers defines it as the discipline in which questions are more important than answers because answers themselves will in turn become questions
• Philosophy has four major branches, namely, logic, metaphysics, epistemology, and axiology
• Logic is the study of correct and valid reasoning. The term comes from the Greek word λόγος (logos), which can mean reason, word, discourse, or truth
• Metaphysics is the study of things beyond the physical. The term comes from the Greek words μετα- (meta-), a prefix which means beyond, and φύσις (physis), which means nature. 
• Ontology is the study or science of being. The term comes from the Greek words ὄντως (ontos), meaning being, and λόγος (logos), meaning discourse or study
• Theodicy or natural theology is the special branch of metaphysics broadly defined as the study of God's being.
• if God exists, what is he like? What is his nature? How can we rationally prove that he exists?" The term was coined by the 18th century German philosopher Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz in his 1710 book
• , theodicy is the justification of God's goodness in the face of evil's existence in the world. The etymology of the word theodicy explains this definition. It comes from the Greek words θεος (theos), meaning god or deity, and δίκη (dike), meaning right or justice.
• Rational psychology is the special branch of metaphysics that studies the soul. The term psychology comes from the Greek words ψυχή (psyche), meaning soul or mind, and λόγος (logos), meaning discourse or study. It investigates the nature of the soul as a component of human essence. 
• Metaphysics has a general branch called ontology and three special branches, namely, theodicy, rational psychology, and cosmology.
• Cosmology is the special branch of metaphysics that studies the world or universe. The term comes from the Greek words κόσμος (kosmos), meaning world or universe, and λόγος (logos), meaning discourse or study.
• Epistemology is another major branch of philosophy defined as the study of knowledge. It comes from the Greek words ἐπιστήμη (episteme), meaning knowledge, and λόγος (logos), meaning discourse or study. This branch investigates the nature and scope of human knowledge.
• The last major branch of philosophy is axiology. It is the philosophical study of value. The term comes from the Greek words ἀξίᾱ (axia), meaning value or worth, and λόγος (logos), meaning discourse or study. 
• Ethics is the study of the morality of human actions. The term comes from the Greek word ἦθος (ethos) which means custom or habit.
• Aesthetics is the study of beauty. It comes from the Greek word αἰσθητικός (aisthetikos), meaning sentient or pertaining to sense perception. Beauty is something that humans value (hence aesthetics is a branch of axiology). We attach beauty to things like art for instance. Aesthetics raises questions about the nature of beauty such as whether beauty objectively exists independent of individual perception, or simply dependent on individual perception. 
•  two things that make philosophy relevant. 

  First, by teaching us how to think philosophically Second, by making us independent thinkers
•  ethics is defined as a practical science that studies the morality of human actions, conduct and behavior. 
• Morality pertains to standards of right and wrong as well as values of good and bad that are attributed to people's actions or behavior.
• Ethics has four sub-branches namely, meta  ethics, descriptive ethics, normative ethics, and applied ethics
• Meta-ethics is the study of the foundation and meaning of ethical concepts and principles. It seeks to understand and analyze the nature and origin of these concepts and principles 
• Descriptive ethics, also called comparative ethics, is the study of how people acquire the moral beliefs, values, and practices that they have. 
• Normative ethics is the study of moral standards or principles that guide right conduct. It seeks to explain the moral justifiability of actions according to established moral principles. 
• Applied ethics involves the application of ethical or moral theories for the purpose of deciding which actions are appropriate in various contexts. This branch is concerned with resolving moral issues in practical fields such as biomedicine, business, computer and information technology, etc.