The Elements of Philosophy

Philosophy is the study of questions related to existence, knowledge, mind, values, reason and language. The discipline is broadly classified into four major branches, namely, ethics, epistemology, metaphysics and logic. Ethics deals with the moral values, good and bad conduct, and ideas of good and evil. Epistemology focuses on the nature and sources of knowledge like intuition and memory. Metaphysics studies the various features of reality such as time, existence and objects. The rules of inference are studied under the subject of logic. These rules help in the derivation of conclusions from true premises. The subject of philosophy makes use of numerous methods such as rational arguments, critical discussion, questioning and systematic presentation. This book attempts to understand the multiple branches that fall under the discipline of philosophy and how such concepts have practical applications. It aims to shed light on some of the unexplored aspects of philosophy. Coherent flow of topics, student-friendly language and extensive use of examples make this book an invaluable source of knowledge.