Philosophy Books

Philosophy is the search for wisdom. While in the world of today, science addresses the "how" of reality, philosophy attempts to answer the deeper question of "why". As such, the study of philosophy deals with questions such as human nature and the nature of reality. It also extends into systems of belief, culture, morals and even knowledge itself. The main branches of philosophy are:

Religions are philosophical systems that use mythical stories to address these themes, but not all philosophies are religions. The main different is that religions were developed before the use of rational methods of inquiry. Later philosophical systems such as those defined by Aristotle or Plato use ever more sophisicated logical ways to search for understanding.

While philosophy is based upon rational thinking and logial argument, it is clear that there is not one single school of thought that is seen as 'the' correct way of understanding. With much disagreement regarding key features of what we see around us, it's no surprise that many approaches have evolved. Issues of today can enter the public arena through popular movements (both political and social), religous belief or other ideological motifs that arise from cultural interaction. Many of these systems have been the starting points for specific scientific explorations, which in turn have led to the rise of our modern world. At its core however, philosophy still attempts to understand the areas that science as of yet cannot probe.