Philosophy Wiki

A connected reference for exploring the history and core questions of philosophy. Navigate by branch, by thinker, or by concept — every entry links outward.

Branches of Philosophy

Epistemology — the study of knowledge and justified belief
Metaphysics — the study of reality, being, and existence
Ethics — the study of morality and how to live well
Logic — the study of valid reasoning and argument
Aesthetics — the study of beauty, art, and taste
Political Philosophy — the study of justice, authority, and society

Key Philosophers

Philosopher	Era	Known For
Socrates	Classical Greek	Dialectic method, the examined life
Plato	Classical Greek	The Forms, the ideal state
Aristotle	Classical Greek	Logic, Virtue Ethics, empiricism
Descartes	Early Modern	Cogito, mind-body dualism
Hume	Enlightenment	Empiricism, skepticism, causation
Locke	Enlightenment	Natural rights, tabula rasa
Rousseau	Enlightenment	Social Contract, general will
Kant	Late Enlightenment	Categorical Imperative, critique of reason
Hegel	German Idealism	Dialectics, Absolute Spirit
Marx	19th Century	Historical materialism, class struggle
Nietzsche	19th Century	Will to power, eternal return
Wittgenstein	20th Century	Language games, picture theory

Core Concepts

The Forms — Plato's theory of abstract perfect universals
Allegory of the Cave — Plato's metaphor for enlightenment and illusion
Categorical Imperative — Kant's supreme principle of morality
Social Contract — the basis of political legitimacy
Dialectics — the logic of contradiction and synthesis
Existentialism — philosophy of freedom and authentic existence
Phenomenology — the study of structures of lived experience
Utilitarianism — maximize the greatest good for the greatest number
Virtue Ethics — character as the foundation of moral life
Free Will — the question of whether choices are genuinely free
Consciousness — the hard problem of subjective experience