The subject of philosophy and its subcategories have been widely discussed in the Western and non-Western world, although with different purposes. Philosophy includes many different subfields involving inquiry into our existence. These subfields include epistemology, ethics, logic, metaphysics, philosophy of science, social and political philosophy, and metaphilosophy. Epistemology focuses on the study of knowledge, also known as “theory of knowledge.” Ethics involves the study of moral values ​​and rules, logic; the study of reasoning. Metaphysics is the study of being and knowledge, also known as the principles of reality. The philosophy of science analyzes the nature and results of scientific research. Social and political philosophy tends to cover human behavior. Social philosophy focuses on the study of issues relating to social behavior, usually in humans, and political philosophy focuses on the study of concepts such as freedom, justice, property, rights, law and the application of a legal code by the authority. Metaphilosophy is the study of the nature, aims, and methods of philosophy, more commonly called philosophy of philosophy. The philosophy itself can be interpreted through its Greek origin literally meaning “love of wisdom”. Philosophy aims to explain the why and how of existence. Philosophers attempt to analyze our reality, our behavior, our morality and our rules, all to understand and create structure for our world. We use philosophy to understand our reality. Plato described philosophy as the science of the Idea. Aristotle defined it as the science of the universal essence of what is real or actual. The purpose of philosophy is, simply put, to explain this science and, in doing so, to gain power over our own lives...... middle of paper ...... Stephanie. “The Purpose and Importance of Philosophy.” Associated Content - Associatedcontent.com. April 11, 2006. Web. October 14, 2010. • Shermus, SS “Reflective thinking, critical thinking”. Eric Digest. Indiana University, November 1999. Web. October 14, 2010. • Solomon, R. (2001). “What is philosophy?” The status of world philosophy in the profession. Philosophy East & West, 51(1), 100. Retrieved from Academic Search Premier Database. • Vector, Dick V. “What is the Difference Between Continental and Analytic Philosophy?” Related content. July 9, 2007. the web. October 14. 2010. .