Turing Registry Blog

The 14 Fields of Philosophy: A Topic-Based Taxonomy of 60+ Subfields for Organizing Your Research

October 18, 2024·Updated September 7, 2026
Philosophy

Can you create a taxonomy of philosophy for me to help me organize my research? For example, I am interested in the fields of Ethics, Aesthetics, Identity, and Politics. Please create a taxonomy including fields like this, and break them down into subfields. Organize by topics, not by school or tradition.

Certainly! Here's a taxonomy of philosophy organized by major fields and their subfields, focusing on topics rather than schools or traditions:

  1. Metaphysics
    1.1. Ontology
    1.2. Philosophy of Mind
    1.3. Philosophy of Time
    1.4. Free Will and Determinism
    1.5. Causality
    1.6. Personal Identity
  1. Epistemology
    2.1. Theory of Knowledge
    2.2. Skepticism
    2.3. Justification
    2.4. Rationalism vs. Empiricism
    2.5. Social Epistemology
  1. Ethics
    3.1. Normative Ethics
    3.2. Meta-ethics
    3.3. Applied Ethics
    3.4. Virtue Ethics
    3.5. Bioethics
    3.6. Environmental Ethics
  1. Aesthetics
    4.1. Philosophy of Art
    4.2. Theory of Beauty
    4.3. Aesthetic Experience
    4.4. Aesthetic Judgment
    4.5. Environmental Aesthetics
  1. Logic
    5.1. Formal Logic
    5.2. Informal Logic
    5.3. Mathematical Logic
    5.4. Philosophy of Logic
  1. Philosophy of Science
    6.1. Scientific Method
    6.2. Philosophy of Physics
    6.3. Philosophy of Biology
    6.4. Philosophy of Social Sciences
    6.5. Philosophy of Mathematics
  1. Political Philosophy
    7.1. Social Contract Theory
    7.2. Justice and Rights
    7.3. Democracy and Governance
    7.4. Power and Authority
    7.5. Global Justice
  1. Philosophy of Language
    8.1. Meaning and Reference
    8.2. Speech Acts
    8.3. Pragmatics
    8.4. Philosophy of Linguistics
  1. Philosophy of Religion
    9.1. Arguments for God's Existence
    9.2. Problem of Evil
    9.3. Religious Epistemology
    9.4. Philosophy of Religious Language
  1. Philosophy of Mind
    10.1. Consciousness
    10.2. Artificial Intelligence
    10.3. Philosophy of Cognitive Science
    10.4. Philosophy of Perception
  1. Social and Cultural Philosophy
    11.1. Philosophy of Race
    11.2. Feminist Philosophy
    11.3. Philosophy of Gender
    11.4. Postcolonial Philosophy
  1. Philosophy of Technology
    12.1. Ethics of Technology
    12.2. Philosophy of Artificial Intelligence
    12.3. Philosophy of the Internet
    12.4. Transhumanism
  1. Environmental Philosophy
    13.1. Eco-philosophy
    13.2. Animal Rights
    13.3. Conservation Ethics
    13.4. Sustainability
  1. Philosophy of Education
    14.1. Aims of Education
    14.2. Pedagogy
    14.3. Educational Ethics
    14.4. Philosophy for Children

This taxonomy provides a broad overview of philosophical fields and subfields. It's important to note that many of these areas overlap and intersect, and new subfields continue to emerge as philosophy evolves.