Britannica Sources used in this answer

Which major branches are included in Western philosophy?

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Painting by Joseph Aubert of Saint Thomas Aquinas seated with a book, wearing a halo and black and white robes, surrounded by ornate patterns in St. Stephens Church, Jerusalem. — Western philosophy Painting of scholastic philosopher St. Thomas of Aquinas by Joseph Aubert, 1900.

Western philosophy is a broad discipline encompassing numerous specialized fields of inquiry. While it is often categorized into four foundational branches—epistemology, metaphysics, logic, and ethics—the field includes many other significant areas of study.1

According to the Britannica framework, the major branches of Western philosophy include:

Aesthetics: The study of beauty, taste, and the nature of art.23
Epistemology: The study of the nature, origin, and limits of human knowledge.12
Ethics: The study of moral goodness, right and wrong, and human values.24
Metaphysics: The study of the fundamental character and content of reality.25
Logic: The study of the elements and limits of proper reasoning.26
Philosophy of language: The study of the conceptual nature of communication and the relationship between language and the world.2
Philosophy of law: The study of law in relation to human values and communities.2
Philosophy of mathematics: The study of mathematical objects and the meaning of mathematical statements.2
Philosophy of mind: The study of thought, mental phenomena, and their relation to the physical world.2
Philosophy of religion: The study of religious attitudes and their objects.2
Philosophy of science: The study of the methodologies, theories, and laws of science.2
Political philosophy: The study of fundamental concepts and theories within political perspectives.2