Philosophical questions can be grouped into categories.

These groupings allow philosophers to

focus on a set of similar topics and interact with other thinkers who are interested in the same
questions. The groupings also make philosophy easier for students to approach. Students can learn
the basic principles involved in one aspect of the field without being overwhelmed with the entire set
of philosophical theories.

Various sources present different categorical schemes. The categories adopted in this article aim for
breadth and simplicity.

These five major branches can be separated into sub-branches and each sub-branch contains many
specific fields of study.[56]

Metaphysics and epistemology

Value theory
Science, logic and mathematics
History of Western philosophy[57]
Philosophical traditions

These divisions are neither exhaustive, nor mutually exclusive. (A philosopher might specialize
in Kantian epistemology, or Platonic aesthetics, or modern political philosophy.) Furthermore, these
philosophical inquiries sometimes overlap with each other and with other inquiries such as science,
religion or mathematics.[58]

Metaphysics