As a way of life, philosophers were those who inquired into the nature of things physical and metaphysical. They asked fundamental questions about Nature, Society, Human Being, etc. Academic philosophy is today divided into several disciplines. Logic studies the nature of reasoning and argument, providing guidance for distinguishing sound from unsound arguments. Metaphysics studies the nature of reality and provides various ways of understanding the possible origin and nature of the universe and other possible types of being.
Epistemology studies the nature of knowledge.
Ethics studies the nature of moral values such as right and wrong , good and evil , and provides guidance for resolving moral questions. Aesthetics studies the nature of aesthetic values such as the beautiful, the sublime and the ugly. Philosophy of religion studies basic issues regarding the nature of religious values and beliefs such as faith, the soul, immortality, the existence of God, etc. Social and Political Philosophy studies human nature and the nature of human societies, political and pre-political, including ideal societies. Philosophy of Science studies the nature of science, scientific claims and methodologies.