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Philosophy and its evolution into separate disciplines
Philosophy can be translated from Greek as the 'love of wisdom', and its original purpose was to educate people on many different academic concepts as it dealt with all forms of knowledge. In the 19th century, the study of philosophy grew popular in new research universities, and as the disciplines became increasingly separate, philosophy also specialised. This meant that subjects such as psychology, sociology, linguistics and economics that were once studied exclusively by philosophers became subjects in their own right.

Philosophy and Science

 * Nowadays, many scientists view philosophy as a totally unrelated discipline, with little to offer to the scientific method. Philosophy is thought to have an abstract, theoretical approach whereas science is based on empirical evidence. 'If the scientists were consulted, the majority of them would regard philosophy as one of the least important departments' (Frank 1957:xii).
 * However, many of the original philosophical theories were grounded in scientific thought, and many philosophers have contributed to important scientific discoveries.
 * The branch of philosophy which was especially concerned with science was known as natural philosophy.
 * Aristotle was one of the founding figures of natural philosophy, and his influence on biology and physical science was apparent for many centuries.
 * There are also scientific discoveries by famous philosophers which remain accurate and relevant in the present day. For example, Descartes created the Cartesian coordinate system which is still used in Maths. Additionally, Sir Isaac Newton, who came up with the laws of motion, had strong links to philosophy and during his life was viewed as a natural philosopher.
 * Although science has clearly developed into its own discipline, and most scientists and philosophers now research independently of each other, there is an argument that the links between science and philosophy remain strong. Firstly, the theoretical approach favoured in philosophy is often useful in science. There are also areas of study where the two are more directly linked such as metaphysics and the philosophy of science.