The Dean's Opinion (OPEN) on Monday, October 27, 2025 this time raised the title Philosophy as the Mother of Science. Philosophy has long been positioned as the mother of science because of its very important role in giving birth to and developing various other disciplines. Philosophy has become the foundation for various sciences, including religious sciences, natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities.
According to Aristotle, philosophy is divided into two main branches, namely theoretical philosophy (theoretics) and practical philosophy (praktika). Theoretical philosophy includes logic, physics, and metaphysics, which aim to understand the nature of reality and the basic principles of science.
In the context of philosophy of science, there are three main branches, namely ontology, epistemology, and axiology. These three branches are very important in understanding the nature of science and its application in various fields.
First, ontology discusses the nature of existence or reality, which is the study of what exists and how something exists. Second, epistemology examines the sources, methods, and truth of knowledge, which is learning about how we obtain knowledge and how we know that knowledge is true. Third, axiology examines the value and usefulness of science, which studies how science can be used to improve the quality of human life and society.
In this context, we need to understand that philosophy is not only a stand-alone science, but also a method of thinking that can be used in various fields of science.
Philosophy at the Faculty of Ushuludin and Adab
The Faculty of Ushuluddin and Adab of Sultan Maulana Hasanuddin State Islamic University Banten has offered 6 study programs related to philosophy, namely Aqidah and Islamic Philosophy, Qur'anic Science and Tafsir, Hadith Science, History of Islamic Civilization, Arabic Language and Literature, and Islamic Library and Information Science. These study programs are focused on Islamic studies that can help students understand philosophical concepts and their applications in various fields of science, including ontology, epistemology, and axiology, which are based on authoritative sources of Islam, namely the Qur'an, hadith, and turots.
Thus, we can understand that philosophy in Islamic studies is a parent science that is very important in developing science and technology for human civilization and the Islamic world. In Indonesia, we as religious beings need to continue to study and develop philosophy as a parent of science that can help us understand the nature of reality and improve the quality of life of Indonesian humans as a whole that cannot be separated from the foundation of Islamic studies.
