Philosophy is a metasystematic activity
While philosophical reflection and contemplation might begin in consideration of something ordinary and commonplace and be an inescapable part of human experience, it is a special kind of activity. When someone acts in a moral way or does something good, that person is not doing philosophy. But when that same person asks about what it means to be moral or immoral, what principles ought she use to guide her decisions and actions, that person is disengaged from action and has entered into reflection. The same applies to assessing the cogency of a piece of literary criticism or examining the principles of scientific inquiry. In this way philosophy steps outside the realm of everyday activities to examine them rationally — philosophy is a metasystematic activity whose special province is to objectify and reflect on principles and values, to seek their foundations and to examine their applications to living and doing well. The principal branches of philosophy are metaphysics, epistemology, and ethics.