Ethics and politics are above epistemology.
5. Politics (many blood-sucking individuals; surface discussions but tense because of the real issues underneath in 1-3, where people just throw rocks at each other)
4. Ethics (what is right and wrong; sub-surface discussions that influence politics; lots of rock throwing here too)
3. Epistemology (the study of how we know what we know is true; sub-sub surface discussions that influence ethics and politics; mostly people going, “huh?”)
2. Ontology (the study of being and existence; sub-sub-sub-sub. Need I say it again below?)
1. Metaphysics (the study of ultimate reality, what is the nature of reality)
Most people spend their time discussing 5 and sometimes 4. Of course, they cross paths, but the real issues are down in 1, 2, and 3. Everyone has thoughts about 1, 2, and 3, but they are not often discussed. They are controlling everything else though. This post is somebody’s else’s fault for saying epistemology (ethics).