What is the difference between psychology and philosophy?

Both psychology and philosophy are words originating from the Greek language. The word philosophy translates to “love of wisdom”. Philosophers study the essential, important, and underlying issues associated with items such as knowledge, reason, values, and existence. One of the best known philosophical questions is “What is the meaning of life?” The word psychology translates to “the study of human spirit”.

Psychologists study the mental processes used by the human mind including both conscious and unconscious feelings, and the human behavior that results from those feelings. Another important difference is the methods used by each discipline to answer questions. Philosophy studies will generally never result in a single, correct answer. Psychology uses scientific methods that test hypothesis and produce concrete results.

Both psychology and philosophy are two branches of the same tree. They tend to concentrate on people and life but the part each focuses on is different. Psychology is derived from the Greek word 'psychologia', which translates to 'the study of the human spirit'. Psychology is basically the study of human behavior and the human mind. It incorporates the use of both conscious and unconscious experiences and also interactions between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Psychology is an applied science.

Philosophy, on the other hand, literally means 'the love of wisdom'. It is the study of general and fundamental problems that concern concrete matters such as values, existence, knowledge, reason, and language. It includes questions, critical evaluations, and debating. It is an abstract science and tends to be rhetorical at times.