features and charateristics of modern and medieval era of philosophising

I can think of two things off hand... one was the relationship between philosophy and theology, which often overlapped.. another was the use of the syllogism which was extensive...and this worked toward defining one thing opposed to another.. there was not physics until late, but metaphysics always. Early had plato, and later relied upon the Philosopher Aristotle.

As I recall it, Fido, that is spot on.

Another factor regarding modern philosophy is the departure of "science" from its former label of "natural philosophy". As far as philosophy is concerned, it has been relegated to bewilderment over the epistemological crumbs from the table of scientists to the extent that some philosophers (the pragmatists) have turned their backs on "epistemology" completely.

I can't say I agree... I think science considers epistomology a lot...From my perspective, philosophy as philosophy, while taking account of science is primarily concerned with ethical/moral questions...It does not matter what we know, and it does matter what we mean, and meaning is something we find in each other and together... Put another way... We all already know enough to survive in this world if we do not breed ourselves out of it or destroy what we have to live on... The problems we face are in ourselves and in each other, and there we must act as though we know what is at the end impossible to know, that we are real, that the other is real, and that together we can make some good of it all...

Allow me to point you in the direction of Rorty's celebrated "Philosophy and the Mirror of Nature" for a considered attack of epistemology. But I agree with your placement of "philosophy" in the field of ethics.

I have been poking around in Readings in the Philosophy of Science Edited and collected by Feigle and Broadbeck... Most seems common sense, but it is nice to see it laid out logically... I haven't made great progress in it... have not had it long...