'find ways of doing what.."

[Unregistered]

(1) That is the province of ethics.
What do 'of' in the (1) mean?

(2) The province of politics is to find ways of doing what ought to be done.
Is it possible to use 'find ways doing' instead of 'find ways of doing'?
Is it possible to omit the word 'of'?
What does 'of' function in the phrase 'find ways of doing what...'?


Thanks in advance.

[svartnik]

(1) That is the province of ethics.
What do 'of' in the (1) mean?

(2) The province of politics is to find ways of doing what ought to be done.
Is it possible to use 'find ways doing' instead of 'find ways of doing'?
Is it possible to omit the word 'of'?
What does 'of' function in the phrase 'find ways of doing what...'?


Thanks in advance.

1.of denotes relation of province to ethics.
2. also, find ways to doing
or
find ways to do
or
find ways (by) doing

You cannot so omit 'of' that the meaning remains intact.
functin in 4 is the same as in 1