Philosophy Test 1
42. Socrates stated
"The unexamined life is not worth living?"
10. Aristotle
Ancient Greek fourth century BCE philosopher from Stageira who was student of Plato, and tutor of Alexander the Great, and the first systematizer of Western philosophy.
15. Nicomachean Ethics
Aristotle's most important work on ethics - originally consisting of ten "books" (scrolls) based on his lecture notes from the Lyceum, which were edited by, and named after, his son Nicomachus.
24. Primary branches of Western Philosophy
Metaphysics, epistemology, logic, ethics, political philosophy, and aesthetics.
25. Cosmology
The study of the order of the world or universe is known as what.
17. Anatman
the Buddhist concept of "no-self."
22. The Universe and Human Nature
two HUGE subjects to philosophers ask questions about
12. Arete
"a settled disposition of the mind determining the choice of actions and emotions, consisting essentially in the observance of the mean relative to us, this being determined by principle, that is, as the prudent man would determine it."
1. Philosophy
"love of wisdom;" the academic discipline that deals primarily with metaphysics, logic, epistemology, ethics, aesthetics, and socio-political theory.
19. Proposition
"the primary bearers of truth-value; the objects of belief and other 'hypothetical attitudes' (i.e., what is believed, doubted, etc.) The referents of that-clauses and the meanings of declarative sentences."
21. Subjective Idealism
George Berkeley's theory that argues only mind and ideas exist
16. Eudaimonia
Greek word meaning, "well-being, happiness, or "human flourishing."
13. Potentiality
In Aristotle's philosophy, anything that "might chance to happen or not to happen."
14. Actuality
In Aristotle's philosophy, anything which "is currently happening."
49. Matters of Fact
In David Hume's philosophy, this is the type of knowledge that can be characterized as arising out of one's interaction with and experience in the external world.
48. Relations of Ideas
In David Hume's philosophy, this is the type of knowledge that can be characterized as arising out of pure conceptual thought and logical operations.
28. Heraclitus
Pre-Socratic philosopher held that everything is in a constant state of flux
30. Gorgias
Sophist philosophers who formulated the following argument, "Nothing exists; if something exists, nothing can be known about it; if something can be known about it, knowledge about it can't be communicated to others. Even if it can be communicated, it cannot be understood."
20. Socratic Method
a "technique of probing questions, for the purpose of prodding, pushing, and provoking unreflective persons into realizing their lack of rational understanding of their own principles of thought and action, so that they can set out on the path to philosophical wisdom."
2. Metaphysics
a branch of philosophy that studies Reality and asks questions about reality.
53. Deduction
a logical method used to demonstrate that one truth claim (or theory) follows validly (necessarily) from one or more other truth claims (or theories.)
45. Nominalism
a metaphysical view according to which general or abstract terms and predicates exist, while universals or abstract objects, which are sometimes thought to correspond to these terms, do not exist.
46. Conceptualism
a metaphysical view that explains universality of particulars as conceptualized frameworks situated within the thinking mind.
47. Realism
a metaphysical view, which holds that metaphysical aspects of reality are ontologically independent from our conceptual schemes, perceptions, linguistic practices, and beliefs.
9. Empiricism
branch of epistemology which holds that knowledge comes from sense-data.
8. Rationalism
branch of epistemology which holds that knowledge comes from the use of rationality and/or innate ideas.
41. Aesthetics
branch of philosophy studies the nature of art and beauty.
7. Aesthetics
branch of philosophy studies the nature of art and beauty.
3. Epistemology
branch of philosophy that deals with knowledge and questions about knowledge, and how we know.
5. Ethics
branch of philosophy that deals with questions about the "good life," virtue, justice, and morality.
4. Logic
branch of philosophy that deals with the use of clear and valid reasoning.
51. John Locke
claimed that, when we are born, our minds are like "blank slates?"
34. The Law of the Excluded Middle
classical law of thought states: "a statement and its contradictory cannot both be true."
31. The Law of Contradiction
classical law of thought states: "for any statement, either it is true or its contradictory is true."
40. Thales
considered the first official Western philosopher (he believed everything to be composed of water)
11. Golden Mean
desirable middle between two extremes (excess and deficiency.)
56. Logos
for the Stoics, the name given for "natural law," a rational principle of order or a norm in accordance with the universe.
18. Eightfold Path
fundamental Buddhist ethical philosophy broken down as: Right View, Right Intentions, Right Speech, Right Action, Right Livelihood, Right effort, Right Consciousness, Right Mindfulness.
54. Induction
is a logical method used to infer generalized rules from a select sample of cases, observations, and/or truth claims.
39. Stoicism
major tenet of this school of Hellenistic philosophy was "control over the passions."
38. Transcendental Idealism
name given to Immanuel Kant's overall philosophy that claims, "We bring innate forms and concepts to the raw experience of the world, which would otherwise be unknowable."
32. Rene Descartes
philosopher set out to lay the groundwork for a new system of knowledge founded upon the presupposition that "I" exists.
55. Unity of Consciousness
phrase was used by Immanuel Kant to describe the notion that the thoughts and perceptions of any given mind are bound together in a unity by being all contained in one consciousness.
37. Atomist
school of Ancient Greek philosophy developed the theory that everything in the universe is composed of an infinity of tiny particles.
33. Epistemology
the branch of philosophy that deals with questions about knowledge.
35. Ethics
the branch of philosophy that deals with questions about the "good life," virtue, justice, and morality.
29. Metaphysics
the branch of philosophy that deals with questions about the nature and structure of reality.
36. Logic
the branch of philosophy that investigates the correct principles of formal reasoning.
26. Rationalism
the classic approach to epistemology which holds that real knowledge can only come through the use of reason or innate ideas
27. Empiricism
the classic approach to epistemology which holds that real knowledge can only come through the use of the five senses?
6. Socio-political philosophy
the study of questions about social behavior and interpretations of society and social institutions in terms of ethical values placing emphasis on understanding the social contexts for political, legal, moral, and cultural questions, and to the development of novel theoretical frameworks, from social ontology to care ethics to cosmopolitan theories of democracy, human rights, gender equity and global justice. The study of topics such as politics, liberty, justice, property, rights, law, and the enforcement of a legal code by authority: what they are, why (or even if) they are needed, what, if anything, makes a government legitimate, what rights and freedoms it should protect and why, what form it should take and why, what the law is, and what duties citizens owe to a legitimate government, if any, and when it may be legitimately overthrown, if ever.
43. Tautology
the term used in logic to describe any statement that is "true by definition," or "true in all possible cases," (aka, a "circular statement?")
52. Nihilism
the term used to describe a type of philosophical view that holds a belief in nothing(ness)... or, that there is no ultimate truth or meaning to anything.
44. Solipsism
what is that philosophy guilty of if/when one's philosophical system concludes, argues, suggests, or implies, that the individual doing the philosophy ("I") is the only person who exists.
