Premise: a statement that will be the backing for a conclusion.
Argument: a set of premises that produce an argument
Validity/Valid Argument: an argument is valid if and only if the premises are all true,with then a true conclusion
Sound: the same as a valid argument, but the premises themselves must be true
Inductive Argument: an argument that is particular but becomes general; often has absolute evidence but produces a weak argument
Deductive Argument: An argument that is general and produces a particular conclusion
Ad Populum: Appealing to majority, typically with emotional appeal
Ad Hominem: Mocking someone to win an argument
Epistomology: study of knowledge
Metaphysics: Theory of Reality; similar to epistomology
Aesthetics: Philosophy of art and beauty
Type: A category, often related to Plato’s work
Token: Member of that category/Type
Learning by Plato’s definition: remembering the forms; recollecting what we knew before existing
Mimesis: Art of Representation
Catharsis: Feeling of emotional release
Infectiousness of Art (by Tolstoy): Individuality, Clearness, Sincerity
Foundationalism: establishing a base of certainty that can support an entire system of knowledge
Methodological doubt: doubt any proposition if there is the slightest reason to do so
Rationalism: knowledge comes from logic and reason
Essence: distinct from the body; perceived from the mind
Tabula Rasa (post Descarte): everyone is a blank slate until the body
Innate ideas: ideas we are born with
Adventitious ideas: ideas that come from outside influence
Self (by Hume): an identity that persists over time
Empiricism: epistemology where we only know things through the senses
Eudaimonia (by Aristotle): flourishing life/happiness
Telos (by Aristotle): end/purpose/goal
Hard Determinism: Determinism that rules out free will; our experience with free will is an illusion
Soft Determinism/Compatibilism: Free will and determinism are compatible with each other so both can be true
Metaphysical Freedoms:
- Pure volitional freedom: ability to create simply by will
- Restricted volitional freedom: the ability to get what one wants
- Mental freedom: the ability to think what one wants
- Ontological freedom: the availability of known alternatives
- Perverse freedom: rejection of anything used to predict behavior
Practical Freedom
- Political Freedom: free to do something (worship, associate, speak)
- Economic Freedom: freedom to trade without government intervention
- Enabling freedom: freedom provided through education
- Freedom from… : freedom from fear, hunger, unemployment, etc.
Chaos Theory: Randomness exists in the world, it’s absolute
Self-Determinism: When we ourselves are the cause of an action, we are free
Morality (by Hume): Praise and Blame, caused by cause and effect
1st Order desire: a desire to do this or that (such as a want for food). Can be effective, where it happens, or ineffective, when it doesn’t happen
2nd Order Desire: A want for a want/desire for a desire (such as a want to want certain foods)
2nd Order Volition: the extent of desire for a 2nd order desire to be true
Nth Desire: the variable for a possible infinite levels of desire/wants
Anguish (by Sartre): Each individual is responsible in every action by reflecting their views upon humanity (such as getting married supports and portrays the approval of monogamy)
Despair (by Sartre): we, as humans, are terrible at predicting the future, and thus in our attempts and failures in life we create purpose
Existentialism: The combination of anguish, despair, and the celebration of being human/human thought
Words Defined: 42
Word Count: 545
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