Chapter 1 (Introduction) Flashcards

1
Q

Histography

A

The study of the proper way to write history

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2
Q

Psychology

A

The study of the psyche or mind

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3
Q

Presentism

A

Interpreting and evaluating historical events in terms of contemporary knowledge and standards

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4
Q

Historicism

A

The study of the past for its own sake, without attempting to interpret and evaluate it in terms of current knowledge and standards

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5
Q

Zeitgeist

A

The spirit of the times

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6
Q

Great-person approach

A

Alternate to Zeitgeist, approach to history that concentrates on the most prominent contributor to the topic/field

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7
Q

Historical development approach

A

Approach to history that concentrates on an element of a field and describes how the understanding/ approach to studying that element has changed over time. Contributions from various individuals or events

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8
Q

Eclectic approach

A

Taking the best from a variety of view points, using whatever method seems best to illuminate an aspect of the history

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9
Q

Empirical observation

A

Direct observation of nature or what is being studied to understand it

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10
Q

Science

A

Traditionally the systematic attempt to rationally categorize or explain empirical observation

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11
Q

Science: Popper’s view

A

A way of rigorously testing proposed solutions to problems

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12
Q

Science: Kuhn’s view

A

Paradigms guide research activities of scientists

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13
Q

Science: Feyerabend’s view

A

Impossible to give a generalized conception of Science

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14
Q

Rationalism

A

Philosophical belief that knowledge can be attained only by engaging in some type of mental activity.

Believe the validity or invalidity of certain propositions can often be best determined by carefully applying the rules of logic

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15
Q

Empiricism

A

The belief that the basis of all knowledge is experience.

Empiricism maintains that the source of knowledge is always based on sensory experience.

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16
Q

Scientific theory

A

Traditionally a proposed explanation for a number of empirical observations
Two main functions
1) organizes empirical observations
2) acts as a guide for future observation

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17
Q

Conformable proposition

A

A theory suggests propositions that are tested experimentally; propositions that are capable of validation through empirical tests

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18
Q

Scientific law

A

A consistently observed relationship between classes of empirical events
When x occurs y occurs

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19
Q

Public observation

A

The stipulation that scientific laws must be available for any interested person to observe. Science is interested in general in empirical relationships that are publically verifiable

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20
Q

Correctional laws

A

Laws that specify the systematic relationship among classes of empirical events; don’t need to be casually related

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21
Q

Causal laws

A

Laws describing how events are casually related; they allow for prediction and control and are more powerful
Specify the conditions that sre necessary and sufficient to produce a certain event

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22
Q

Determinism

A

Assumption that what is being studied can be understood in terms of causal laws.

‘for everything that ever happens there are conditions such that given them nothing else could happen’

Assumes that everything that occurs is a function of a finite number of causes and if they were known could predict with complete accuracy
But not all causes need to be known. Assume they exist and more we know the more accurate predictions are

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23
Q

Karl Popper (1902-1994)

A

Saw scientific method as having 3 components: problems, proposed solutions to problems (theories), and criticism of proposed solutions.

Because all scientific theories will be found false, the highest status any theory can obtain is not yet disconfirmed

Principle of Falsifiability and Risky Predictions

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24
Q

Principal of Falsifiability

A

Popper’s contention that for a theory to be considered scientific it must specify the observations that if made would refute that theory

To be considered scientific a theory must make risk predictions
Distinguished scientific from non-scientific

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25
Q

Risky predictions

A

Popper
Predictions derived from a scientific theory that run a real chance of showing the theory to be false

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26
Q

Postdiction

A

An attempt to account for something after it has occurred

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27
Q

Thomas Kuhn (1922-1996)

A

Believed that activities of a scientific community members are governed by a shared set of beliefs called a paradigm

This paradigmatic, or normal Science, continued until an existing paradigm is displaced by another

28
Q

Correspondence theory of truth

A

The belief that scientific laws and theories are correct insofar as they accurately mirror events in the physical world

Notion that the goal when evaluating scientific laws or theories is to determine whether they correspond to an external mind-independent world

Kuhn changed to say Science is highly subjective

29
Q

Paradigm

A

The entire constellation of beliefs, values, techniques, and so on shared by the members of a scientific community

Viewpoint shared by many scientists while exploring the subject matter if their Science

A paradigm determined what constitutes legitimate problems and the methodology used to solve them

30
Q

Normal science

A

Kuhn, the research activities performed by scientists as they explore implications of a paradigm

31
Q

Puzzle solving

A

Kuhn, normal science is like puzzle solving in that the problems worked on are specified by a paradigm, the problems have guaranteed solutions, and certain rules may be followed in arriving at solutions

32
Q

Anomalies

A

Persistent observations that cannot be explained by an existing paradigm, eventually causes one paradigm to displace another

33
Q

Preparadigm stage

A

Kuhn
First stage in development of Science
Defined by warring factions vying to define the subject matter and methodology of a disciple, rival camps or schools compete for disciple dominance

34
Q

Paradigmatic stage

A

Kuhn
State in development of a science during which scientific activity is guided by a paradigm
Normal science is occuring or puzzle solving sctivities

35
Q

Revolutionary stage

A

Kuhn
Stage in development of a science during which an existing paradigm is displaced by a new one
Once displacement is complete, the nre paradigm generates normal science and continues to do so until it too is eventually displaced by a new paradigm

36
Q

Paul Feyerbend (1924-1994)

A

Argued that science cannot be described by a standard set of rules, principles or standards. But said that history shows that scientific progress occurs when individual scientists violate whatever rules, principles or standards existed at that time
Agreed with philosophers of Science that claim that scientist follow no prescribed set of rules, rules must be broken for scientific progress to occur - anarchism helps achieve progress

37
Q

Determinism

A

The belief that everything that occurs does so because of known or knowable causes and that if the causes were known in advance, an event could be predicted with complete accuracy or prevented
Thus, knowledge of an events causes allows the prediction and control of the event

38
Q

Biological determinism

A

Type of determinism that stresses the biochemical, genetic, physiological, or anatomical causes of behaviour

39
Q

Environmental determinism

A

Type of determinism that stresses causes of behaviour that are external to the organism (stimuli)

40
Q

Sociocultural determinism

A

Type of environmental determinism that stresses cultural or societal rules, regulations or expectations as causes of behaviour

41
Q

Physical determinism

A

Type of determinism that stresses material causes of behaviour; accessible and quantifiable

42
Q

Psychical determinism

A

Type of determinism that stresses mental causes of behaviour

43
Q

Indeterminism

A

Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle

The contention that even though determinism is true, attempting to measure the causes of something influenced those causes, making it impossible to know them with certainty

44
Q

Nondeterminism

A

Free will

The belief that human thought or behaviour is freely chosen by the individual and is therefore not caused by antecedent physical or mental events
Because individuals freely choose course of action, they alone are responsible for them

45
Q

Materialists

A

Also called Monists
Those who believe that everything in the universe is material (physical) including those things that others refer to as mental

46
Q

Idealists

A

Those that believe that ultimate reality consists of ideas or perceived ideas, and perceptions and is therefore not physical

47
Q

Dualists

A

Anyone who believed there are two aspects of being human - one physical and one mental
Both physical and mental events; question is how they are related

48
Q

Interactionism

A

a proposed answer to the mind-body problem, maintaining that bodily experiences influence the mind and that the mind influences the body

49
Q

Emergentism

A

the contention that mental processes emerge from brain processes. The interactionist form of emergentism claims that once mental states emerge, they can influence subsequent brain activity and thus behaviour.
The epiphenomenalist form claims that emergent mental states are behaviourally irrelevant.

50
Q

Epiphenomenalism

A

The form of emergentism that states that mental events emerge from brain activity but that mental events are subsequently behaviourally irrelevant

51
Q

Psychophysical Parallelism

A

The contention that experiencing c something in the physical world causes bodily and mental activity simultaneously and that the two types of activities are independent of each other

52
Q

Double Aspectism

A

the belief that bodily and mental events are inseparable because they are two aspects of every experience

53
Q

Preestablished Harmony

A

the belief that bodily events and mental events are separated but correlated because both were designed to run identical courses

54
Q

Occasionalism

A

the belief that the relationship between the mind and the body is mediated by God

55
Q

Mechanism

A

the belief that the behaviour of organisms, including humans, can be explained entirely in terms of mechanical laws

56
Q

Vitalism

A

the belief that life cannot be explained in terms of inanimate processes. For the vitalist, life requires a force that is more than the material objects of inanimate processes in which it manifests itself. For there to be life there must be a vital force present

57
Q

Naive Realism

A

the belief that what one experiences mentally is the same as what is present physically

58
Q

Reification

A

the belief that abstraction for which we have names have an existence independent of their names

59
Q

Irrationalism

A

any explanation of human behaviour stressing determinants that are not under rational control.
E.g., explanations that emphasize the importance of emotions or unconscious mechanisms

60
Q

Nativist

A

anyone who believes that important human attributes such as intelligence are largely inherited

61
Q

Epistemology

A

the study of knowledge, the study of the nature of knowledge
Ask such questions as what can we know, what are the limits of knowledge, how is knowledge attained?

62
Q

Passive Mind

A

a mind that simply reflects cognitively one’s experiences with the physical world.
The empiricists assumes a passive mind

63
Q

Active Mind

A

a mind that transforms, interprets, understands, or values physical experience. The rationalists assume an active mind.

64
Q

Relativism

A

the belief that because all experience must be fileted through individual and group perspectives, the search for universal truths that exist independently of human experience must be in vain/ for the relativist, there is no one truth, only truths

65
Q

Universalism

A

the belief that there are universal truths about ourselves and about the physical world in general that can be discovered by anyone using the proper methods of inquiry