Chapter 5 Practice Quiz Flashcards
What is British empiricism?
British empiricism is an epistemological philosophy emphasizing sensory experience as the primary source of knowledge.
Who are some notable British empiricists?
John Locke, George Berkeley, and David Hume.
What is Thomas Hobbes known for?
Thomas Hobbes is known for his significant contributions to political philosophy and empiricist thought.
What is Hobbes’ view on the source of knowledge?
Hobbes emphasized the significance of sensory experience as the sole source of knowledge and rejected the concept of innate ideas.
What is Hobbes’ view on the existence of a nonmaterial mind?
Hobbes was a materialist and denied the existence of a nonmaterial mind.
How did Hobbes explain psychological phenomena such as attention and memory?
Hobbes attributed attention to the retention of motion by sense organs and explained memory through the decay of sense impressions over time.
What motivated human behavior according to Hobbes?
Human behavior was motivated by both appetite (seeking or maintaining pleasurable experiences) and aversion (avoidance or termination of painful experiences).
What was Hobbes’ view on free will?
Hobbes denied the existence of free will and defined will as the prevailing action tendency in the face of competing appetites and aversions.
How did Hobbes explain the coherence of thought processes?
Hobbes posited the concept of association, proposing that events experienced together are remembered and thought of together.
What is a recommended approach to reading Hobbes’ major work, Leviathan?
It is recommended to become adapted to the syntax and vocabulary of Hobbes’ time, as he uses words like ‘fancy’ as a synonym for an idea or notion.
What is physical monism?
Physical monism is the idea that everything that exists has a concrete physical basis and that there is no nonphysical mental world.
Who is John Locke?
John Locke was a prominent English philosopher and physician, best known for his contributions to empiricism and liberalism.
What is empiricism?
Empiricism is the belief that all knowledge arises from sensory experience.
What is the mind-body distinction according to Locke?
Locke accepted a mind-body dualism, acknowledging the separation between the physical and the mental.
What did Locke believe about innate ideas?
Locke strongly opposed the notion of innate ideas, asserting that humans are not born with any innate ideas.
What are the two sources of ideas according to Locke?
The two sources of ideas according to Locke are sensation and reflection.
What is the difference between simple and complex ideas?
Simple ideas are indivisible and directly derived from sensory experiences, while complex ideas are combinations of simple ideas formed through mental operations.
What are the fundamental human emotions according to Locke?
The fundamental human emotions according to Locke are love, desire, joy, hatred, sorrow, anger, fear, despair, envy, shame, and hope.
What is the distinction between primary and secondary qualities?
Primary qualities correspond to physical attributes and produce ideas that accurately reflect the physical world, while secondary qualities produce ideas that do not correspond directly to physical attributes.
What did Locke believe about the acquisition of knowledge?
Locke emphasized the role of both active reflection and associative learning in the acquisition of knowledge.
What did Locke emphasize in his work on education?
The importance of experiential learning and nurture.
What approach to education did Locke advocate for?
A balanced approach, stressing health, moderation, praise, and avoiding excessive punishment.
What political philosophy did Locke greatly influence?
Liberalism and democracy.
What theory did Locke advocate for in government?
The social contract theory and government by the consent of the governed.
What did Locke challenge in terms of political authority?
The divine right of kings.
What did Locke emphasize about individuals seeking truth?
The right of individuals to seek truth independently rather than having it imposed on them.
What field of study does Locke’s associationism anticipate?
Behaviour analysis.
What did Locke explain current behavior in terms of?
Specific past interactions with the environment.
What method did Locke suggest for dealing with a fear of frogs?
Graduated exposure techniques.
What did Locke admonish against in terms of behavior control?
The use of intense physical punishment.
Who was George Berkeley?
An Irish philosopher.
What did Berkeley oppose in terms of philosophy?
Materialism.
What did Berkeley argue about the physical world?
That it is merely perceptions in the mind.
What phrase encapsulates Berkeley’s philosophy?
“To be is to be perceived”.
What did Berkeley reject in terms of qualities?
The existence of primary qualities.
What did Berkeley believe the physical world consists of?
Ideas and perceptions.
What did Berkeley propose about the existence of external reality?
That it is dependent on divine perception.
What principle did Berkeley support?
The principle of association.
What theory did Berkeley put forth about distance perception?
An empirical theory, emphasizing the association of sensations.
What was David Hume’s philosophical goal?
His philosophical goal was to establish a science of human nature based on experience and observation.
How did Hume view physical reality?
Hume emphasized that we can never know physical reality directly but must assume its existence.
What are the three laws of association of ideas according to Hume?
The three laws of association of ideas according to Hume are resemblance, contiguity, and cause and effect.
What was Hume’s view on causation?
Hume disputed the traditional view of causation and argued that causal relationships are based on consistent observations rather than any necessary connection.
How did Hume view the mind and self?
Hume proposed that the mind is a collection of perceptions and the self is inseparable from these perceptions.
What role did Hume suggest emotions play in determining behavior?
Hume suggested that emotions play a crucial role in determining behavior, asserting that human behavior is motivated by passions associated with experiences of pleasure and pain.
What were David Hartley’s main goals as a philosopher?
Hartley aimed to synthesize Newton’s understanding of nerve transmission with the empirical philosophy of Locke and connect the pressing questions of philosophy with contemporary ideas in physiology.
How did Hartley explain the process of association?
Hartley believed that sense impressions caused vibrations in the nerves, which led to corresponding vibrations in the brain’s ‘medullary substance,’ resulting in ideas as weaker copies of sensations.
According to Hartley, how are complex ideas formed?
All complex ideas are automatically formed by the process of association.
What did Hartley believe is the sole process responsible for the formation of ideas?
Association.
According to Hartley, how does involuntary behavior become voluntary?
Through the process of association.
What impact did Hartley’s work have on the study of mental events?
It had a profound impact on the study of the biological basis of mental events.
Who was influenced by Hartley’s ideas on the association of ideas?
John B. Watson.
What did James Mill propose about the mind?
The mind is composed of sensations and ideas linked by contiguity.
According to Mill, what factors influence the strength of associations?
Factors such as vividness and frequency.
What is utilitarianism grounded in?
Hedonism
What is the basis for human happiness and ethical decision-making in utilitarianism?
Pleasure and pain.
What is James Mill’s most notable work?
Analysis of the Phenomena of the Human Mind
What is James Mill’s contribution to psychology?
He conceptualized the mind as a predictable system of mental elements bound by the laws of association.
Who revised James Mill’s mechanistic view of the mind?
John Stuart Mill
What is John Stuart Mill’s concept of ‘mental chemistry’?
The idea that complex ideas can emerge from the fusion of simpler ideas, similar to chemical compounds creating substances different from their elements.
What did John Stuart Mill advocate for in psychology?
The development of psychology as a science based on the principles of associationism.
What is ethology according to John Stuart Mill?
The science of the formation of character, derived from a fundamental science of human nature.
What hindered the development of ethology as a science according to John Stuart Mill?
The limitations of his theory of human nature, which emphasized the association of ideas over emotional factors.
What were some of John Stuart Mill’s social reform causes?
Freedom of speech, representative government, and the emancipation of women.
What philosophy did John Stuart Mill follow?
Utilitarianism
Where was Alexander Bain born?
Aberdeen, Scotland
What were Alexander Bain’s seminal works?
“The Senses and the Intellect” (1855) and “Emotions and the Will” (1859)
What is Alexander Bain considered one of the earliest pioneers of?
Psychology
What were Bain’s primary goals in psychology?
To provide a comprehensive framework for comprehending mental phenomena
What were Bain’s laws of association influenced by?
The British empiricists
What is the fundamental principle of association according to Bain?
The law of contiguity
What did Bain emphasize in terms of voluntary behavior?
The role of hedonism and trial-and-error learning
Who did Bain’s ideas closely anticipate?
B.F. Skinner
What is cue-dependent and state-dependent learning?
The notion that recall is facilitated by making the conditions of recall similar to the conditions under which learning originally occurred
Who was Pierre Gassendi?
A French philosopher and mathematician
What approach did French sensationalism take to understanding the mind?
Explaining mental phenomena using principles similar to those employed in the study of the physical world
What did French sensationalists reject?
The rationalism of Descartes
The rationalism of Descartes
Mind-body dualism
What perspective did Gassendi advocate for?
A materialistic perspective
What was Julien de La Mettrie known for?
His work on materialism and his controversial ideas regarding the mind-body relationship.
What did La Mettrie assert about man?
La Mettrie famously asserted that ‘man is a machine,’ advocating for a thoroughgoing materialism that denied the existence of an immaterial soul.
What did La Mettrie believe about humans and non-human animals?
He believed that humans and non-human animals were fundamentally similar, differing only in degree, not in type.
Who was Étienne Bonnot de Condillac?
Étienne Bonnot de Condillac was a French philosopher who extended Locke’s empiricism into French philosophy and emphasized the role of sensation, memory, and pleasure and pain in shaping human mental abilities.
What did Condillac’s concept of the ‘sentient statue’ illustrate?
The concept of the ‘sentient statue’ illustrated how mental faculties could develop from simple sensory experiences.
Who was Claude Helvétius?
Claude Helvétius was a French philosopher who published the controversial work ‘Essays on the Mind’ and followed the principles of British empiricism.
What did Helvétius believe about the role of experience in shaping human behavior and intellect?
Helvétius believed that control of experiences through education could shape moral behavior and even genius.
What did Auguste Comte propose in his ‘law of three stages’?
Comte proposed the ‘law of three stages,’ suggesting that societies and individuals evolve through a theological stage, a metaphysical stage, and finally a scientific or positivist stage.
What did Auguste Comte develop as a replacement for traditional religion?
Comte developed a secular ‘religion of humanity’ that sought to replace traditional religion with a system based on scientific principles.
What was the main focus of Comte’s work?
Comte’s work aimed to use scientific methods to improve society and emphasized the practical utility of knowledge.
What is Ernst Mach known for?
Ernst Mach is known for his contributions to the philosophy of science and his advocacy of empiricism and positivism.
What was Mach’s view of positivism?
Mach’s view of positivism was centered on the idea that scientific concepts should be defined in terms of the procedures used to measure them, rather than in terms of their metaphysical essence.
What did Mach emphasize in the development of scientific knowledge?
Mach emphasized the importance of empirical evidence and sensory experiences in the development of scientific knowledge.
What is logical positivism?
Logical positivism is a philosophical movement that was influenced by Mach’s ideas and emphasizes the importance of empirical evidence and scientific observation in the formation of knowledge.
What is the difference between Comte and Mach’s approach to positivism?
Comte focused on the application of positivism to social and moral issues, while Mach focused on the philosophy of science and the methods of scientific inquiry.
