final deck Flashcards
Constructive Empiricism
A theory is empirically adequate if and only if its predictions match past and potential observations.
JTB Account of Knowledge
Definition:
S knows that p if and only if:
S believes p,
p is true, and
S is justified in believing p.
Realism vs. Anti-Realism About Scientific Theories
Scientific Realism: A scientific theory is correct if the entities it posits really exist and behave as described.
Scientific Anti-Realism: A scientific theory is correct if it accurately predicts observable phenomena.
Correspondence Theory of Truth
A statement is true if and only if it corresponds to the facts.
Verificationism
Definition:
p is true if and only if it is provable by available means of proof.
Verificationist Anti-Realism: A theory is correct only if its statements can be proven.
Coherence Theory of Truth
Definition:
A statement p is true if adding p to a background body of beliefs increases overall coherence.
Coherentist Anti-Realism: A theory is correct if its statements cohere with each other.
Foundationalism
Definition:
There are basic beliefs that do not rely on other beliefs for justification.
Other beliefs are justified if they derive from basic beliefs.
Coherentism
Definition:
A belief is justified if it coheres (mutually supports) with the subject’s other beliefs.
Reliabilism
Definition:
A belief is justified if it is formed through a reliable method that generates true beliefs.
Internalism vs. Externalism
(Justification)
Internalism: Justification factors must be internal to the subject’s conscious life.
Externalism: Justification factors can be external to the subject’s conscious awareness.
Reductio Arguments
Definition:
A reductio ad absurdum argument proves a statement by assuming the opposite and deriving a contradiction
Validity
Definition:
An argument is valid if it is impossible for the premises to be true while the conclusion is false.
Soundness
Definition:
An argument is sound if:
It is valid, and
All its premises are true.
Non-Ampliative Reasoning
Definition:
Reasoning where the conclusion is already guaranteed by the premises.
Ampliative Reasoning
Definition:
Reasoning where the conclusion extends beyond what is strictly guaranteed by the premises.
Holism
Definition:
Justification for a belief depends on its relation to a network of other beliefs.
Underdetermination
Definition:
The data supporting a theory can equally support rival theories.
Strong Underdetermination: There is never a rational reason to prefer one theory over another.
Weak Underdetermination: There is sometimes no rational reason to prefer one theory over another.
Defeasible Justification
Definition:
Justification that can be overturned by new evidence but is still initially justified.
Infallibilism vs. Fallibilism
Infallibilism: Knowledge requires justification that excludes the possibility of being false.
Fallibilism: Knowledge is possible even if justification allows for the possibility of error.
Skepticism
Definition:
We can have no knowledge about a specific subject matter.
Relevant Alternatives Account of Knowledge
Definition:
S knows p if p is true in all epistemically relevant worlds compatible with S’s evidence.
Contextualism
Definition:
The standard for knowledge shifts depending on the context.
Necessary and Sufficient Conditions
Definition:
Necessary: If p, then q must be true.
Sufficient: If q is true, then p is guaranteed
Counterfactual Conditionals
Definition:
“If A had not happened, B would not have happened.”
Hume’s View of Causation
Definition:
All ideas come from sense impressions. We can observe events but not causal relations.
Causal Pluralism
Definition:
There is no single account of what it means for X to cause Y.
Realism and Anti-Realism in Mathematics
Realism: Mathematical statements are true if they describe mind-independent mathematical facts.
Platonism: Numbers are non-physical, mind-independent objects.
Intuitionism: A mathematical statement is true only if it is provable.
Structuralism: Mathematics is about abstract patterns, not objects.
Supervenience
Definition:
X-facts supervene on Y-facts if there cannot be a change in X without a change in Y.
Causal Influence
Definition:
Event C influences event E if changing C leads to changes in E.
Strawson on Causation
Definition:
We do observe specific causal relations, not abstract ones.
Law of the Excluded Middle (LEM)
Definition:
For any statement p, either p is true, or its negation (¬p) is true:
p ∨ ¬p
Proof by Reductio
Definition:
To prove p, assume ¬p, derive a contradiction, and conclude p.
Interventionism
Definition:
Causation is analyzed in terms of the effects of manipulating variables in a causal graph.
One-to-One Correspondence
Definition:
A relation where each element in one set corresponds to exactly one element in another set.
