Glossary

Question 1

assertion/ claim

Answer 1

an assertion/ claim is a statement of fact or belief

Question 2

proposition/ premise

Answer 2

a proposition/ premise is a sentence that helps to make up an argument

Question 3

antecedent

Answer 3

the antedecent is a statement that logically precedes another
‘ it is the day before Ash wednesday ‘

Question 4

consequent

Answer 4

the consequent is a statement that logically follows as a result of the antecedent
‘ then it is Pancake day ‘

Question 5

analytic statement

Answer 5

an analytics statement is true by definition that is by virtue of what the words mean
‘ my maternal grandmother is my mother’s mother ‘

Question 6

synthetic statement

Answer 6

true by virtue of how the world is (subject to change)

‘ Tehran is the capital of Iran ‘

Question 7

a priori knowledge

Answer 7

a priori knowledge is knowledge that is independent of direct sense experience
‘ 7 x 7 = 49 ‘

Question 8

a posteriori knowledge

Answer 8

a posteriori knowledge is k that is based on direct sense experience
‘ Calcium burns w/ a brick red flame ‘

Question 9

necessary truth

Answer 9

a necessary truth can >< be otherwise

i. e. there is >< possible circumstance that it could be false
e. g. eggs are eggs

Question 10

contingent truth

Answer 10

a contingent truth happens to be the case in this world

e.g. Elvis Presley was born in Tupelo, Mississippi on 8th January 1935

Question 11

consistent argument

Answer 11

an argument is consistent if it does >< contain any contradictions e.g.

1. All men are mortal
2. Socrates is a man
3. Therefore, Socrates is mortal

Question 12

inconsistent argument

Answer 12

an argument is inconsistent if it contains at least 1 contradiction e.g.

1. All men are mortal
2. Socrates is a man
3. Therefore, Socrates is >< mortal

Question 13

objective judgement

Answer 13

an objective judgement is based on publicly demonstrable and universally acknowledged facts which are independent of personal taste or preference

Question 14

subjective judgement

Answer 14

a wholly subjective judgement is one that is answerable to nothing more than how things seem or feel to the subject

Question 15

tautology

Answer 15

a statement that repeats the subject in the predicate & where the opposite contains a contradiction
e.g. male sperm / ‘keep cornwall Cornish’/ added bonus

Question 16

dilemma

Answer 16

one if faced with ‘a dilemma’ if there are only 2 options both of which are problematic
e.g. I’ll either have to walk 10 miles home or pay for an expensive taxi

Question 17

informal paradox

Answer 17

2 apparently contradictory statements exist in tension

‘ Why does Barney hate his job but spend so much time there? ‘

Question 18

formal paradox

Answer 18

2 or more logically inconsistent claims are present
I. it is ten past four
II. it is not ten past four

Question 19

prove/ proof

Answer 19

to prove is to demonstrate that a proposition is true by offering a sound argument
(one that is both valid AND true)

Question 20

true belief

Answer 20

a belief P is true iff P so

the belief that ‘it is snowing’ is true iff it is snowing

Question 21

false belief

Answer 21

meaningful (I can understand what is asserted)

but it is >< true

Question 22

justification

Answer 22

having a good reason to believe something

e.g. it is based on eyewitness testimony or forensic evidence