Intro to Philosophy - OpenStax Textbook Flashcards
In Hinduism, what is Manu?
Manu is the first human being in Hindu mythology.
He is associated with a great flood.
Regarded as the first lawgiver.
In Hindu cosmology, each era is called a ‘‘Manu’’
What does it mean to say that a set of beliefs or statements is coherent?
It means that all of the statements or beliefs can be true at the same time. This is also what is termed ‘‘logically consistent.’’
What could Socrates mean by ‘‘the unexamined life is not worth living?’’
- Examination of the self. At the temple of the oracle of Delphi, one of the three maxims engraved is the phrase ‘‘Know Thyself.’’ (Plato suggests that it is a warning: know your position in relation to the gods. Socrates wants peoples beliefs to be consistent.
- Examination of Nature. Seeking to understand the nature of the world we live in.
- Understanding human limits (especially with knowledge).
What is an apt metaphor for the Socratic Method?
The questioner plays the role of a midwife during childbirth. They are there to assist the person being questioned in discovering the truth on their own.
What is a representation for philosophers and cognitive scientists?
A information bearing unit of thought. Representations are the objects that minds consider when they think.
(similar to Tasawur)
What is anchoring bias
It is the tendency to overly rely on the first piece of information (the anchor) when making decisions or judgements.
Where were the oldest human writings found?
Sumer, around 5,500 years old.
What marks the transition from ‘‘prehistory’’ to ‘‘history’’
The use of writing.
Who coined the term ‘‘the Axial Age’’ and what does it refer to?
Karl Jaspers
a period (800-200bc) when major religious, philsophical and intellectual traditions emerged across different parts of the world. A focus on existential questions about life, death and nature of the universe in major regions.
Who are the Yoruba?
An ethnic group in Nigeria and Sub-Saharan Africa.
What is the religion of the Yuruba people called?
Ifá (ee-FAH)
Believe in a single, supreme God known as Olorun. Creator and sustainer. Beyond comprehension.
Pantheon of other dieties known as Orisha.
Ifá is a system of divination.
What does Bhagavad Gita mean?
The Song of the Lord.
What is the metaphysical principle underlying the Vedic texts?
Through reflection on the self, one can come to understand the cosmos (Brahman).
What story best illustrates the Dao concept of Wuweu?
The Cook Ding:
Cook Ding is a master butcher, cutting up an ox. He was so skillful that he had used the same knife for 19 years without sharpening it. His movements were like a dance and effortless, without making any mistakes. He was asked how he attained such a skill. He says:
When he first started carving, he could only see the whole ox and struggled. After 3 years, he could no longer see the whole carcass, only the spaces and natural composition. He follows the natural composition and seams, allowing his knife to move freely without resistance…
Who was Akhenaton’s wife?
Nefertiti.
How long did Plato spend in Egypt?
Around 13 years.
When did Akhenaton live?
14th century BC
Who did Akhenaton worship?
Aten, the sun god.
Akhenaton held that solar energy was the element out of which all other elements emenated (unseen divinity responsible for creation)
(potential link to Plato’s metaphysics)
What is Monism?
The belief that the universe is made up of one substance.
What is Plurism?
The belief that the universe is made up of more than one substance.
Who said ‘‘it is not possible to step into the same river twice’’
Heraclitus
Aristotle’s four causes:
- What is it made of? (material)
- What shape is it (formal)
- What agent gave it this form? (Efficient)
- What is it for? (Final)
What was the key metaphysical problem for the Neoplatonists?
They sought an account for how a perfect God could create a seemingly imperfect world.
God, timeless and eternal, is perfect. He exists in the ‘‘unchanging’’ realm.
The craetion, time-bound and not eternal, is imperfect, and exists in the changing realm.
Creation emenates from God, but the further one is from the source, the less perfect a thing becomes.
What is a hypothesis?
A proposed explanation for an observed phenomenon or process.
What is the Law of the Excluded middle?
That for any statement, either that statement is true, or its negation is true.
It is called the excluded middle because it excludes the possibility of a ‘‘middle’’ or intermediate state between truth and falsehood.
What do deductive inferences focus on?
The structure of arguments.
Another name for Abductive Reasoning is…
Inference to the best explanation.
The conclusion is meant to explain the evidence offered in the premises.
Occam’s razor says that…
The simplest explanation is the best explanation.
When the form of an argument is problematic, it is called…
A FORMAL fallacy.
An informal fallacy is when…
The reasons offered as support for the conclusion are not adequate.
What are the 4 general categories that informal fallacies can fall into?
- Fallacies of relevance
- Fallacies of weak induction
- Fallacies of unwarranted assumptions
- fallacies of diversion
Fallacies of relevance are when…
The arguer gives evidence that isn’t relevant for logically establishing the conclusion. (appeal to emotion, ad hominem)
Fallacies of weak induction occur when…
a conclusion is based on weak or insufficient evidence (hasty generalisations, appeal to ignorance, false cause etc)
Fallacies of unwarranted assumptions occur when…
an argument relies on a piece of information that requires further justification… (False dichotomies, begging the question)
Begging the question is when…
the arguer assumes the truth of the conclusion they are trying to prove, instead of providing evidence for it.
e.g:
1. i’m trustworthy because i always tell the truth.
Fallacies of Diversion occur when..
the arguer attempts to distract attention away from the argument at hand (straw mans, red herring,
in Arisistotilian thought, potentiality is…
The level to which a beings purpose might reach. E.g - acorn has the potential to become an oak but hasn’t become one yet.
In Aristotilian thought, actuality is…
The level to which a being has realised its purpose. i.e: the fulfilment or realisation of potential… when an acorn becomes an oak tree.
Define the assumption of naturalism in metaphysics:
meaningful inquiry includes only the physical and the laws governing physical entities. It rejects the priority placed on reason assumed within metaphysics.
A naturalists inventory only includes those things found in the physical realm.
What is the main difference between theistic conceptions of the soul and hindu/buddhist conceptions?
Theistic: Soul is created and ever lasting.
Buddhist/Hindu: Atman (soul/self) is eternal and reincarnates until moksha (liberation from reincarnation) occurs.
What is bundle theory?
An object is nothing more than a collection of properties. there is no ‘‘essence’’ or ‘‘substance’’ to things. It is primacy of properties.
Teleological arguments…
examine the inherent design within the universe and attempt to infer the existence of a wise entity responsible for that design.
Who first outlined the ‘‘watch’’ argument?
William Paley.
How does Anselm define God in his ontological argument?
“a being than which nothing greater can be conceived”
What is a posteriori knowledge?
Knowledge gained through experience.
what is A Priori knowledge?
Knowledge that can be gained prior to or independent of experience.
What is knowledge by acquaintance?
knowledge gained from direct experience. (pain).
What is global scepticism?
A view that questions the possibility of all knowledge.
What are Aristotle’s three types of friendship?
Friendships of pleasure
Friendships of utility
Friendships of character
Consequentialism looks at…
An action’s outcome or consequences to determine whether it is morally right.
Deontology focuses on…
duties or rules to determine rightness of an action.
Virtue ethics focuses on…
character and the development of the right habits or traits.
The history of political philosophy in the west can be traced back to…
Ancient Greece.
The word polis refers to…
The city state - the basic unit of government in Ancient Greece
What is conservatism?
A political theory that favours instittions and practices that have demonstrated their value over time, and are hence worth preserving. Government serves society, and change should be gradual.
When is the Enlightenment commonly dated ?
1685-1815
What did the enlightenment inspire?
A ‘turn’ to reason, science and technology to achieve better lives for individuals and produce steady progress for human race.
In short, what was the goal of the enlightenment?
The use of reason and the emperical study of the world would ultimately lead to progress.
