Key Terms Flashcards
What is an analytic truth?
There is truth in the meaning of the words alone. It is true by definition. E.g. A bachelor is an unmarried man.
What is anti-realism?
If you are anti-realist you believe that something is mind dependent. E.g. Anti-realists in epistemology believe that objects do not exist independently of the mind.
What is realism?
If you are realist you believe that something is mind independent. E.g. Realists in epistemology believe that objects exist independently of the mind.
What does a posteriori mean?
Knowledge that can only be known via experience of the world. E.g. The sky is blue.
What does a priori mean?
Knowledge that can be known prior to experience. For example; mathematics.
What is cognitivism?
A belief about the world
How the world is
Can be true or false
What is non-cognitivism?
Not a belief about the world
Not how the world is
Cannot be true or false
What is a deductive argument?
An argument where the truth of the conclusion is guaranteed by the truth of the premises. In other words, the premises entail the conclusion.
What is an inductive argument?
An argument where the truth of the conclusion is not fully guaranteed by the truth of the premises. For example; moving from particular examples (like ‘every swan that I have seen is white’) to generalisations (like ‘all swans are white’) - making an inductive leap from previous experiences.
What is a synthetic truth?
An argument that cannot be determined by just analysing the meanings of the terms used e.g. ‘All bachelors have the use of at least one kidney’
What is practical knowledge?
Knowledge of how to do something - the capacity to perform a certain kind of task, but not needing to involve having any explicit understanding of what such a performance entails,
What is acquaintance knowledge?
The sense of knowing a person, place, thing, sensation or feeling. Knowledge by acquaintance does not involve any capacity to give a verbal report of what it entails.
What is propositional knowledge?
This is knowing that something is the case. E.g. Knowing that 2+2=4.
This type of knowledge can be expressed in language, or by PROPOSITIONS.
