Oral FInal Exam Flashcards
Who is the open door to liberalism?
Thomas Aquinas
What is the big idea of Thomas Aquinas that opened the door to liberalism?
That our reason is not fallen
In what two ways does that thought (our reason is not fallen - Aquinas) open the door to liberalism?
- Empiricism
2. Rationalism
What is the starting point of empiricism?
senses
Who were the two great thinkers involved in Empiricism?
John Locke and David Hume
What is the definition of John Locke’s phrase “Tabula Rasa”?
We are a blank slate; we have no innate ideas
What did David Hume do for Empiricism?
He took Locke to his ultimate conclusion; skepticism.
What is the starting point of rationalism?
Reason should be your guide, not your senses
Who were the two great thinkers involved in rationalism?
René DesCartes and Georg Hegel
What is the definition of DesCartes’ phrase “Congito ergo sum”?
I think, therefore I am (methodological skepticism)
What was Hegel’s new theory of understanding knowledge?
Thesis + Antithesis = Synthesis
Who was the father of idealism?
Immanuel Kant
What was Kant’s big idea about existence?
There is a reality, but all we have is perception, so we need to act as if God exists. There are some things you ought to do or ought not to do.
What was the dead end that Kant brought us to?
We never truly know, we just have to act as if God exists.
Who came after the dead end that Kant brought us to?
Friedrich Schleiermacher
