perception as a source of knowledge key words

Question 1

Anti-realism/Nonrealism

Answer 1

Material objects exist only for minds and that a mind-independent world is
non-existent

Question 2

A posteriori

Answer 2

Knowledge that is gained via experience

Question 3

A priori

Answer 3

Knowledge that is gained via human reason

Question 4

Ability knowledge

Answer 4

Refers to practical knowledge- i.e. ‘knowing how’

Question 5

Acquaintance
knowledge

Answer 5

Refers to knowing a person, place, sense or feeling- i.e. ‘knowing of’

Question 6

Analytic

Answer 6

Something that is true be definition, such as ‘all bachelors are unmarried’

Question 7

Belief

Answer 7

Something that is accepted by an individual as true or held as an opinion

Question 8

Blank slate (tabula
rasa)

Answer 8

The belief that all knowledge is gained through experience and that when
you are born your mind/knowledge is empty

Question 9

Cartesian Circle

Answer 9

The circular reasoning Descartes seems to employ regarding clear and
distinct ideas and God: Descartes cannot rely on clear and distinct ideas
before proving God exists, but he cannot prove that God exists without
relying on clear and distinct ideas

Question 10

Circular argument

Answer 10

An argument which uses its own conclusion as a premise

Question 11

Clear and distinct ideas

Answer 11

The basic or self-justifying beliefs that Descartes hopes to use as
foundations for his system of knowledge

Question 12

Concept

Answer 12

An abstract thought or idea about a particular topic

Question 13

Contingent

Answer 13

Being dependent on, or conditioned, by something else. I.e. your existence
is contingent on your parents’ existence

Question 14

Counter-example

Answer 14

An examples that refutes or disproves a particular proposition or theory

Question 15

Direct realism

Answer 15

The view that physical objects have an independent existence in space.
Physical objects possess certain properties, such as size, shape and colour.

Question 16

Deduction

Answer 16

Reaching a conclusion because the premises insist that the conclusion is
true. For example, P1- it rains on Thursday, P2- today is Thursday, C- It is
raining

Question 17

Empirical

Answer 17

Knowledge that is based on observation/evidence

Question 18

Epistemology

Answer 18

The study of theories of knowledge

Question 19

Global scepticism

Answer 19

Argues that doubt is involved in all knowledge claims, and therefore argues
that we can know nothing

Question 20

Hypothesis

Answer 20

An assumption or statement proposed as a part of a theory

Question 21

Idealism

Answer 21

An anti-realist theory of perception presented by Berkeley. It claims that
matter does not exist independently of the mind and that all that exists are
minds and their ideas

Question 22

Impression

Answer 22

What we are directly aware of (either impressions of sensation which come
from our senses, or impressions of reflection which from our experience of
our mind, such as emotions)

Question 23

Infallibilism

Answer 23

Theory of knowledge which claims we should only count things as
knowledge if it impossible to doubt them

Question 24

Justification

Answer 24

The explanation as to why something is the way it is

Question 25

Mind-dependent

Answer 25

Depending on a mind for existence or definition (e.g. ideas are mind dependent)

Question 26

Necessary

Answer 26

Something that has to be the way it is – it is logically undeniable without
yielding a contradiction

Question 26

Mind-independent

Answer 26

Not depending on a mind for existence or definition (e.g. physical objects
are not depending on the mind in order for them to exist)

Question 27

Philosophical
scepticism

Answer 27

Raising doubts about our claims to know. The purpose of philosophical
scepticism is to at first test our knowledge claims and see which claims are
able to survive attack

Question 28

Objective

Answer 28

Expressing facts or ideas which are not influenced by opinions or personal
feelings