PHI 111-Test 1 Flashcards
What is philosophy?
Love of wisdom
Why should we care about philosophy?
To enrich lives and our understanding of the world; understanding and to confront deeper questions of world mad life
What are the qualities of critically thinking?
Open-minded, Knowledgeable, Mentally, active, Curious, Independent thinkers, Skilled discussants, Insightful, Self-aware, Creative, Passionate
What is “having” a philosophy?
A collection of beliefs (world and life view) used to guide his/her thoughts and actions
What is doing philosophy?
Thinking critically and examining one’s collection of beliefs (world and life view).
What were Bertrand Russell’s thoughts on the value of philosophy?
Everything has value; Examining one’s life and tackling the questions philosophy brings up
What is a premise?
Statement(s) that support a conclusion
What is a conclusion?
Statement that receives support from premises
What type of argument moves from a specific premise to a general conclusion?
Inductive argument
What are deductive arguments?
Statements that move from a general premise to a specific conclusion
What are the branches of philosophy?
Metaphysics, Epistemology, Ethics, Political and social, Aesthetics, Logic
What is the study of the ultimate characteristics of reality/experience?
Metaphysics
________is the study of knowledge…examples: how do we know what we know and why do we even know anything at all
Epistemology
What are ethics?
The study of moral values and principles
_______________ is the study of social values and political forms of government.
Political and social philosophy
What are aesthetics?
The study of beauty, art, and taste
______________seeks to establish the rules of correct reasoning, clear understanding, and arguments.
Logic
What is irony?
Form of rhetoric that has at least two conflicting meanings
What is dialectic?
Dynamic exchange or method of contradiction
What method uses dynamic questions and intellectual analysis?
The Socratic Method
What are the types of fallacies?
False generalization and
Causal Relevance
Which fallacy describes a situation when someone “jumps to conclusions” too soon/quickly?
False generalization
What is causal fallacies?
The state of attributing causes to events and situations
What are the fallacies of relevance?
Arguments that appeal to factors that have little or nothing to do with the argument being offered
What did the Pre-socratics say?
If the gods can’t agree then how do we know the answer was true?
What did Thales believe?
That the primal element of the universe was water
Who suggested that the primal element of the universe was air?
Anaximander
What did Heraclitus believe?
That the primal element of the universe was fire because “all change”
Who believed that the world of change is an illusion and that reality is unchanging and eternal?
Parmenides
What were some of the core teachings of Socrates?
1) The unexamined life is not worth living.
2) Truth lies within each of us. 3) We should strive for excellence in all areas of life. 4) No one knowingly does evil. 5) It is better to suffer wickedness than to commit it
What did people in the Homeric Way believe?
They believed myths provided explanations of natural phenomena for ancient Greeks
________ FOCUSES on myths and gods to gain knowledge.
The Homeric Way
The Natural Turn FOCUSES on the __________ by using the METHOD of reason and observation.
Universe/natural world
The Socratic turn FOCUSES on the soul/self by using the method ____________.
Question and answer format – “the socratic method”
Why was Socrates’ death important?
1) He thought it was better to die virtuously than to admit to an untruth. 2) He was still examining his life (philosophizing) as he was being sentenced. 3) He didn’t think death can be proven to be “bad”, especially for a good person.
Socrates is known as the ___________ of western philosophy.
Father
What are the 9 steps of the critical thinking process?
1) Initial statement, (2) Define the issues, (3) Illustrate your meaning with examples, (4) Explore origins of your position, (5) Identify your assumptions, (6) Support your point of view, (7) Consider other points of view, (8) Arrive at a conclusion, (9) Consider the consequences
How do you make an initial statement of the critical thinking process?
Give a statement of how you feel about the particular topic
How do you define the issue in the critical thinking process?
Start with my point of view, the concept of _________ means __________. You want to make sure your reader is thinking about the SAME thing you are writing about.
How would you illustrate an example of your meaning in the critical thinking process?
Generalize all of your personal examples and ideas…give an example from your life, in pop culture, etc.
How do you define “exploring origins of your position” on the critical thinking process?
Find out where your point if view started? Have you always had this same point of view? This is sort of your “autobiography” of your opinion on the issue.
How would you identify your assumptions in the critical thinking process?
The best way to “unearth” your assumptions is by asking the question, “Why”, then answering it. Then ask “why do I think that” and on and on. This step is where you really start examining your belief on the issue.
Next you should support your view in the critical thinking process. How would you do this?
Give REASONS and EVIDENCE for your position on the issue.
Why should we consider other points of view on our position while evaluating the critical thinking process?
To show that we are knowledgeable in our stance on the position that we are holding, which reveals our “ethos” (credibility). By looking at the other points from the other side, we can have a better idea why we are standing on the side of the position that we believe is correct. This is a great place to refine our views (or beginning to change our position on the issue if TRUTH calls for it).
What do you do when you arrive at a conclusion in the critical thinking process?
You summarize your work and restate your position.
The last step in the critical thinking process is to consider the consequences. How would we do this?
This conclusion is what is likely to happen if our thought of this position is adopted. Ask: “If my view were true, what would it mean for me?” Come up with 2-3 thoughtful implications. Next, answer the question, “If my view were true, what would it mean for the world?” Come up with 1-2 thoughtful implications.
How did the Sophists compare to Socrates?
Socrates didn’t want money for teaching people, nor did he claim that he made people wiser. Socrates also believed in OBJECTIVE truth. On the other hand, the Sophists received money for teaching people and claimed they made people wiser. In addition, the Sophists were RELATIVISTS concerning truth.
How did the Pre-socratics compare to Socrates?
Pre-socratics: (1) They believed that the myths and gods had the answers, (2) but if the gods didn’t agree on a given answer, how did they know the answer(s) the gods gave were true? On the other hand, Socrates answered questions based on a question and answer format - the “socratic method.” He would not give straight answer. Instead, he would help the person he was discussing answer their own question (concerning the issue they were discussing).
In order to obtain knowledge, what was the FOCUS and METHOD of the “Homeric Way”?
In order to obtain knowledge, their FOCUS and METHOD were actually on the same things: the myths and gods. They believed that through studying and listening to these sources, they would gain knowledge.
In order to obtain knowledge, what was the FOCUS and METHOD of the Presocratics?
In order to obtain knowledge, the FOCUS of the presocratics was the natural world (or, the universe) and their METHOD of gathering knowledge was through reason and observation.
In order to obtain knowledge, what was the FOCUS and METHOD of Socrates.
To obtain knowledge, Socrates FOCUSED on the soul. He believed the best METHOD to obtain knowledge was to examine oneself through a question and answer format (dialogue), now called “the socratic method”.
