Philosophical language Flashcards
deductive
A conclusion follows logically from its premises
Example:
I am not married
All bachelors are unmarried
Therefore, I am a bachelor
inductive
the premises support but do not entail the conclusion (probabilistic)
a priori
independent from current experience
a posteriori
depends on empirical evidence
synthetic
true or not true dependent on how their meaning relates to the world.
analytic
true or not true solely by virtue of their meaning
empirical evidence
information acquired by observation or experimentation
What are the two parts of an a prioro statement?
The subject = the thing the statement is about
The predicate = the properties we are claiming that the subject has
fallacy
Something that weakens or destroys an argument
empiricism
The theory that all knowledge is based on experience derived from the senses
tautologies
A statement so framed that it cannot be denied without inconsistency
Syllogism
A type of deductive argument consisting of three parts: a major premise, a minor premise and a conclusion.
For example:
1. All men are mortal
2. Socrates is a man
3. Therefore Socrates is mortal
Infinite regress
In a chain of reasoning, the evidence for each point along the chain relies on the existence of something that came before it. Which in turn relies on something even further back, and so on, with no starting point.
Analogical arguments
Arguments that try to prove something by using analogies (comparisons)
