Philosophy Flashcards
What is a syllogism in formal logic?
A syllogism is a form of reasoning where a conclusion is drawn from two premises. For example, if “All men are mortal” and “Socrates is a man,” the conclusion is “Socrates is mortal”.
What is rationalism in philosophy?
Rationalism is the belief that knowledge can be gained through the use of reason and formal logic, without needing empirical evidence.
What is empiricism in philosophy?
Empiricism is the philosophical view that knowledge comes primarily from sensory experience and empirical evidence.
What is the difference between a conjunction and a disjunction in logic?
A conjunction (P and Q) is only true when both P and Q are true, while a disjunction (P or Q) is true when at least one of P or Q is true
What is a truth table in formal logic?
A truth table is a mathematical table used to determine the truth values of logical expressions based on the values of their components (true or false)
What is dualism, as proposed by Rene Descartes?
Dualism is the theory that the mind and body are separate entities, with the mind being non-physical and the body being physical
What is the pineal gland’s role according to Descartes’ dualism?
Descartes believed the pineal gland was the communication hub between the non-physical mind and the physical brain
What is formal logic?
Formal logic is a system of reasoning where statements are analyzed for their truth or falsehood using structured symbols and rules, like in syllogisms and truth tables.
What is a conjunction in logic?
A conjunction is a logical operation where two statements are both required to be true for the entire expression to be true (e.g., “P and Q”)
What are all of the logical operations used in formal logic?
AND (Conjunction)
Symbol: ∧
Description: A conjunction is true only if both propositions (P and Q) are true.
Example: P ∧ Q is true if both P and Q are true.
OR (Disjunction)
Symbol: ∨
Description: A disjunction is true if at least one of the propositions (P or Q) is true.
Example: P ∨ Q is true if either P or Q (or both) are true.
NOT (Negation)
Symbol: ¬
Description: Negation reverses the truth value of a proposition.
Example: ¬P is true if P is false, and ¬P is false if P is true.
IF-THEN (Conditional)
Symbol: →
Description: A conditional statement is true unless the first proposition (P) is true and the second (Q) is false.
Example: P → Q is false only if P is true and Q is false.
IF AND ONLY IF (Biconditional)
Symbol: ↔
Description: A biconditional is true when both propositions (P and Q) have the same truth value.
Example: P ↔ Q is true if both P and Q are either true or false.
XOR (Exclusive OR)
Symbol: ⊕
Description: Exclusive OR is true if either P or Q is true, but not both.
Example: P ⊕ Q is true if exactly one of P or Q is true.
What is a disjunction in logic?
A disjunction is a logical operation where at least one of two statements needs to be true for the expression to be true (e.g., “P or Q”)
What is negation in formal logic?
Negation is a logical operation that reverses the truth value of a statement. If a statement is true, its negation is false, and vice versa
What is the principle of conditional (if-then) logic?
Conditional logic involves statements where the truth of one proposition depends on the truth of another. In “If P, then Q,” Q is true only if P is true
What is the concept of “combinatorial explosion”?
Combinatorial explosion refers to the exponential growth in the number of combinations of truth values as more propositions are added to a truth table
What is dualism in philosophy?
Dualism, proposed by Rene Descartes, is the belief that the mind consists of two distinct entities: the physical brain and the non-physical mind or soul
What is materialism in philosophy?
Materialism is the view that the mind and all mental phenomena are fully physical, arising from the brain and body without any need for a non-physical soul
What is behaviorism
Behaviorism is the theory that focuses on observable stimuli and responses in organisms, without reference to internal mental states
What is radical behaviorism?
Radical behaviorism is the view that there are no internal mental processes, and behavior can be fully explained by external stimuli and observable responses
What is logical behaviorism?
Logical behaviorism acknowledges internal mental processes but argues that they cannot be scientifically measured or studied and should not be included in theories of behavior
What is type identity theory?
Type identity theory suggests that specific types of mental states correspond to specific types of brain states. For example, happiness might be linked to a particular brain pattern
What is functionalism in cognitive science?
Functionalism argues that the mind should be studied at the level of software-like mental processes, rather than focusing solely on the brain’s hardware
What is a Turing machine in philosophy of mind?
A Turing machine is an abstract concept used to describe a system that can compute any algorithmic function, with an emphasis on the role of memory and computation in the mind
What is fuzzy logic?
Fuzzy logic is a type of logic where truth values are not limited to just true or false (binary), but can exist on a spectrum between 0 and 1, allowing for degrees of truth
What is the difference between binary logic and fuzzy logic?
Binary logic restricts truth values to true (1) or false (0), while fuzzy logic allows for a continuous range of truth values between 0 and 1
What is the “combinatorial explosion” problem in AI?
The combinatorial explosion problem refers to how the number of possible states (rows in a truth table) grows exponentially with each additional fact or variable in an AI system
What is modus ponens in formal logic?
Modus ponens is a valid form of argument where if “If P, then Q” is true and P is true, then Q must also be true
What is modus tollens in formal logic?
Modus tollens is a valid form of argument where if “If P, then Q” is true and Q is false, then P must also be false
What is the “mind-body problem” in philosophy?
The mind-body problem concerns how physical processes in the brain relate to conscious experiences and mental states, often debated in the context of dualism and materialism
What is the difference between deductive and inductive reasoning?
Deductive reasoning derives conclusions from general premises using formal logic, while inductive reasoning draws generalizations from specific observations
What is the concept of an infinite Turing machine?
An infinite Turing machine is a theoretical construct that could perform any computation given an infinitely long memory tape, leading to perfect performance in tasks like chess
