Philosophy Flashcards
What is philosophy?
The study of fundamental questions about reality, knowledge, and ethics.
Why is philosophy called the ‘Master Subject’?
Because it examines other fields of knowledge.
What is an argument?
A set of statements where premises support a conclusion.
What are the two main types of arguments?
Deductive and Inductive.
What is a deductive argument?
An argument that guarantees truth if premises are true.
What is an inductive argument?
An argument that provides probable support but not certainty.
What makes an argument valid?
If the premises are true, the conclusion must be true.
What makes an argument sound?
An argument that is valid and has true premises.
What is Plato’s Allegory of the Cave?
A story illustrating the difference between illusion and reality.
What do the prisoners in the cave represent?
People who only see the physical world and mistake it for reality.
What does the sun represent in the Allegory of the Cave?
The ultimate truth and intellectual enlightenment.
What are Plato’s Forms?
Perfect, unchanging essences of things (e.g., Justice, Beauty, Goodness).
What is the ultimate goal in Plato’s philosophy?
Understanding the Form of the Good.
What is Descartes’ method of doubt?
Rejecting all beliefs that could possibly be false.
What is the Dream Argument?
If we can’t distinguish dreams from reality, we cannot trust our senses.
What is the Evil Demon Hypothesis?
A powerful deceiver could manipulate perceptions, making reality uncertain.
What is Descartes’ first certainty?
Cogito, Ergo Sum (‘I think, therefore I am’).
What is a ‘thinking thing’ according to Descartes?
Something that doubts, understands, affirms, denies, wills, and imagines.
How does Descartes prove God’s existence?
The idea of a perfect God must come from a perfect being, not from Descartes himself.
What is Locke’s theory of knowledge?
All knowledge comes from experience.
What are the two sources of knowledge according to Locke?
Sensation and Reflection.
What are primary qualities?
Qualities that exist in objects, such as solidity, motion, and number.
What are secondary qualities?
Qualities dependent on perception, such as colors and tastes.
What are complex ideas?
Ideas formed by combining simple ideas, like substances and modes.