Philosophy key words Flashcards
Premise
Basis of the argument
Statement upon which the argument rests
Predicate
What is affirmed of or describes the subject (eg all men are mortal - mortal is the predicate)
Subject
The person, place, thing or idea that is doing or being something in a statement (eg all men are mortal - men is the subject)
Tautology
When the subject and predicate agree (eg all circles are round)
Proposition
An assertion with a truth value
Can be true or false
A form of words consisting of a subject and a predicate (eg all people are mortal)
Assumption
A statement which has not been proved
Contradiction
Subject and predicate do not agree (eg all circles are square)
Inductive
The conclusion does not necessarily follow
Open to interpretation
Deductive
The conclusion necessarily follows
Not open to interpretation
A Posteriori
Based on experience
Evidence and interpretation
A Priori
Before experience
Based on reason alone
Synthetic
The predicate is not contained in the subject
Only known to be true or false through sense experience (eg roses are red)
Analytic
The predicate is contained in the subject
Statement is true by definition (eg roses are flowers)
Empirical
Based on evidence of the senses
Rational
Based on reason alone
