Philosophy Unit 1 Flashcards
Agent
The person who performs an action; the author of an action.
Altruistic act
An action that solely benefits people other than the agent of the action.
Analytic statement
A statement in which the predicate is contained in the subject.
a posteriori
What is known/justified on the basis of experience.
a priori
What is known/justified independent of experience.
Basic belief
A belief that justifies itself; a non-inferentially justified belief.
Belief
A thought about the world a person asserts as true.
Categories
The concepts Kant judges necessary for experience.
Causation
X causes Y such that X produces or is responsible for Y.
Certainty
A state in which a person cannot doubt a given proposition.
Character trait
A pattern of judgement, desire and feeling.
Coherentism
The claim that a belief is justified if it coheres with other beliefs.
Concept
Concepts are the constituents of thoughts.
Conceptual relativism
The view that the particular set, or scheme, of concepts we have is relative to (e.g.) the community we live in.
Conceptual scheme
A set of concepts.
Conclusion
A proposition inferred from other propositions.
Contingent truth
A statement that happens to be true but which we can imagine being false in different circumstances.
Deduction
An argument in which the truth of premises guarantees the truth of the conclusion.
Deontology
The view that duty is the fundamental ethical concept.
Disposition
see character trait.
Duty
Literally, what is owed. Duties are the things we are required to do; alternatively, what morality demands of us.
Egoism
Any views that have self-interest at their core.
Empiricism
The view that knowledge originates in, and is justified by, experience.
Epistemology
The theory of knowledge.
Ethical egoism
The view that it is morally good to do what is in one’s self interest.
Ethics
The study of good/bad, right/wrong; the study of moral judgement; the study of moral motivation
Eudaimonia
Literally, a blessed life. Traditionally translated as happiness: a worthwhile life, a life well-lived
Fallacy
A mistake in reasoning
False
A statement or proposition that does not accurately represent a state of affairs
Foudationalism
The view that a belief is justified if it is ultimately inferred from basic beliefs
Hedonism
Views that put pleasure at their core (hedone = pleasure)
Hypothetical imperative
An order an agent must obey only if he has a particular desire
Imperative
Grammatical category: statements that are orders
Incorrigible
A proposition that cannot be correct
Indubitable
A proposition that cannot be doubted
Induction
An argument in which the premises render a conclusion merely probable
Inference
The generation of a new proposition or statement through the combination of other statements.
Innate Ideas
Concepts that are not acquired and are part of our rational nature
Innate knowledge
Statements we know as part of our rational nature
Justification
The state of it being reasonable to believe something
Knowledge
The state of having, at least, a justified true belief about something
Logic
The study of the principles of reasoning
Maxim
The subjective principle of an action (Kant): the reason why an agent did something
Moral obligation
The relation of morality to individuals: individuals are bound, are subject to, moral demands or requirements
Necessary truth
A statement or proposition that we cannot conceive of being false under any circumstance
Necessary condition
X is necessary for Y if when X is false, Y must be false
Objection
A criticism of a view or argument
Predicate
Grammatical category: the property or feature ascribed to something
Premise
A statement treated as a reason or ground for a conclusion
Proposition
A statement or the meaning of a sentence
Psychological egoism
The view that all human actions aim at self-interest
Rationalism
Views that privilege the place of reason in human knowledge
Reason
A premise in an argument; the process of combining ideas to produce new ideas
Scepticism
A challenge to our claims to possess knowledge in a particular domain
Self-interest
Either: what is best for us; or: a motive for action
Simple
what cannot be analysed
Subject
Grammatical term: what or who a statement or proposition is about
Synthetic statement
A statement in which the predicate is not contained in the subject
Tabula rasa
Literally, blank slate. Empiricist image for the state of the mind at birth
Universal assent
Assent or approval from everyone
Universalisability
A maxim is universalisable if it could serve as a law for everyone’s conduct
Vice
A deplorable character trait or disposition
Virtue
An excellent character trait or disposition
Trivial truth
True, but in an uninformative way
