Semester 1 revision Flashcards
Argument
conclusion together with the premise that supports it (My car batter is flat, therefore my car won’t start)
Explanation
already accepts the truth of a statement but say how it came about (My car won’t start, because the battery is flat)
Description
gives 1+ items of information about a particular topic
Argument structures (7)
Standard form, deductive argument, inductive argument, generalisations, analogies, general principles and causal reasoning
Standard argument form
3 reasons under each other, conclusion on the bottom
Deductive argument
valid or invalid, true premises=true conclusion, Are the premises true? Is the form of the argument valid?
Inductive argument
Conclusion doesn’t follow premises, are the premises true or acceptable? Are the premises relevant to the issue at hand? Are the premises compelling enough to justify conclusion?
Generalisations
involve making a general claim based on limited/specific evidence
Analogies
Drawing conclusions about one situation based on another
General principles
apply general principles to a specific case, opposite to generalisations
Causal reasoning
Offer an argument that one thing led to another thing happening
How do you analyse an argument
Determine if it is valid (logical), sound (true with a logical conclusion), cogent (convincing)
Modus ponens
affirms, If A then B, A therefore B
Modus tollens
Denies, If A then B, Not B, therefore not A
Fallacies (6)
Ad hominem, appeal to irrelevant authority, genetic fallacy, hasty generalisation, argument from ignorance, equivocation
Ad hominem
attacks the person not the argument
Appeal to irrelevant authority
refers to respected sources or authorities
Genetic fallacy
attacks the argument in terms of its origins instead of content
Hasty generalisation
making assumptions based of an inadequate sample (too small)
Argument from ignorance
argument that there is no evidence therefore it’s not true
Equivocation
sliding between two or more different meaning of a single word or phrase
5 philosophical criteria for personhood
ability to use reason, ability to use some sort of language, being aware they exist, being part of a social group, being able to enter relationships within the social group
Five capacities of the mind
Awareness, thought, volition, feeling, memory
Awareness
perceptual and self-awareness (to do with our understanding of what we are perceiving and that we have the ability to adjust it), seeing a plane but using perceptual awareness to focus on figuring out the logo
Thought
capacity to process/interpret information
Volition
mental process of actively deciding a course of action, eating
Feelings
Emotions
Memory
ability to store and recall past data
3 mental powers
Consciousness (state of being aware), intentionality (capacity to represent the world), self-awareness (awareness of traits, feelings, behavior, etc,)
Dualism
mind is distinct from the body, mind is not the brain, possible that the mind can survive the death of the brain
Materialism
mind is an extension of the body but inseparable, mind is nothing more than the brain, if the brain dies the mind must also die
Philosophical argument for dualism
Aristotle- the soul is the form of the body that give it its life and characteristics and argues that there is one substance (physical body and brain) that has 2 types of properties (physical and mental)
Philosophical argument for materialism
Brain damage- when the brain undergoes damage mental substance/properties of the person are significantly compromised
How do humans meet the characteristics of personhood
Can use language, and form social groups and relations
How do animals meet the characteristics of personhood
Can use language and form social groups
Strong and weak inference indicators
Strong when there is strong reasoning, weak when there is weak reasoning
