Test 1 Flashcards
What are platonic ideals?
The perfect, ideal form of something.
Ex: Aragon is the platonic ideal of a prince/king
What is the buffered self?
The idea of creating a barrier between yourself and the divine/enchanted. Eg. only believing what you see/ what is physical
What is rhetoric?
Using emotional language as support to in argument when doing so is innapropriate
What are weasler words?
When one uses half-truths to make a situation seem better/ to get out of something
What is syntactic ambiguity?
When the faulty structure/grammar of a sentence makes it ambiguous
What is semantic ambiguity?
When a sentence is ambiguous because it has more than one meaning
What is God’s from in LOTR
God does not manifest in the physical but exists as light
How does LOTR demonstrate that we are both fated and free?
1) Stories only proceed because of free will and poor choices
2) Nothing and no one forced Frodo to carry the burden of the ring
What is the link between God and truth?
As per Tolkein, God is the ultimate source of truth in the world.
Which race of creatures is the most aesthetic?
The elves
What is a euphemism?
Making something bad sound good
What is a dysphemism?
Making something good sound bad
What is a downplayer?
Reducing the gravity of an event or accomplishment
What does it mean to reject the buffered self?
Rejecting it means to see beyond the physical and allow yourself to be lost in the nature of things.
What makes Gandalf angelic?
1) Always shows up at the right time
2) Never manipulates or forces others to do what he wants
3) Reincarnation
What is a stereotype?
Cultural beliefs related to a specific group of people
What is an inneuendo?
Making an accusation by insinuating that the accused did something wrong (indirect accusation)
What is a loaded question?
A question that cannot be answered simply without making one look bad (usually contains an accusation)
What is the importance of nature according to Tolkein?
It is the ultimate source of beauty. It makes us happy simply because of its beauty. It helps us recover feelings of enchantment.
What is cartesian dualism?
The idea that the mind and body are separate and that there is more than just the physical world (Ex: Humans are not merely flesh robots)
What is hyperbole?
An overstatement or gross exaggeration
What is a rhetorical definition?
Defining something using emotionally charged language
What is a rhetorical explanation?
Explaining something using emotionally charged language
What is a proof surrogate?
Giving evidence for a claim based on a perceived common sense (there is no evidence)
What is a rhetorical analysis
Making a comparison between two terms with emotionally charged language
What is Argumentum Ad Hominem?
Invalidating an opinion or fact by dismissing the person who provided it
What is a circumstantial Argumentum Ad Hominem?
Believing that because someone stands to benefit from saying something, they are automatically wrong
What is poisoning the well?
Invalidating an opinion or fact by attacking the personality or background of the person who provided it
What is a genetic fallacy?
Invalidating an opinion or fact because its origins are believed to be bad
What is a straw man?
Distorting an argument in order to dismiss it/ make it look worse
What is a false dilemma
The illusion of having only two choices
What is a line drawing fallacy?
Refusing to draw a line simply because it is difficult to do so
What is a perfectionist fallacy?
Refusing to do something simply because it is impossible or very difficult to perfect
What is misplacing the burden of truth?
Placing the burden of proof upon the person giving an argument (part of their argument is very difficult to prove)
What is begging the question?
Using the argument itself as evidence for the argument (circular logic)
What are scare tactics?
Creating a sense of fear towards something instead of providing an argument
What is argument from outrage?
Believing one has the right to do something dramatic simply because they are upset
What is an appeal to pity?
Using pity to convince someone instead of an argument
What is apple polishing?
Sucking up to someone in order to convince them
What is an appeal to jealousy?
The attribution of ones success to negative things
What is an inconsistency ad hominem?
Dismissing an argument because it is hypocritical
What happens when someone lives too long?
The person begins to fade as things weigh down on them
What is the true conquest of nature?
The conquest of death; immortality
What is divine providence?
God on earth; providing and caring for humans
Who is Arwen in LOTR
Aragorn’s true love, daughter of Elrond
Who is Faramir in LOTR
The brother of Boromir
Who is Wormtongue in LOTR
King Theoden’s adviser. An agent of Saruman meant to keep the king weak.
What is the name of Saruman’s orb? What does it tell Pippin?
The Palantir. It tells him of the attack on Minas Tirith
Who is king Theoden in LOTR?
He is the king of Rohan.
Who is Steward Denethor in LOTR
Father of Boromir and Faromir. Temporary ruler of gondor
Who is Elrond in LOTR?
The father of Arwen
Who is Galadriel in LOTR? What does she do for Frodo and Sam?
She is an elder of Lorien. She gives a powerful rope to Frodo.
Who is Rosie in LOTR?
Sam’s wife
What brings the Ents to attack Isenguard?
Merry and Pippin steer Treebeard to the part of the woods that had been levelled by Saruman’s army, enraging the Ents.
What is ‘summum bonnum’?
Humanity’s conquest of nature
What does Gandalf fight on the bridge in the mines of Moria?
A Balrog
What do the ringwraiths ride on?
Fell beasts
