Week 1 Flashcards
Define determinism
Everything is predetermined: Cause and effect
List the different types of determinism
Biological, quantum, psychic, environmental, socioculutural
Describe biological determinism
All human behaviour is determined by biological factors, like genes.
Describe environmental determinism
All human behaviour is determined by our environment
Describe sociocultural determinism
All human behaviour is determined by social norms and culture, and how we interact with each other
Describe psychic determinism
We are determined by our mental state and how our thoughts are organised
Describe quantum determinism
Determinism on an atomic level; how different particles influence each other; is randomness built into the world?
What are the four major arguments AGAINST DETERMINISM?
- Predictive failures in science
- Contradiction in choosing to believe determinism
- Indeterminism at atomic level
- Repercussions for immortality and diffusion of responsibility
What are the four major arguments AGAINST FREE WILL?
- So much science that suggests cause and effect
- Free will concerning because it proves immoral behaviour is a choice
- Reasonable to assume events follow logical patterns
Describe the view on truth advocated by Pythagoras
Absolute truth is a mathematical notion; the way to find truth is through mathematical and physics equations
Describe Socrates’ method for discerning the truth through questioning
Questioning and dialogue, distilling answers from progressive questions, getting accurate hypotheses from eliminating contradictions
Describe Plato’s perspective on truth
Reality is like seeing shadows; truth should be based on logic and reasoning. The visible world is an imperfect shadow of absolute reality.
Describe Plato’s allegory of the cave
- People trapped in cave looking at all, can only see shadows of reality
- When one escapes and sees the real world, and goes back, gets killed for his weird views
- Shows that we are just seeing shadows of reality and anyone that goes outside that is seen as weird
What qualities lead to Plato’s rationalist approach?
Plato suggested that we are fooled by our senses and need to use logic and reasoning (which is the basis of rationalism)
Describe Aristotle’s method for investigating truth
Empiricism; facts experienced through the senses. He had a desire to establish causation.
What are the qualities that lead to Aristotle’s approach being labelled empiricist?
Aristotle was interested in facts that were experienced by the senses. This became empiricist because modern researchers observe and use their senses in studies to find out information.
What is the relativist view proposed by Protagoras and other sophists?
The relativist view suggests that there is no one absolute truth: every individual has their own absolute truth, and one truth is no better than another.
What is the relativist view of the truth?
The relativist view says that there is no absolute truth: that everyone’s truth is subjective and personal to themselves. One truth is not better than another.
Plato’s view on knowledge, wealth, and virtue?
Virtue is more important than wealth; and knowledge is virtuous, but ignorance is not.
What two factors did Plato say could help find truth?
Intuition and deduction
How does the relativist view contrast with absolute truth?
There is only one absolute truth and it is universal; whereas relativism says there’s no such thing as the truth, and it is individual
Define causality
Connection between things in time and space
What makes psychology different from other hard sciences?
It has a higher rate of error variance
What is the observer effect?
Occurs when the act of observing something can have an effect on the behaviour itself
Why are some uncertain about determinism?
There are limits to how we trace causation
Describe Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle
At an atomic level, you can measure an atom’s position or it’s trajectory/rate of movement, but can’t measure both at the same time
