PULSE Fall 2025 Midterm Review Sheet

This set of flashcards covers key vocabulary terms, concepts, and definitions from the PULSE Fall 2025 Midterm Review Sheet.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

The simulation of human intelligence by machines, especially computer systems, that can learn, reason, and make decisions.

Environmental Racism

The systemic placement of toxic waste sites, polluting industries, and other environmental hazards in communities of color or low-income areas.

Epistemology

The branch of philosophy concerned with knowledge—its nature, sources, limits, and validity; it involves questioning knowledge or belief.

Ethics

The study of moral principles that govern behavior; it concerns questions about values and what is right and wrong.

Injustice

A violation of the principles of fairness and moral rightness; the absence of justice.

Intersectionality

The understanding that forms of oppression (race, gender, class, sexuality, religion) intersect and compound one another.

Justice

The moral and social virtue of giving each person their due; fairness in distribution of goods, opportunities, and treatment.

Logic

The branch of philosophy that studies reasoning and the structure of valid arguments; it emphasizes thinking clearly and correctly.

Metaphysics

The branch of philosophy that explores the nature of reality and existence beyond the physical world, addressing big questions about existence.

Ontology

A branch of metaphysics that studies being and existence—what it means for something to be.

Philosophy

The love of wisdom; a discipline that seeks to understand truth, existence, morality, and the human condition through reason.

Socratic Irony

A method used by Socrates in which he pretended ignorance to encourage others to reveal their assumptions and reach deeper understanding.

Spirituality

The personal or communal pursuit of meaning, connection, and transcendence, often related to one’s relationship with the divine.

Theology

The study of God and divine reality; seeks to understand faith, revelation, and the relationship between God and humanity.

Targeted Universalism

A policy approach that sets universal goals (e.g., healthcare for all) but uses targeted strategies to help groups facing particular barriers.

Environmental Impact of AI

The effects that the growth in AI data centers has on electricity demand, greenhouse-gas emissions, and local pollution.

Solidarity

The moral and spiritual commitment to the common good, standing with others—especially the oppressed—in pursuit of justice.

Revelation

The disclosure of divine truth or knowledge by God to humanity—through scripture, experience, or creation.

Universal Program

A social or political program designed to benefit everyone equally, without targeting specific groups.

Regulatory Gaps

The lack of comprehensive federal oversight specifically for AI data centers and the fragmented regulation impacting their energy use.

Censorship

The suppression of materials that may be considered objectionable, harmful, or sensitive by governments, regulators, or other controlling bodies.