Philosophy Quiz One

Root words of Philosophy

Phila- Love of

Sophia- Knowledge

Philosophy

A mode of reflection for understanding life's most important truths

Philosophical Method

use of critical reasoning to try to find answers to fundamental questions about reality, morality, and knowledge.

Epistemology

The study of Knowledge

Axiology

The study of value including both aesthetic and moral value

Logic

The study of correct reasoning/thinking

Metaphysics

the study of the nature of reality

The four main divisions of philosophy

Epistemology, Axiology, Logic, Metaphysics

For Socrates, the soul is harmed by what?

The lack of knowledge

Socrates is known for saying

The unexamined life is not worth living

Argument

A group of statements in which one of them is meant to be supported by the other

Deductive Argument

An argument that reasons from known premises to an inevitable conclusion. They are both logically and realistically true

Inductive Argument

An argument intended to give probable support for its conclusion. Logically true but not always realistically true.

Strawman

Misrepresenting someone's argument to make it easier to attack

Appeal to the person

The fallacy of arguing that a claim should be rejected solely because of the characteristics of the person who makes it

Begging the question

When somebody assumes a conclusion without providing any support for it.

Slippery Slope

When someone argues an idea or course of action which will lead to something unacceptable, wrong, or disastrous.

Equivocation

Assigning two different meanings to the same significant word in an argument

Example:

Taxes are a headache

Tylenol takes away headaches

Tylenol takes away taxes

Confirmation Bias

A tendency to search for information that supports our preconceptions and to ignore or distort contradictory evidence

Motivated Reasoning

Reasoning for the purpose of supporting a predetermined conclusion, not to uncover the truth

Availability Error

Relying on evidence not because it is true but because it is memorable or striking/Going with the first thing that comes to mind

Dunning-Kruger Effect

The phenomenon of being ignorant of how ignorant we are (More in-depth version: when a person's lack of knowledge and skills in a certain area cause them to overestimate their own competence.

Principle or Law of Non-Contraindication

Something cannot be and not be at the same time.Nothing cannot be true or untrue at the same time

Example: A single husband

Logical Impossibility

Something is logically impossible if and only if it violates a law of logic Example: A round square

Casual Impossibility

Something is casually impossible if and only if it violates a law of nature

Example: He hit a baseball into outer space (naturally impossible)

Atomism

Everything is composed of atoms. The physical universe and the atoms of which it was composed of have always existed and will never pass out of existence.

Arche

Beginning. The first principle from which other principles are derived from.

First Philosopher & his theory

Thales (625-547 BCE)

His greatest contribution was his method. He set out to look for the most natural, not mythic, explanations for natural phenomena. He wanted accounts be as simple as possible. He set up a method which is now a preferred approach in modern science.