Metaphysics and The Soul

Metaphysics

Branch of philosophy interested in aspects of reality/being beyond what science can tell us

Ship of Theseus

Philosophical thought experiment that questions the identity of an object when its constituent parts are replaced over time

Universal / Types

A shared characteristic or quality that can be attributed to multiple objects

Particulars / Tokens

A specific, concrete, and particular instance of a general abstract category

Ontology

Philosophical study of being, existence, and reality

Platonism

Philosophical view based on the teachings of Plato that emphasize the existence of perfect, eternal Forms that are the true reality, with the matieral world being an imperfect reflection of these Forms

Hylomorphism

Philosophical view that all physical objects are composites of matter (the material) and form (the organizing essence or principle)

Third Man Argument

A critique of Plato's Theory of Forms that leads to an infinite regress of forms. "What makes the Form apart of the group?"

Subjective Idealism

Philosophical view that claims reality is composed of minds and their ideas, and that physical objects only exist when they are perceived. "To be is to be perceived."

Verification Criterion

Meaning of a word or phrase is found in its method of empirical verification (the way to check if it's true or false by experience)

Fictionalism

Philosophical view that proposes we should interpret certain forms of discourse as useful but not literally true. Some things only exist in our minds and have no extramental reality

Physicalism

Philosophical view that everything in the universe is physical, or that anything that exists is either a physical entity or depends on physical entities for its existence

Dualism

Philosophical belief that reality consists of two fundamental and distinct substances or realms, most commonly the mind and body. The body and the soul exist together

Platonic / Cartesian Dualism

Philosophical view where reality is divided into distinct realms: the sensible world (physical world) and the intelligible world (realm of Forms). The soul and the body are two separate entities. You are your soul and you have a body

Charioteer Analogy

Illustrates the human soul as a charioteer (reason) controlling two horses (noble passions and base appetites) in a chariot (the body)

Hylomorphic Dualism

Philosophical view that asserts human beings as unified wholes of matter and an immaterial soul, where the soul is the substantial form of the body. You are your body and your soul.

Nutritive soul

Produce automatic biological processes; souls of plants, bacteria, etc.

Appetitive soul

Instinct driven, seek pleasurable and challenging goods; souls of brute animals

Rational soul

Possess intellect and will; souls unique to humans

Eliminative Materialism

Form of physicalism that denies the existence of mental states (only brain states exist)

Type Identity Theory

Form of physicalism that states that specific types of mental states are literally identical to specifc types of brain states

Functionalism

View that defines mental states as functions (correct inputs and outputs)

Consciousness

The state of having subjective awareness of one's thoughts, feelings, and environment, encompassing the unique, first-person experience of being alive

Chinese Room Argument

Thought experiment that argues that a computer operating a program cannot achieve true understanding or consciousness, even if it can perfectly simulate intelligent behavior

Zombie

A hypothetical being that is physically identical to a normal human in every way but lacks conscious experience