PHIL Exam #1 Study Guide

Philosophy

The love of wisdom; from Greek philia (friendship/love) and sophia (wisdom).

Metaphysics

The branch of philosophy that studies what kinds of things exist in reality and the nature of being.

Epistemology

The branch of philosophy that studies knowledge, evidence, and what justifies believing something.

Ethics

The branch of philosophy that studies human happiness, moral goodness, and what actions are right or wrong.

Logic

The study of correct reasoning and how to construct and evaluate arguments.

Libertarianism (freedom)

The view that some human actions are genuinely free and that when we act we could have done otherwise.

Reason for Libertarianism

Our experience of making choices and facing opportunity costs suggests we really could choose differently.

Reason against Libertarianism

External constraints (like coercion or imprisonment) suggest actions are not always truly “up to us.”

Theological Determinism

The view that God has predetermined everything that will happen, like an author writing a script.

Reason for Theological Determinism

If God is all-knowing and created everything, it seems he must know and determine how events unfold.

Reason against Theological Determinism

If God determines everything, then God would also be responsible for evil, which creates moral problems.

Labor (Arendt)

Activities that produce and consume the same basic goods repeatedly for survival.

Work (Arendt)

Activities that create lasting things in the world and express human creativity.

Action (Arendt)

Free human activity that reveals who a person is and introduces something new and unpredictable.

Speech (Arendt)

Communication that reveals a person’s character and explains their actions to others.

Contemplation (Arendt)

Reflective thinking about truth, meaning, or reality rather than acting in the world.

Freedom (Arendt)

The human ability to begin something new through action.

Newness (Arendt)

The capacity for human action to start something that has never happened before.

Uniqueness (Arendt)

The distinct individuality of each human person revealed through action and speech.

Why action reveals freedom (Arendt)

Because action begins something new that was not predetermined.

Why speech reveals freedom (Arendt)

Because speaking allows people to express intentions and shape shared reality.

Why action reveals uniqueness (Arendt)

Our actions show who we are in ways that distinguish us from others.

Why speech reveals uniqueness (Arendt)

Our words communicate our individual perspectives and character.

Subjectively Satisfying (Hildebrand)

Something that brings pleasure or satisfaction simply because we enjoy it.

Objective Good for the Person (Hildebrand)

Something that is truly beneficial for a person even if they do not enjoy it.

Value / Importance-in-itself (Hildebrand)

Something that is good or important in its own right, independent of personal benefit or pleasure.

Self-transcendence (Hildebrand)

The ability to move beyond self-interest and respond to values outside oneself.

Reverence (Hildebrand)

A respectful and humble response to values and things that deserve recognition.

Why reverence is important (Hildebrand)

It allows humans to recognize and respond appropriately to values greater than themselves.

Consistent argument

An argument whose premises do not contradict each other.

Valid argument

An argument where if the premises are true, the conclusion must also be true.

Sound argument

An argument that is valid and has true premises.

Modus Ponens

If P then Q; P; therefore Q (valid).

Modus Tollens

If P then Q; not Q; therefore not P (valid).

Affirming the Consequent

If P then Q; Q; therefore P (invalid).

Denying the Antecedent

If P then Q; not P; therefore not Q (invalid).

Pure Hypothetical Syllogism

If P then Q; if Q then R; therefore if P then R (valid).

Disjunctive Syllogism

P or Q; not P; therefore Q (valid).

Dilemma

An argument where two possible conditions both lead to the same conclusion.

Reductio ad absurdum

A method of proving a claim by assuming the opposite and showing it leads to a contradiction or absurd result.

Plato’s Forms / Absolutes

Perfect, unchanging realities that exist beyond the physical world and are the true objects of knowledge.

Material Particulars (Plato)

Physical objects in the world that imperfectly imitate the Forms.

Knowledge (Plato)

True understanding of the eternal Forms rather than mere opinion about changing physical things.

Reason for Plato’s view

The physical world constantly changes, so stable knowledge must come from unchanging realities like the Forms.