Philosophy Review

A set of vocabulary flashcards to aid in the study of key philosophical concepts, definitions, and important figures from the lecture notes.

Philosophy

The study of fundamental questions about existence, knowledge, values, reason, and reality.

Epistemology

The branch of philosophy concerned with the theory of knowledge.

Metaphysics

The branch of philosophy that studies the nature of reality.

Ethics

The branch of philosophy that deals with moral principles and values.

Logic

The study of reasoning, argumentation, and the principles of valid inference.

Archē

The first principle or source of something; the origin.

Logos

A term used by Heraclitus meaning 'reason' or 'word', representing the secret to reality.

Atom

A fundamental particle thought to be indivisible and the smallest unit of matter.

Materialism

The philosophical view that only material or physical things exist.

The Forms

Platonic ideals that represent the true essence or nature of things in a non-physical realm.

Causal Determinism

The doctrine that every event is determined by preceding events in accordance with universal natural laws.

Socrates

A classical Greek philosopher credited as one of the founders of Western philosophy.

Plato

A student of Socrates and a foundational figure in Western philosophy, known for his works on metaphysics and ethics.

Parmenides

A pre-Socratic philosopher who argued that change is impossible and that reality is one unchanging entity.

Zeno of Elea

A philosopher known for his paradoxes that challenge our understanding of motion and change.

Sophists

A group of itinerant teachers in ancient Greece who claimed to teach success in public life and questioned traditional beliefs.

The Academy

The philosophical school founded by Plato in Athens.

Allegory of the Cave

Plato's metaphor for human enlightenment and the difference between the world of appearances and the world of reality.

Four Cardinal Virtues

The four key virtues in ethical philosophy: Wisdom, Courage, Moderation, and Justice.

Rationalism

The philosophical view that knowledge is primarily gained through reason and innate ideas.

Empiricism

The philosophical view that knowledge arises from sensory experience.

Idealism

The philosophical stance that reality is fundamentally mental, spiritually, or otherwise immaterial.

Nihilism

The philosophical belief that life is without objective meaning, purpose, or intrinsic value.

The Great Chain of Being

A hierarchical structure of all matter and life, believed in many traditions to represent the order of the universe.

Philosophy

The study of fundamental questions about existence, knowledge, values, reason, and reality.

Epistemology

The branch of philosophy concerned with the theory of knowledge.

Metaphysics

The branch of philosophy that studies the nature of reality.

Ethics

The branch of philosophy that deals with moral principles and values.

Logic

The study of reasoning, argumentation, and the principles of valid inference.

Archē

The first principle or source of something; the origin.

Logos

A term used by Heraclitus meaning 'reason' or 'word', representing the secret to reality.

Atom

A fundamental particle thought to be indivisible and the smallest unit of matter.

Materialism

The philosophical view that only material or physical things exist.

The Forms

Platonic ideals that represent the true essence or nature of things in a non-physical realm.

Causal Determinism

The doctrine that every event is determined by preceding events in accordance with universal natural laws.

Socrates

A classical Greek philosopher credited as one of the founders of Western philosophy.

Plato

A student of Socrates and a foundational figure in Western philosophy, known for his works on metaphysics and ethics.

Parmenides

A pre-Socratic philosopher who argued that change is impossible and that reality is one unchanging entity.

Zeno of Elea

A philosopher known for his paradoxes that challenge our understanding of motion and change.

Sophists

A group of itinerant teachers in ancient Greece who claimed to teach success in public life and questioned traditional beliefs.

The Academy

The philosophical school founded by Plato in Athens.

Allegory of the Cave

Plato's metaphor for human enlightenment and the difference between the world of appearances and the world of reality.

Four Cardinal Virtues

The four key virtues in ethical philosophy: Wisdom, Courage, Moderation, and Justice.

Rationalism

The philosophical view that knowledge is primarily gained through reason and innate ideas.

Empiricism

The philosophical view that knowledge arises from sensory experience.

Idealism

The philosophical stance that reality is fundamentally mental, spiritually, or otherwise immaterial.

Nihilism

The philosophical belief that life is without objective meaning, purpose, or intrinsic value.

The Great Chain of Being

A hierarchical structure of all matter and life, believed in many traditions to represent the order of the universe.

Aristotle

A student of Plato and a polymath whose works profoundly influenced Western philosophy, science, and ethics, known for developing formal logic and empirical inquiry.

Syllogism

A form of deductive reasoning consisting of a major premise, a minor premise, and a conclusion.

Virtue Ethics

A normative ethical theory that emphasizes character and moral virtues, rather than rules