Descartes and Locke: Rationalism and Empiricism

These flashcards cover key concepts in the philosophical theories of Rationalism and Empiricism, focusing on the works and ideas of Descartes and Locke.

Cogito, ergo sum

A Latin philosophical proposition by René Descartes meaning 'I think, therefore I am,' affirming the existence of the self as a thinking entity.

Ontological Argument

A philosophical argument for the existence of God, which asserts that the very concept of a perfect being implies its existence.

Rationalism

The epistemological theory emphasizing the role of reason as the primary source of knowledge, prioritizing it over sensory experience.

Dualism

The philosophical concept that posits the existence of two fundamental kinds of entities or substances: the material (body) and the non-material (mind or spirit).

Innate ideas

Concepts or knowledge that are believed to be present in the mind at birth, rather than acquired through experience.

Empiricism

The epistemological theory asserting that knowledge comes primarily from sensory experience, denying the existence of innate ideas.

Tabula Rasa

The concept of the mind as a 'blank slate' at birth, suggesting that all knowledge is derived from experience.

Primary Qualities

Objective features of objects, such as shape and size, that remain consistent regardless of perception.

Secondary Qualities

Subjective qualities, such as color and taste, that may vary from person to person and do not exist independently of perception.

Indirect realism

The view that we do not perceive the world directly but through the mediation of our senses and mental processes.