Exploring Reality: Metaphysics, Materialism, and Idealism

Metaphysics

Study of the nature of reality.

Materialism

Matter is the ultimate constituent of reality.

Eastern Materialism

Focus on happiness in the material world.

Charvaka

Indian philosophers rejecting religion for physical pleasures.

Western Materialism

Reality explained through atoms and measurable phenomena.

Democritus

Proposed universe consists of atoms and empty space.

Hobbes

Knowledge limited to measurable world phenomena.

Human Consciousness

Awareness that includes subjective experiences.

Principle of Indeterminacy

Particle properties depend on observer interaction.

Idealism

Reality consists of minds and their ideas.

Plato's Forms

Ideal forms are eternal and unchanging.

Modern Idealism

Reality is dependent on conscious perceptions.

Berkeley's Idealism

Only perceptions and minds constitute reality.

Subjective Idealism

Objects exist only as perceptions in the mind.

Objective Idealism

Ideas exist independently in a supreme mind.

Eastern Idealism

Perceptions affect us despite being mind-dependent.

Antirealism

Reality depends on description and perception.

Nelson Goodman

Reality shaped by linguistic and conceptual frameworks.

Postmodernism

Rejects singular reality, embraces multiple valid realities.

Jean Grimshaw

Critiques multiple realities' implications on oppression.

John Searle

Reality exists independently of language descriptions.

Conscious Experience

Awareness unique to individual perception.

Quarks

Elementary particles behaving as energy forces.

Idealistic Universe

Reality may depend on mental constructs.

Materialism Objections

Fails to explain consciousness and subjective experience.

Anthropomorphism

Attributing human traits to nonhuman entities.

Oppression and Anti-realism

Denies objective reality of systemic oppression.

Putnam's Theory

Descriptions of reality depend on language systems.

Searle's Argument

Real external world exists; anti-realism limits awareness.

Communication

Requires shared understanding of reality between participants.

Anti-realism

Belief that reality is subjective to individual perception.

Determinism

All events, including human actions, are predetermined.

Fate

Controlled by irresistible cosmic forces; Stoic belief.

Theological Determinism

An all-controlling God causes all events.

Scientific Determinism

Events determined by prior events and natural laws.

Social Determinism

Human actions influenced by social factors and environment.

Libertarianism

Belief in free will and personal choice.

Bad Faith

Self-deception about freedom and responsibility.

Religion

Influences beliefs about self and destiny.

Seven Dimensions of God

Framework for understanding religious beliefs and practices.

Ontological Argument

God's existence inferred from the concept of God.

Anselm's Proof

Greatest Possible Being must exist in reality.

Gaunilo's Objection

Greatest Possible Island argument challenges Anselm's logic.

Kant's Critique

Existence cannot be inferred from concepts alone.

Cosmology

Study of the universe's structure and origins.

Cosmological Argument

Reasoning that everything must have a cause.

Aquinas' First Mover

Unmoved mover initiates all motion in the universe.

Uncaused Cause

First cause that itself is not caused by another.

John Hick's Analogy

Underlying support necessary for the existence of the universe.

Material Symbolism

Ordinary objects represent the sacred in religion.

Moral Framework

Set of rules guiding believers' actions.

Ritual Practices

Acts of worship and prayer in religious contexts.

Mythology

Stories conveying sacred meanings in religions.

Organization of Religion

Structures that preserve and promote religious beliefs.

Experience of God

Personal events where believers sense the divine.

Non-contingent Being

Exists independently, not reliant on anything else.

Purely Actual Entity

An entity without potentiality or change.

Prime Unmoved Mover

Initial cause of all change, unchanging itself.

Vicious Regress

Infinite dependency without a foundational cause.

Contingent Being

Dependent on something else for existence.

Necessary Being

Exists independently; cannot fail to exist.

Gottfried Leibniz

Philosopher who modified the contingency proof.

Personal Explanation

Involves intentions of a personal agent.

Scientific Explanation

Explains events through physical conditions and laws.

Essential Explanation

Existence necessitated by the essence of a thing.

Moral Argument

Perfect virtues must exist for partial virtues.

Transcendentals

Truth, goodness, and beauty compared hierarchically.

Maximum of Being

Unrestricted existence, the ultimate comparison point.

Intelligent Design

Order in the universe implies a designer.

Teleological Argument

Purposeful design in nature suggests a creator.

Paley's Argument

Natural world's complexity indicates intelligent design.

Fine-Tuning Argument

Complex constants suggest universe's intentional design.

Weak Gravitational Force

Critical for life; slight changes are catastrophic.

Strong Nuclear Force

Essential for atomic stability; finely balanced.

Density of Matter

Critical for universe's structure and life sustainability.

Expansion Rate

Must be precise for life to exist.

Low Entropy

Necessary condition post-Big Bang for life.

Blaise Pascal

Philosopher known for his reflections on belief.

Actualization

Process of potential becoming reality.

Change

Movement from potentiality to actuality.

Divine Attributes

Characteristics ascribed to God by theists.

Atheistic Hypothesis

Creation viewed as an accidental occurrence.

Pascal's Wager

Decision-making framework regarding belief in God.

Infinite Happiness

Ultimate gain if God exists according to Pascal.

Summa Contra Gentiles

Aquinas' work aimed at persuading Muslims.

Summa Theologica

Aquinas' comprehensive outline of Christian doctrine.

Knowledge by Analogy

Understanding God through imperfect human concepts.

Natural Inclinations

God-given tendencies guiding human morality.

Averroism

Philosophical challenge to Catholic theology from Averroes.

Via Negativa

Understanding God by negating human attributes.

Descartes' Certainty

Knowledge begins with self-awareness: 'I think, therefore I am.'

Problem of Evil

Challenge to God's existence due to suffering.

Agnosticism

Position of uncertainty regarding God's existence.

Ernest Nagel

Defined atheism as denial of a benevolent God.

Hume's Argument

Experience of evil contradicts an all-good deity.

St. Augustine's View

Evil is the absence of good, not a substance.

Freud's Perspective

Belief in God stems from psychological needs.

Darwinian Theory

Life evolved from simple structures to complex forms.

Moral Code

Based on empirical satisfaction of human needs.

Intellectual Muslims

Target audience for Aquinas' persuasive works.