Falsafah & Contemporary Issues (CTU552) – Core Vocabulary

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms, thinkers, principles and concepts from CTU552 lecture materials on philosophy, education, logic, epistemology, ideology, ethics and decolonisation.

Philosophy (Falsafah)

Love of wisdom; systematic pursuit of fundamental truths about existence, knowledge and values.

Philo + Sophia

Greek roots of ‘philosophy’; literally ‘love’ (philo) of ‘wisdom’ (sophia).

Aristotle’s View of Philosophy

Study of metaphysics, physical world, human purpose and relationship with nature.

Plato’s View of Philosophy

Inquiry into what is true, good and beautiful; knowledge of all that exists.

Al-Farabi

Muslim philosopher who defined philosophy as love of wisdom and root of all sciences.

Al-Kindi

First Arab philosopher; saw philosophy as knowledge of reality linked to God and human grasp.

Purpose of Philosophy

Rigorous thinking aimed at discovering universal, foundational truths.

Makrokosmos

The ‘great universe’—society, nation, cosmos.

Mikrokosmos

The ‘small universe’—the individual human self.

Rukun Negara

Malaysia’s national ideology built on five principles of unity and nation-building.

1. Belief in God

First principle of Rukun Negara affirming theistic foundation of the state.

2. Loyalty to King & Country

Second principle stressing allegiance to constitutional monarchy.

3. Supremacy of the Constitution

Third Rukun Negara principle upholding constitutional rule.

4. Rule of Law

Fourth principle ensuring justice through fixed laws.

5. Courtesy & Morality

Fifth Rukun Negara principle promoting respect and ethics.

Objectives of Rukun Negara

Forge unity, maintain democracy, create just society, build progressive nation, cultivate liberal cultural outlook.

Falsafah Pendidikan Kebangsaan (FPK)

National Education Philosophy aiming to form balanced, harmonious individuals (JERI).

JERI

Acronym for Jasmani, Emosi, Rohani, Intelek—four integrated domains of human development.

Insan Seimbang

Balanced person intellectually, spiritually, emotionally and physically.

Insan Beradab

Cultured human conscious of duties to God, self, society and environment (Al-Attas).

Ta’dib

Process of instilling adab (proper conduct) within a person.

A.D.A.B Learning Model

UiTM instructional design: Analysis, Design & Deliver, Assess, Build in Belief.

Falsafah Sejahtera

Philosophy of well-being aligned with Islamic worldview, aiming for holistic prosperity.

Metaphysics

Branch of philosophy studying reality beyond the physical; ‘after physics’.

Ontology

Theory of being; investigates what exists and its categories.

Epistemology

Theory of knowledge—sources, validity, limits and justification.

Axiology

Philosophical study of values, including ethics and aesthetics.

Logic

Science of correct reasoning and valid inference.

Induction

Reasoning from specific cases to general conclusion; probabilistic.

Deduction

Reasoning from general premises to certain specific conclusion.

Abduction

Inference to the best explanation; reasoning backwards from effect to cause.

Heuristic Thinking

Exploratory problem-solving using trial-and-error, lateral thinking and experience-based rules.

Falasi (Fallacy)

Error in reasoning that renders an argument invalid.

False Cause

Fallacy assuming causal link without proof.

Ad Hominem

Fallacy attacking the person instead of the argument.

Appeal to Popularity

Fallacy claiming truth because many believe it.

Equivocation

Fallacy using a word in two different senses within an argument.

Silogisme (Syllogism)

Classical deductive structure with two premises and a conclusion.

Justified True Belief (JTB)

Traditional tripartite definition of knowledge—belief that is true and justified.

Coherence Theory of Truth

Truth equals consistency with a system of statements.

Correspondence Theory of Truth

Truth equals agreement of proposition with objective reality.

Pragmatic Theory of Truth

Truth determined by practical consequences and usefulness.

Secularism

Ideology separating religion from state, science, education and public life.

Modernism

18th–20th-century movement emphasising reason, science, grand narratives and progress.

Post-Modernism

Reaction against modernism; sceptical of metanarratives, embraces relativism and pluralism.

Relativism

Doctrine that truth and morality are not absolute but culturally or individually conditioned.

Dualism

Philosophical view separating mind/spirit and matter/body.

Decolonisation

Process of removing colonial domination, including intellectual and cultural ‘epistemicide’.

Epistemicide

Destruction of a people’s knowledge systems during colonisation.

Worldview

Comprehensive outlook shaping how a person interprets reality and values.

Taskhir

Qur’anic concept of nature made subservient for responsible human use.

Khalifah

Human vicegerent entrusted to steward the earth responsibly.

Shahadah

Islamic testimony of faith; foundation of belief in one God.

Naqli Knowledge

Revealed knowledge derived from Qur’an and Hadith.

Aqli Knowledge

Rational/empirical knowledge gained through intellect and senses.

Fardu Ain

Individual obligatory knowledge or duties every Muslim must learn and perform.

Fardu Kifayah

Communal obligations fulfilled if a sufficient segment of society performs them.

Humanities

Academic disciplines studying human culture—history, philosophy, languages.

Insan Kamil

Concept of perfect or complete human exemplified by Prophet Muhammad.

Renaissance

European cultural rebirth (14th–17th c.) valuing humanism and classical learning.

Enlightenment

18th-century intellectual movement championing reason and scientific method.

Scientific Revolution

17th-century transformation in science featuring Copernicus, Galileo, Newton.

Industrial Revolution

18th–19th-century shift to mechanised manufacturing and technological innovation.

Secularisation

Process of removing religious significance from aspects of life and institutions.

Saeculum

Latin root of ‘secular’; means ‘this world’ or ‘age’.

Narrative (Grand/Meta)

Overarching explanatory story characteristic of modernism.

Simulacra

Baudrillard’s term for copies without originals; hyperreal representations.

Deconstruction

Derrida’s method of exposing contradictions within texts and concepts.

Pluralism

Acceptance of multiple coexisting views, often regarding religion or culture.

Hedonism

Ethical stance that pleasure is the highest good.

Narcissism

Excessive self-love and self-centredness.

Agnosticism

View that existence of God is unknown or unknowable.

Scepticism

Attitude of doubting knowledge claims.

Ethical Relativism

Belief that moral right and wrong are culture-dependent.

Environmental Ethics

Philosophical study of human duties to nature.

Cartesian Dualism

Descartes’ separation of res cogitans (thinking substance) and res extensa (extended substance).

Idealisme

View that reality is fundamentally mental or immaterial.

Materialism

View that only physical matter truly exists.

Logical Positivism

20th-century movement holding meaningful statements must be empirically verifiable.

Critical Rationalism

Popper’s philosophy stressing falsifiability and critical testing.

Pragmatism

American philosophy valuing ideas for practical consequences (Peirce, James, Dewey).

Ulu al-Albāb

Qur’anic epithet for ‘people of sound intellect’ integrating revelation and reason.

Marātib al-‘Ilm

Hierarchy of knowledge levels in Islamic epistemology.

Ilham (Intuition)

Inner inspiration bestowed by God upon a purified heart.

Basirah

Inner sight or spiritual insight beyond sensory perception.

Kashf

Unveiling of hidden truths to the spiritually enlightened.

Ilmu Ladunni

God-given direct knowledge without formal learning.

Aql-Naql Integration

Harmonising rational inquiry with revealed guidance.

Value-laden Science

Recognition that scientific knowledge is influenced by social and moral values.

Value-free Science

Positivist claim that science is neutral and objective.

ADHD Model?

(Clarification) In this course, ADAB—not ADHD—stands for instructional design stages.

Good Citizen vs Good Man

Al-Attas’ distinction between merely law-abiding person and morally upright ‘Insan Adabi’.

Sa‘adah

Islamic concept of true happiness encompassing worldly and eternal well-being.

Nafs al-Mutma’innah

Serene soul at peace, promised paradise in Qur’an 89:27-30.

Tawhidic Paradigm

Framework grounding all knowledge and action in the oneness of God.

Epistemological Amnesia

Loss of indigenous knowledge due to colonial epistemicide.

Decoloniality

Active effort to recover, validate and apply local worldviews and knowledge systems.

Falsafah Rukun Negara

Philosophical underpinning of Malaysia’s nation-building principles.

Falsafah Etika

Philosophy of ethics examining moral foundations and challenges like relativism.

Kesejahteraan

Holistic well-being involving physical, emotional, spiritual and social harmony.