Philosophy of Science Lecture Review

This set of flashcards covers key terms and concepts related to the philosophy of science as discussed in the lecture.

Philosophy of Science

A branch of philosophy that seeks to understand the nature and implications of science, its methods, and its claims.

Logical Positivism

A philosophical movement that emerged in the early 20th century, emphasizing a verificationist theory of meaning and rooted in Hume’s empiricism.

Hume’s Empiricism

A theory stating that all knowledge arises from sensory experiences and there is no synthetic a priori knowledge.

Problem of Induction

A philosophical issue articulated by Hume regarding the justification of inductive reasoning, questioning how general principles can be confirmed by particular instances.

Causation

The relationship between cause and effect; a key focus of Hume's examination in philosophy.

Deductive Inference

A logical process where conclusions are drawn from general premises, guaranteeing the truth of the conclusion if premises are true.

Inductive Inference

A reasoning process that moves from specific instances to general conclusions, which lacks logical certainty.

Verificationism

The principle that the meaning of a statement is equivalent to the method of its verification, central to logical positivism.

Vienna Circle

A group of scientists and philosophers in the early 20th century devoted to merging scientific knowledge with empiricist philosophy.

Hypothetico-Deductivism

An approach to scientific reasoning that formulates hypotheses and deduces predictions that can be tested against observations.