philosophy & socioology fall final

philosophy

systematic study of fundamental questions concerning existence, knowledge, values, reason, and language

metaphysics

branch of philosophy that deals with the first principles of things, including abstract concepts such as being, knowing, substance, cause, identity, time, and space

epistemology

the theory of knowledge, especially with regard to its methods, validity, and scope; the investigation of what distinguishes justified belief from opinion

axiology

the study of the nature of value and valuation and of the kinds of things that are valuable

logic

fundamental branch of philosophy that studies the principles of valid reasoning and argumentation, exploring how conclusions follow from premises

thought experiment

an imaginary scenario to test an argument or theory

necessary condition

a condition that must be present for a statement or outcome to occur

sufficient condition

a condition that is satisfied guarantees the occurrence of a particular outcome

cartesian dualism

(descartes) posits that the mind and the body are fundamentally distinct substances and can exist independently of each other

eliminative materialists

philosophical theory that argues that common sense psychological concepts do not exist and should be eliminated from scientific discourse

functionalists

defines mental states not by what they’re made of but by the function they perform

identity theory

mental states are the same things as physical states or processes in the brain, proposing that the mind is the brain

logical behaviorism

the view that mental states are not real, separate entities but are instead dispositions to behave in certain ways

materialism

the view that only matter and energy exist and everything including our minds arises from physical processes and interactions; non-physical realities like souls or spirits do not exist

parallelism

mental and physical events occur in perfect, simultaneous coordination but without any casual interaction

hard determinists

the view that all events, including human choices and actions, are casually necessitated by prior events and natural laws, meaning free will is an illusion, and genuine moral responsibility is impossible, as people couldn’t have acted otherwise

causal determinism

the view that every event, including human actions and choices is entirely determined by preceding causes and the unchangeable laws of nature; where the future is fixed by the past, challenging traditional notions of free will and moral responsibility

causal indeterminism

the view that not all events are strictly necessitate by prior causes

traditional compatibilists (soft determinism)

argues that free will and determinism (the idea that all events are caused by prior events) are compatible, asserting that freedom means acting voluntarily according to your desires unhindered by external cnstraints

libertarians

maximizing individual liberty, self-ownership, and autonomy, viewing freedom as the highest political value with a strong skepticism of government power

fatalism

the belief that events are predetermined and human actions cannot alter them

quantum mechanics

the fundamental theory in physics describing nature at the smallest scales

brain theory

explores the relationship between the mind and the brain focusing on physicalist views

memory theory

explores memory’s nature, role in personal identity, and knowledge

soul theory

philosophical theories of the soul explore it as the immaterial essence, life principle, or seat of consciousness

essential property

a characteristic that defines an entity’s identity; without it, the entity would not be what it fundamentally is

transitivity

values so not change with context, and it is suggested that all alleged cases of nontransitive betterness can be modeled as the result of complexity, not context-relativity

apparent memory

a temporary storage system in the brain that allows us to hold and manipulate information or a limited time

direct memory

memory can provide genuine knowledge about the past

indirect memory

a memory that an earlier stage of a person can consciously recall

real memory

a memory of an event that was experienced by the person remembering it and that was caused by the event it records

subjective relativism

the view that what is right or wrong, true or false, is relative to each individual’s personal feeling, opinions, and beliefs

ethical egoism

a theory stating that individuals should act in their own self-interest as a matter of moral duty

virtue theory

points that every action aims at some good, and there must be a highest good for human life

direct realism

we perceive the world directly as it is without the mediation of sense data or mental representations

empiricism

the theory that all knowledge is derived from sense-experience

phenomenalism

the doctrine that human knowledge is confined to or founded on the realities or appearance presented to the senses

rationalism

a belief or theory that opinions or actions should be based on reason and knowledge rather than being based on religious belief or emotional responses

representative realism

our knowledge of the external world is mediated by mental representations, which are internal constructs that stand in for external objects and events

skepticism

critical approach that questions the possibility of knowledge , often leading to the suspension of belief in various claims