philosophy core themes

Flashcards covering key concepts from lecture notes on identity, free will, human nature, mind/body, and personhood.

Locke's Theory of Personal Identity (John Locke)

Argues that personal identity persists over time because of continued consciousness. As long as someone remembers past thoughts and actions, they are the same person.

Locke’s Continuity of Consciousness (John Locke)

Suggests that personal identity is tied to the continuity of consciousness, which is maintained through memory. If consciousness is continuous, identity remains intact.

Aristotle's Philosophy on Identity (Aristotle)

Posits that the self is based in the soul and its relation to the body. Identity is linked to the capacity for rational thought.

Aristotle’s Accidental Change (Aristotle)

Refers to changes that do not alter the fundamental identity of something. Examples include superficial changes or temporary physical alterations like applying makeup or getting a bruise.

Aristotle’s Essential Change (Aristotle)

Describes changes that fundamentally alter what something is. Examples include an acorn becoming a tree or the death of a living being, which changes its very essence.

Lorde's View on Identity (Audre Lorde)

Asserts that identity is not a single, unified concept but a complex combination of experiences and characteristics that shape an individual’s perspective.

Lorde’s Intersectionality (Audre Lorde)

Explores how different aspects of identity (e.g., race, gender, class) interact to shape experiences of oppression and privilege. These intersections influence an individual’s unique experience.

Sartre’s Radical Free Will (Jean-Paul Sartre)

Proposes that individuals are entirely free to choose their actions and define their own essence. People are responsible for their actions and the consequences that follow.

Hume’s Compatibilism (David Hume)

Attempts to reconcile free will and determinism by suggesting that freedom exists when our actions align with our desires, even if those desires are causally determined.

Hume’s Liberty of Spontaneity (David Hume)

Defines freedom as the ability to act according to one's own will and desires, free from external constraints or restrictions.

Hume’s Liberty of Indifference (David Hume)

Claims that some actions are random or determined by external factors, equating liberty with chance. This view suggests a lack of inherent control over certain actions.

The Other (Simone de Beauvoir)

Describes how dominant groups establish themselves as the norm (“the One”) by defining other groups as different or subordinate (“the Other”). This concept is illustrated by the treatment of women in male-dominated societies.

The Other (Frantz Fanon)

Explores how colonial dynamics force Black individuals into a position of “Otherness” relative to white individuals, leading to dehumanization and hindering assimilation.

The Cartesian Self (René Descartes)

Identifies the self with the mind, which is separate from the body and capable of reflecting on its existence and thoughts.

The Cartesian Other (René Descartes)

Refers to entities outside the thinking self, including other beings and the external world, which can interact with the self.

Hume's View on the Self (David Hume)

Argues that the self is not a stable entity based on a soul or essence but a collection of perceptions and experiences linked through memory.

David Hume on the self (David Hume)

There is no constant and unchanging self. What we perceive as self is just a bundle of different perceptions.

Hobbes' State of Nature (Thomas Hobbes)

Describes a hypothetical pre-social condition characterized by constant fear and competition, leading individuals to distrust each other and engage in preemptive violence.

Locke's State of Nature (John Locke)

Depicts humans as having natural rights to life, liberty, and property, leading to a more peaceful pre-social existence as individuals seek to protect these rights.

Fanon's View on Mind/Body (Frantz Fanon)

Emphasizes the interconnectedness of mind and body, especially in the context of colonial violence, which inflicts psychological trauma that manifests physically and disrupts the body schema.

Descartes' Mind-Body Dualism (René Descartes)

Posits that the mind and body are distinct entities: the mind is nonphysical and associated with consciousness, while the body is physical and non-thinking.

Nagel’s Subjective Character of Experience (Thomas Nagel)

Asserts that an organism is conscious if there is something it is like to be that organism—a subjective experience unique to that being.

Turing Test (Alan Turing)

Evaluates a machine's ability to exhibit intelligent behavior equivalent to, or indistinguishable from, that of a human.

Searle’s The Chinese Room (John Searle)

Illustrates that a computer can manipulate symbols without understanding their meaning, suggesting that true understanding requires more than just computational ability.

Singer's View on Animal Rights (Peter Singer)

Advocates for extending moral consideration to animals based on their capacity