Philosophy Exam 2

Exam 2 Philosophy

A priori

Knowledge or justification independent of experience or empirical evidence.

A posteriori

Knowledge or justification dependent on experience or empirical evidence.

Fallible

Capable of making mistakes or errors; liable to be wrong.

Brain-in-a-vat

A scenario where experiences are artificially generated, questioning reality.

Induction

Reasoning from specific observations to general conclusions.

Consensus

General agreement among a group of people.

Liar paradox

Statement that asserts its own falsehood, leading to contradictions.

Occam’s razor

Principle favoring the simplest explanation among competing hypotheses.

Supervenience

Dependency of properties on others, leading to correlated changes.

Cosmological argument

Argument for God's existence based on a first cause.

Ontological argument

Argument for God's existence based on God as the greatest conceivable being.

Teleological argument

Argument for God's existence based on apparent design in the universe.

Pascal’s wager

Pragmatic argument for belief in God due to potential benefits.

Omniscient

Having complete knowledge; knowing all things.

Omnipotent

Having unlimited power or ability; able to do anything.

Logical problem of evil

Argument against God's existence due to evil in the world.

Moral evil

Evil resulting from human actions or decisions.

Natural evil

Evil arising from natural phenomena.

Qualitative identity

Sameness of qualities between entities.

Numerical identity

Identity of an entity as itself over time or contexts.

Determinism

Belief that all events are determined by prior causes, denying free will.

Turing test

Test of a machine's intelligence through human interaction.

Singularity

Hypothetical event where AI surpasses human intelligence.

Foundationalism

View that knowledge is based on basic, self-evident beliefs.

Coherentism

View that justification relies on coherence within a belief system.

Pragmatism

Evaluating beliefs based on practical consequences.

Skepticism about the external world

Doubts about knowledge beyond personal perceptions.

Dogmatism

Asserting beliefs with unwavering confidence.

Correspondence theory of truth

Truth based on accurate correspondence with reality.

Naturalism

View that only the natural world exists, rejecting supernatural entities.

Theism

Belief in a personal god who created and governs the universe.

Atheism

Lack of belief in gods or deities.

Agnosticism

Neither affirming nor denying the existence of gods.

Physicalism

View that everything is ultimately physical or reducible to it.

Dualism

View that reality consists of two distinct substances or realms.

Functionalism

Defining mental states by their functional roles within a system.

Hard determinism

Belief that determinism is true and incompatible with free will.

Soft determinism

Belief that determinism is true but compatible with free will.

Metaphysical libertarianism

Belief in genuine free will not wholly determined by prior causes.

Descartes

Philosopher known for foundationalism and dualism.

Quine

Philosopher advocating for a holistic approach to knowledge.

Peirce

Pragmatist emphasizing practical consequences of beliefs.

James

Pragmatist highlighting the value of individual experience.

Locke

Empiricist philosopher advocating for tabula rasa.

Reid

Philosopher critiquing skepticism and defending common sense.

Moore

Philosopher known for defending common sense and ethics.

Hume

Empiricist skeptic famous for critiques of causality and religion.

Anselm

Medieval philosopher known for the ontological argument for God.

Pascal

Mathematician and philosopher known for Pascal's wager.

John Searle

A contemporary philosopher renowned for his contributions to the philosophy of mind and language.

Chinese Room thought experiment

A famous experiment by Searle that questions the concept of strong artificial intelligence and computationalism in explaining consciousness.