Traditional vs Conventional - Midterm 1

Theory

the explanation of a given system or concepts that explains why something is or why something is believed in

ex: holism vs vitalism

ex: materialism vs reductionism

Vitalism

the belief that living organisms are fundamentally different from non-living entities because they contain some nonphysical element or are governed by different principles than inanimate things

Animism

the religious belief that objects, places, and creatures all possess a distinct spiritual essence

all material phenomena have agency along with natural features like rocks and rivers

Dynamis

a matter that was prone to be formed

develops into the heart and the liver from female semen or matter

the giver of life force

Entelecheia

the molding principle

shaped by the male semen or matter

the soul (psyche) or natural body

Preformation

an embryo or mini individual preexists in either the mothers egg or the fathers semen and begins to grow in the body once stimulated

Epigenesis

assumes the embryo begins as an undifferentiated mass and that new parts are added during development

explained by the formative force (vis essentialis)

Synchronicity

an acausal principle as a basis for the apparently random simultaneous occurrence of phenomenon (coincidence)

Holism

the idea that systems (physical, biological, chemical, social, economic, or mental) and their properties should be viewed as holes, not just as a collection of parts

Materialism

form of philosophical concept which holds that matter is the fundamental substance in nature, and that all things are results of material interactions

Reductive Materialism

asserts that mental events can be grouped into types and can be correlated with types of physical events in the brain

Eliminative Materialism

the claim that peoples common sense understanding of the mind is false and that certain classes of mental states that most people believe in do not exist

Revisionary Materialism

view that falls between eliminative and reductive

claims that a theory of concept is only partially incorrect, perhaps because it ignores a few important casual factors

Reductionism

refers to several related but distinct positions regarding the connections between phenomenon reducing onto another, considered simpler or basic

Ontological Reductionism

a belief that the whole of reality consists of a minimal number of parts

Methodological Reductionism

the scientific attempt to provide explanation in terms of ever smaller entities

Theory Reductionism

the suggestion that a newer theory does not replace or absorb the old but reduces it to more basic terms

removes supernatural forces like god and recognized emergent phenomenon

3 divisions: translation, derivation, and explanation

Emergent Phenomena

process where larger entities, patterns, and regularities arise through interactions among smaller or simpler entities that themselves do not exhibit such properties

Scientific Medicine

uses four criteria to justify its existence

objectivism, reductionism, positivism, and determinism

Objectivism

the observer is separate from the observed

Reductionism

all complex phenomena are fully explainable in terms of simpler, component phenomenon

has not held up well - ex: objectivism is not possible due to heisenberg uncertainty principle

Positivism

all relevant information can be derived from physically measurable data

Determinism

all phenomena can be predicted from a knowledge of scientific law and initial starting conditions

Empiricism

a theory that knowledge comes only or primarily from a sensory experience

you have to observe, touch, smell, feel, or appreciate it

CAM

the approach that the body has an innate ability to heal

looks at both internal and external healing abilities including social and physical

Individual Adaptation

homeostatic - seconds to months

ontogenetic - during the growth period

Population Adaptation

culture - decades to centuries

genetic adaptation to environment - thousands to millions of years

genetic adaptation to cultural/agricultural practices

Cultural Identity

the identity or feeling or belonging to a group

it is part of a person’s self conception and self perception is related to - nationality, ethnicity, religion, and social class