Section 1

Vocabulary flashcards covering core concepts, philosophical theories, logical classifications, and historical examples across all provided lecture sources.

Yearning for Truth

An intellectual attitude defined as the desire to learn about the world.

Human Skill Set / Beaney’s List

• Accurate observation / clarity of thinking

• Precise description / precision of expression

• Reliable reasoning / rigor of argumentation

Intellectual Attitude (Quine’s Root Needs)

• Receptivity to data

• Skill in reasoning

• Yearning for truth

• Ingenuity

• Cooperating inquirers

A Posteriori Arguments

Arguments that are based, at least in part, on experience.

A Priori Arguments

Arguments based solely on reason (other than the experience needed for concepts and vocabulary)

Empiricism

The view that knowledge is the result of sensory experience, which typically rejects innate ideas and views the mind as a blank slate at birth

Rationalism

The view that knowledge is the result of reason and innate ideas, which typically rejects the reliability of sense experience

Indirect Proof

A famous form of argument in which an assumption is shown to lead to a contradiction, demonstrating that the assumption must be mistaken.

Tragedy of Thalidomide

A sedative prescribed to cure anxiety, insomnia, gastritis, tension, and morning sickness caused cases of birth defects across countries—how can a finite number of observations ever confirm a universal claim?

Galileo’s Thought Experiment

Used both a priori and a posteriori reasoning to prove that objects fall at the same rate—contradiction in reasoning + hammer vs feather on the moon

Galileo’s Second Thought Experiment

Proves that cross-sectional area doesn’t matter; however, it does! Error in not factoring the fact that the faster penny would cause a “pull” and tip the object

Trial of Galileo

• Proved that the Earth is not the centre of the universe and actually orbits around the sun (invention of telescope to see Jupiter’s moons)

• Kept under house arrest for publishing a book that mocked the view that the Earth is the centre

Compatibility Thesis

The thesis that science and religion are compatible, either because they come to the same conclusions or because they concern different issues (science being descriptive and religion being prescriptive or normative).

Incompatibility Thesis

The thesis that science and religion are incompatible, either because they come to inconsistent conclusions or because they require different standards of belief (faith versus testable and repeatable knowledge claims).

Fideism

An epistemic foundationalist view emphasizing religious faith, holding that knowledge results from faith in God.

Revealed Theology

A branch of fideist theology based on scripture, religious experience, and supernatural revelation.

Natural Theology

A branch of theology based on experience.

Transcendental Theology

A branch of theology based on reason.

Bruden-of-Proof Argument

Russell’s Teapot — a teapot orbiting the sun, too small to detect, wouldn’t be believed just because it can’t be disproven (i.e. just bcs you can’t disprove God’s existence, doesn’t mean he exists)

Parsimony Argument

Occam’s Razor — simplest explanation usually best (i.e. if everything can be explained without God, then God is an unnecessary hypothesis

Averroes’ Paradox of Omnipotence

Consistency Argument — can an omnipotent being create a stone so heavy it cannot lift it? Either answer disproves its existence

Dawkin’s Greek-gods Argument

Consistency Argument — why stop at one god? Atheists to all gods except one?

Epicurus’s Problem of Evil

Consistency Argument — if God is omnipotent, omniscient, and benevolent, then evil should not exist

Paley's Teleological Argument

A natural theology argument for the existence of God—complex, purposeful nature of the world must have a designer

Aquina's Cosmological Argument (First-cause Argument)

A transcendental theology argument for the existence of God—everything has a cause, chaining back to a first cause

Anselm's Ontological Argument (Necessity Argument)

A transcendental theology argument for the existence of God—greatest conceivable being; it would be impossible for God to be conceived if he didn’t exist

Divine Command Theory

An ethical theory holding that an action is morally or ethically right if and only if it is commanded or desired by God.

Virtue Ethics

An ethical theory holding that an action is morally or ethically right if and only if it results from a virtuous disposition or character.

Consequentialism

An ethical theory (also referred to as Teleological Theories) holding that an action is morally or ethically right if and only if it maximizes the good.

Kantianism

An ethical theory (also referred to as Deontological Theories) holding that an action is morally or ethically right if and only if it is required by reason.

Social Contract Theory

An ethical theory holding that an action is morally or ethically right if and only if it is agreed upon by mutual covenant.

Non-cognitivism

An ethical theory (also known as Emotivism) holding that moral statements or actions are just an expression of approval.

Evolutionary Theories of Ethics

Ethical theories holding that an action is morally or ethically right if and only if it aids in the survival of the species.

Nola and Sankey's Four Methods

Methods framing scientific practice: practices within the various sciences, discovery, justification, and theory construction.

Family Resemblance

Wittgenstein's concept that similar items are unified by a network of overlapping similarities rather than a single defining trait.

Repeatability

A criterion in scientific hypothesis evaluation where researchers see if experimental results can be repeated.

Reproducibility

A criterion in scientific hypothesis evaluation where researchers check if experimental results can be produced by others under different circumstances.

Ethos, Pathos, and Logos

Aristotle's three means of persuasion representing trust (ethos), emotion (pathos), and logic (logos)

Aristotle’s Hypothesis

Perhaps logos can tame ethos and pathos

Valid Argument

An argument structure in which it is impossible for all premises to be true and the conclusion to be false—also called a deduction

Sound Argument

An argument that is valid and has all true premises, referred to by Aristotle as a demonstration—also called a demonstration

Cogent Argument

An argument that has all true premises and whose premises provide strong or substantial support for its conclusion, making the conclusion likely to be true.

Reductio ad Absurdum

A valid argument form where an assumption is shown to lead to a contradiction, demonstrating that the assumption must be mistaken.