Introduction to Philosophy (PHIL 110.6)

Vocabulary flashcards covering fundamental terms, concepts, and divisions of study in Introduction to Philosophy.

Thea

The Greek word for observation, from which the word 'theory' is derived.

Essence

A key philosophical question regarding appearance versus reality, or 'seems' versus 'is'.

Causality

A key philosophical concept defined by the rule that A always precedes B, and B always follows A.

Thales

The thinker with whom philosophy originates in the city of Miletus in Ionia; died 545 BCE.

Mythos

The Greek word for myth, meaning 'plot' (not fable or false), which describes how the life of the gods intrudes or interferes in human affairs.

Arete

The Greek term for excellence or virtue.

Virtue

A quality that entails moderation or prudence, where both an excess or a deficiency would be considered a vice.

Justice

The goal of the virtuous life, defined as living in harmony with the gods and with one another.

Hybris

The tragic human flaw characterized by arrogance, pride, ambition, and insubordination regarding what the gods demand, leading to punishment.

Fate

The rigorous order (cosmos) in nature (physis) providing material and moral structure to which both gods and humans are subordinate.

Physis

The Greek word for nature.

Hesiod

An ancient poet who claimed that the gods act with moral consistency and uphold the moral order (cosmos), contrasting with Homer's view of capricious gods.

Episteme (scientia)

Knowledge obtained through observation, inquiry, and questioning rather than poetry and myth.

Telos

The Greek word for end, aim, purpose, or goal.

Copula

The word 'is' that links a subject with a predicate in predication.

Logos

A Greek term analyzed by Aristotle referring to word/concept, statement/sentence, judgment/proposition, or reason.

Proposition

According to Aristotle, a specific type of sentence that contains truth or falsity within it.

Con-cipere (Concept)

A term meaning 'to grasp together'; a concept on its own does not constitute a judgment.

Foucault's Critique of Taxonomy

Michel Foucault's argument in 'The Order of Things' that order and classification are human constructs through which humans exercise power over others.

Ontology / Metaphysics

The branch of philosophy that examines what is real, what it means to be, and the Being of beings.

Hierarchy of Being

The cosmological structure ordered from highest to lowest as: God, Spiritual beings, Human beings, Animals, Plants, Matter, Nothing.

Epistemology

The branch of philosophy concerned with knowledge: what we know, how we know what we know, and how we know that we know.

Axiology

The branch of philosophy dealing with worth and value, which encompasses Ethics, Aesthetics, Politics, and Rhetoric.

Phenomenology and Hermeneutics

The branch of philosophy studying the experiencing of experience or consciousness, asserting that experience is always already an interpretation.