Introduction to Philosophy of Science Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards reviewing core concepts in the philosophy of science, ontology, epistemology, Justified True Belief, and rationalism vs. empiricism.

Ontology

The study of reality in the sense of being or existence.

Epistemology

The study of what knowledge is and how to gain or increase it.

"Pure" science

A type of science assuming a world exists independently of us and aiming to provide knowledge that is "true" about that world.

"Applied" science

A type of science aiming to provide practical recommendations or solutions to problems in the world, with knowledge having true value in problem solving.

Positivism

An ontological position (also called Realism) holding that there is a single objective reality independent of the observer, governed by fixed, stable laws.

Relativism

An ontological position (also called Interpretivism) holding that there are multiple subjective realities dependent on observer context and beliefs.

Acquisitional knowledge

A category of knowledge defined by familiarity with individuals and situations.

Procedural knowledge

A category of knowledge describing how to perform actions or tasks, such as riding a bike.

Propositional knowledge

A category of knowledge that consists of "facts" or stated propositions.

Justified True Belief (JTB)

The formal definition of knowledge stating that someone ($S$) knows proposition ($P$) if and only if $P$ is true and $S$ is justified in believing that $P$.

The Gettier problem

A philosophical problem demonstrating that Justified True Belief (JTB) is not sufficient for knowledge because a belief can be true while its justification is invalid or wrong.

Edmund Gettier

The philosopher (1927–2021) who demonstrated that Justified True Belief (JTB) is insufficient to define knowledge.

Karl Popper

The philosopher (1902–1994) associated with critical rationalism, which emphasizes criticizing claims on rational grounds and testing empirical evidence for reliability.

A priori justification

Reasoned justification associated with rationalism that can be deduced without depending on new observations or experiences.

A posteriori justification

Justification associated with empiricism that requires new empirical observations to establish truth.

Critical rationalism

An approach in epistemology that uses rational and logical reasoning to test the reliability of empirical evidence.

Rationalism

The philosophical position holding that real knowledge must be based on logical certainty rather than unreliable sensory experience.

Empiricism

The philosophical position holding that knowledge is derived from sensory experiences directly sensed from the external world.

Tabula rasa

John Locke's concept that the human mind starts as a blank slate and absorbs knowledge through experience.

Brain in a vat (BIV) scenario

A thought experiment in skeptical epistemology illustrating that if sensory input can be artificially stimulated identically to reality, one cannot logically prove they are not a brain in a vat.