Introduction to the Philosophy of the Human Person

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering the basic definitions, key philosophers, branches of philosophy, methods of philosophizing, fallacies, biases, and the nature of the human person.

Philosophy

Derived from the Greek words “philos” (love) and “sophia” (wisdom), it is the study that uses human reason to investigate the ultimate causes, reasons, and principles which govern all things.

Pythagoras (570 BCE- 495 BCE)

A mathematician and scientist credited with formulating the Pythagorean theorem; he established a community devoted to the study of religion and philosophy.

Heraclitus (535 BCE- 475 BCE)

Proposed that everything exists based on a higher order or plan called logos, and viewed change as a permanent aspect of the human condition.

Democritus (460 BCE- 370 BCE)

A philosopher who studied the causes of natural phenomena and was among the first to propose that matter is composed of tiny particles called atoms.

Diogenes of Sinope (412 BCE 323 BCE)

An advocate of living a simple and virtuous life whose teachings influenced schools of philosophy such as Cynicism and Stoicism.

Epicurus (341 BCE- 270 BCE)

Believed that philosophy enables a life of happiness; his views led to Epicureanism, which emphasizes wisdom and simple living to reach a life free of fear and pain.

Socrates (470 BCE- 399 BCE)

Considered the foremost philosopher of ancient times, he made great contributions to ethics and formulated the Socratic Method.

Plato (427 BCE- 347 BCE)

A student of Socrates known for his Theory of Forms and his dialectic; he traced the need to philosophize to man's sense of wonder.

Aristotle (384 BCE- 322 BCE)

He believed all ideas are based on perception and reality is based on what we can sense; his studies in logic led to formal processes of analyzing reasoning.

Holistic Perspective

A perspective that considers large-scale patterns in systems and the “bigger picture” when dealing with a particular situation or problem.

Partial Thinking

Thinking that focuses on specific aspects of a situation, serving as an important component of analytical thinking.

Rene Descartes

A philosopher who traced the need to philosophize to doubt, famous for questioning established ideas and his own thoughts.

Karl Jaspers

He saw the need to philosophize as stemming from experience, particularly when man is confronted by experiences that challenge his frameworks.

Aesthetics

The branch of philosophy that deals with beauty and what makes things “beautiful.”

Logic

The branch of philosophy which deals with correct reasoning.

Epistemology

The branch of philosophy that discusses the nature of knowledge and knowing.

Ethics

A branch of philosophy which deals with moral questions and dilemmas.

Political Philosophy

The study of governments and questions regarding justice, power, and the rights and obligations of citizens.

Metaphysics

A branch of philosophy which deals with questions regarding reality and existence.

Philosophy of the Human Person

An area in philosophy that understands the human person by integrating different branches of philosophy and other fields to know the truth about the human person.

Reflection

The willingness to examine one’s thoughts, feelings, and actions to learn more about one’s life and experiences.

Truth

In metaphysics and philosophy of language, the property of assertions or beliefs that agree with facts or state what the case is.

Propositions

Statements about the world or reality which may or may not carry truth.

Facts

Propositions or statements which are observed to be real or truthful.

Claims

Statements that are not immediately known to be true and require further examination to establish their truth or falsehood.

Systematic Doubt

A philosophical method where every statement, claim, and experience is scrutinized and analyzed to determine truth.

Opinions

Statements that go beyond facts to provide conclusions, perspectives, or beliefs regarding certain situations.

Conclusion

A judgment based on certain facts; while the facts may be undisputed, this judgment itself can be contested.

Beliefs

Statements expressing convictions that are not easily explained by facts and are influenced by a person's experiences and views.

Explanations

Statements that assume a claim is true and provide the reasons why it is true.

Arguments

A series of statements that provide reasons to convince others that a claim or opinion is truthful.

Fallacies

Arguments based on faulty reasoning, sometimes used intentionally to convince others to accept a claim.

Ad Hominem

A fallacy characterized by attacking the person presenting the argument instead of the argument itself.

Appeal to Force (Argumentum Ad Baculum)

A fallacy that uses the threat of force or an undesirable event to advance an argument.

Appeal to Emotion

A fallacy that uses emotions such as pity or sympathy to support an argument.

Appeal to the Popular (Ad Populum)

A fallacy that presents an idea as acceptable because many people accept it.

Appeal to Tradition

A fallacy where an idea is considered acceptable because it has been held as true for a long time.

Begging the Question

A circular argument that assumes the thing or idea to be proven is already true.

Cause-and-Effect (Post Hoc)

A fallacy that assumes a causal relationship between unrelated events.

Fallacy of Composition

The assumption that what is true of a part must be true for the whole.

Fallacy of Division

The assumption that what is true for the whole must be true for its individual parts.

Biases

Tendencies or influences that affect the views of people, which are not necessarily errors in reasoning but must be critically acknowledged.

Correspondence Bias (Attribution Effect)

The tendency to judge a person's personality based on their actions without considering external factors.

Confirmation Bias

The tendency to look for and accept information that fits one's beliefs while rejecting ideas that contradict them.

Framing

Focusing on a specific aspect of a problem while ignoring other relevant aspects.

Hindsight

The tendency to see past events as predictable or to ascribe patterns to historical events after they have occurred.

Cultural Bias

The act of analyzing an event or issue based strictly on one's own cultural standards.

Person

A complex term referring to a human being granted recognition of social rights, protection, responsibilities, and dignity.

Human Nature

The characteristics that distinguish humans from all other creatures.

Self-awareness

A person's clear perception of oneself, including thoughts, emotions, identity, and actions.

Interiority

The quality of being focused on one's inner life and identity.

Self-determination

The capability of persons to make choices and decisions based on preferences, regulate actions, and be goal-oriented.

Free Will

The capacity to choose a course of action from various alternatives, making self-determination possible.

Externality

The capability of a person to reach out and interact with others and the world to establish meaningful relationships.

Dignity

The innate right of all humans to be valued and respected as having inherent worth.

Embodied Spirit

The philosophical view of the human person as a union and integration of the physical body and the intangible spirit.

Transcendence

The ability to surpass limits; a trait that distinguishes human persons from other beings.

Facticity

The things in life that are already given, such as life itself, within which we are free to define who we are.

Transcendent

According to Immanuel Kant, a term specifically used to refer to God.

Transcendental

According to Immanuel Kant, a term used to refer to all matter other than God.