Ethics & Understanding the Self Practice Flashcards

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering the philosophical, sociological, anthropological, and psychological perspectives of self, as well as fundamental ethical frameworks.

Socrates' Concept of Self

The belief that the self exists in two parts: a tangible and mortal physical body, and an immortal soul which is the true self.

The Unexamined Life

A famous phrase by Socrates stating that a life not subjected to questioning and reflection is not worth living.

Plato's Tripartite Soul

The nature of the soul composed of three parts: an immortal rational part, a courageous or spirited part, and an appetitive part.

Aristotle's Golden Mean

A theory focusing on moderation by avoiding extremes (too much and too little) and doing things in consonance with reason.

St. Augustine's View of Happiness

The end-all and be-all of human living which can be found in God alone.

Virtue (St. Augustine)

Defined as "the order of love."

Tabula Rasa

John Locke's concept that the human mind is a "blank slate" at birth.

Dualism (Rene Descartes)

The philosophy that the self is composed of an immaterial mind and a material body.

Cognito Ergo Sum

A Latin phrase meaning "I think, therefore, I am," attributed to Rene Descartes.

Kantian Categorical Imperative

The supreme principle of morality: "Act only according to that maxim by which you can at the same time that it should become a natural law."

Eliminative Materialism

Paul Churchland's view that the physical brain, not the mind, gives the sense of self, and that mental states like depression are biological phenomena.

Socialization

The lifetime process of internalizing society's norms and learning values, attitudes, and behaviors appropriate to one's culture.

The "I" and the "Me" (Mead)

The "I" is the natural, existential aspect of the self, while the "Me" is the socialized or cultured self.

Looking-Glass Self

Charles Cooley's theory that individuals develop their self-image by imagining how they appear to others and how others judge that appearance.

Egocentrism

The natural tendency to view everything within the world in relation to oneself, often associated with Western cultures like Americans.

Sociocentrism

The natural tendency to view everything in relation to one's group, emphasizing interdependence, as seen in Japanese and Chinese cultures.

Cultural Relativism

The idea that a person's beliefs and practices should be understood based on their own culture rather than being judged by another's criteria.

Ethnocentrism

The belief that one's own culture is superior to all others.

Xenocentrism

The belief that another's culture is superior to one's own.

Id

The unconscious, impulsive part of the psyche that operates on the "pleasure principle."

Ego

The part of the psyche that acts on the "reality principle."

Superego

The part of the psyche that acts on moralistic and idealistic principles.

Self-as-Subject ("I")

William James' term for "the thinker that does the thinking" or the pure ego that knows who they are.

Self-as-Object ("Me")

The empirical self composed of the material self (body/possessions), social self (public image), and spiritual self (core values).

Growth Spurt

A period of rapid physical growth in males during puberty spanning $2$ to $3$ years.

Self-esteem

The degree to which an individual appreciates, values, and likes themselves.

Self-efficacy

Albert Bandura's concept referring to an individual's belief in their own ability or capacity to succeed.

SRY Gene

A gene on the Y chromosome that triggers the development of testes in male embryos at about $6$ weeks after conception.

Müllerian System

The embryonic precursor that has the capacity to form fallopian tubes, the uterus, and the upper vagina.

Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome (AIS)

A condition where individuals with an XY genotype develop a female physical appearance.

Cisgender

A person who identifies with the sex they were assigned at birth.

Vasocongestion

The swelling of bodily tissues (penis, vagina, nipples) caused by increased blood flow during sexual arousal.

Consummate Love

The ideal form of love in the Triangle Model, consisting of Intimacy, Passion, and Commitment.

Metacognition

The process of "thinking about thinking" or being aware of one's own learning process.

PQ4R Method

A learning strategy consisting of Preview, Question, Read, Reflect, Recite, and Review.

Ethics

Derived from the Greek word "Ethos" (custom/character), it is the study of the rightness or wrongness of human actions.

Teleological Standard

A moral framework where the rightness or wrongness of an act is based on its consequences or results.

Deontological Standard

A duty-based approach where morality depends on the sense of duty and proper intention regardless of consequences.

Factivity

Refers to the "givens" of a person's specific situation or life circumstances.

Summum Bonum

A term used by St. Thomas Aquinas meaning the "highest good" toward which every human act is directed.

Ethical Subjectivism

The view that moral statements are based on people's perceptions and feelings rather than objective truths.

Emotivism

Also known as the "Boo-Hooray Theory," it suggests moral statements only reflect preferences or emotional expressions used to affect behavior.

Eudaimonia

Aristotle's term for happiness, representing the ultimate goal or "Telos" of human life.

Utilitarianism

An ethical framework founded by Jeremy Bentham stating that the greatest happiness of the greatest number is the measure of right and wrong.