E

Unit 1 Philosophy Terms

  1. Metaphysics: the study of existence & reality

  2. Teleology: the purpose to being & existence

  3. Ontology: the study of the nature of being & existence

  4. Cosmology: the nature & origins of the universe

  5. Determinism: the issue of fate or free will

  6. Epistemology: the study of knowledge

  7. Rationalism: all knowledge is derived from reason & logic

  8. Inductive: forming generalizations from specific observations (probability)

Bottom-up thinking

  1. Deductive: starting with a general principle that leads to a certain conclusion (certainty)

Top-down thinking

  1. Logic: Greek word meaning “argument” or “reason”

  2. Empiricism: all knowledge derived from experiences & experimentation

  3. Axiology: study of ethics, aesthetics, morality, & values

  4. Aesthetics: branch of philosophy that examines nature & appreciation of beauty, art, & taste

  5. Ethics: branch of philosophy that studies the principles of right & wrong behaviors, moral duty, & moral value

  6. MetaEthics: examines nature, scope, & meaning of ethical concepts

  7. Normative Ethics: concerned with identifying principles that guide our moral decisions & behavior

  8. Descriptive Ethics: observes & studies moral beliefs & practices across different cultures & societies (comparison)

  9. Applied Ethics: intentional application of ethical philosophy for self & societal improvement

  10. Consequentialist: one who believes that an act that maximizes well-being & happiness is a good act  

  11. Deontologist: one who believes that the action determines its morality


  1. Utilitarianism: form of consequentialism that aims to max overall happiness or utility

  2. Moral realism: belief some things are really right or wrong, no matter what anyone thinks

Moral relativism: idea that what’s right or wrong can change depending on who you ask or where you are