Philosophy Areas of Study
Metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, social/political philosophy, aesthetics, and logic
Philosophy
Wonder, a dynamic
... [Show More] process, wisdom, and truth
"the love or persuit of wisdom)
Philen
Love
Sophia
Wisdom
Ultimate Aim of Philosophy
-to complete liberty of the mind
-freedom from all social, political, or religious prejudice
-to care for the well being of the soul
- answer the question, "what is this all about"?
Argument
a form of thinking in which certain statements (reason) are offered in support of one another (conclusion)
Logic
seeks to establish the rules of correct reasoning, clear understanding, and valid argumentation
Reasons/premises
statements that support another statement (known as conclusion) to justify it, or make it more probable
Conclusion
a statement that explains, asserts, or predicts the basis of statements (known as reasons or premises) that are offered as evidence for it
Cue Words
key words that signal that a reason is being offered in support of a conclusion so that the conclusion follows the reason offered
Valid argument
an argument in which the reasons support the conclusion so that the conclusion follows the reason offered
Invalid argument
an argument in which the reasons do not support the conclusion so that the cocnclusion does not follow the reasons offered
sound argument
an argument that has both truth reasons and a valid structure
unsound argument
an argument that has either false reasons or invalid structure
deductive argument
an argument form in which one reasons from premises taht are known or assumed to be true to a conclusion that follows necessarily from these premises
syllogism
an argument form that consists of two premises and a conclusion
inductive argument
an argument form in which one reasons from premises taht are known or assigned to be true to a conclusion that is supported by the premises but does not necessarily follow from them
casual reasoning
a form of inductive argument in which one event is claimed to be the result of of the occurence of another event
empirical generalization
a form of inductive reasoning in which a general statement is made about an entire group based on observing members of the group
fallacies
unsound arguments that are often persuasive because they usually appeal to our emotions and prejudices and because they often support conclusions that we want to believe are accurate
metaphysics
the study of the ultimate characteristics of reality or existence
epistemology
the study of knowledge, identifying and developing criteria and methodologies for what we know and why we know it
ethics
the study of moral values and principles
political/social philosophy
the study of social values and political forms of goverment
aesthics
the study of beauty, art, and taste
logic
the branch of philoisophy that seeks to establish the rules of correct reasoning, clear understanding and valid arguments
polis
social idea for human reason and conversation with one another "city state"
Agora
open market place in Athens, a place where crowds would gather for political speech and discussion
Plato
ancient greek philosopher of extraordinary significance, he not only preserved Socrates teachings for future generations, but also contributed original ideas on a wide range of issues such as morality, politics, metaphysics, and epistemology
Xenophen
biographer of Socrates and his student in his youth, a soldier and writer. he wrote histories of practical treatsies on leadership, horsemanship, hunting, and economics. Fought for Greeks and Spartans.
The Oracle at Delphi
stated that no man was wiser than Socrates and stated to "know thyself"
Dialetic
from the greek work to "argue" or "converse" a dynamic exchange or method invovling contradiction or a technique for establishing an informed conclusion
Sophist
influential group of traveling educators who teach rheotoric and oration for a fee. Many sophists believed truth to be relative
Irony
a form of rheotoric that has at least two conflicting levels of meaning- an obvious one and a hidden one
Psyche
the true self or soul, which is immortal and imperishable
Dualistic
twofold. related to dualism, the view that material substance (physical body) and immaterial substance (mind or soul) are two seperate aspects of the self
St. Augustine
354-430. Christian philosopher and Bishop of Hippo in North Africa. Augustine's synthesis of Platonic and Christian concepts was a major influence in the developement of medevil Christian doctrine and Western philosophy
Rene Descartes
French philosopher considered the founder of modern philosophy. A mathematician and a scientist as well. A leader of the 17th century revolution. Analyzed the established knowledge of the time
theologian
the study of God
neoplatonism
movement against Plato's beliefs
rationalism
the view that reason is primary source of all knowledge and that our reasoning abilities can enable us to understand sense experience and reach accurate conclusions
empiricism
the view that sense experience is the primary source of all knowledge and taht only a careful attention to sense experience can enable us to understand the world and achieve accurate conclusions
John Locke
British philosopher and physician who laid the groundwork for empiricist approach to philosophical questions: believed that the mind was a blank slate in which experience writes
David Hume
Scottish philosopher whose skeptical examinations of religion, ethics, and history were to make him a controversial 18th century figure [Show Less]