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Philosophy > Second Exam > Flashcards

Second Exam Flashcards

1
Q

What is philosophy of the mind?

A

The sub-branch of philosophy which deals with the mind and its properties, including consciousness, mental processes, and events.

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2
Q

What is the mind-body problem?

A

The core of philosophy of the mind: this problem is concerned with the relationship between the mind, or consciousness, and the physical world.

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3
Q

What is the brain vs the mind?

A

The brain is the physical grey object in your head, whereas the mind is what thinks, feels, etc.

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4
Q

What are the two broad theories that address the relationship between the mind and the brain?

A
  1. Materialism

2. Dualism

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5
Q

What is materialism?

A

The view that the only things that exist are material objects.

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6
Q

What are the three main theories of materialism?

A
  1. Identity Theory
  2. Eliminative Materialism
  3. Functionalism
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7
Q

What is dualism?

A

The view that the world is made up of two types of things: physical objects and minds (material vs immaterial).

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8
Q

What are the four main theories of dualism?

A
  1. Substance dualism
  2. Epiphenomenalism
  3. Occasionalism
  4. Parallelism
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9
Q

What is substance dualism?

A

The theory proposed by Rene Descartes saying that the brain (material) and mind (immaterial) can affect one another.

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10
Q

What is the problem with substance dualism and what was Descartes’ proposed solution?

A

If the brain and the mind affect one another, how is it done? Descartes said the pineal gland connected the two.

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11
Q

According to Substance Dualism, what are the chief characteristics of the physical world and mind/non-physical worlds?

A

Chief characteristic of physical world - EXTENSION

Chief characteristic of non-physical world - THINKING

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12
Q

What is epiphenomenalism?

A

The view that mental events are caused by physical events in the brain, but have no effects upon any physical events.

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13
Q

What is occasionalism?

A

The view that the apparent causal link between the mind and body is actually divine intervention.

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14
Q

What is parallelism?

A

The view that the apparent causal link between mind and body is an illusion, and that the mind and body run parallel to one another.

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15
Q

What is the identity theory?

A

The theory that states and processes of the mind are identical to states and processes of the brain.

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16
Q

What is eliminative materialism?

A

Our ordinary, common-sense understanding of the mind is deeply wrong and that some or all of the mental states posited by common-sense do not actually exist.

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17
Q

What is functionalism?

A

The doctrine that what makes something a mental state of a particular type does not depend on its internal constitution (metaphysics), but rather on the way it functions, or the role it plays, in the system of which it is a part.

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18
Q

What is qualia?

A

Inner subjective experience of a conscious state.

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19
Q

What is metaphysical freedom?

A

“The freedom of choice, or the freedom to choose as you wish. The opposite of metaphysical freedom is having your choices determined.”

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20
Q

What is political freedom?

A

“Concerns the range of choices you have, or the variety of alternatives before you.”

21
Q

What is hard determinism?

A

The view that everything is lawful and proceeds by cause and effect. All events are causally determined.

22
Q

What is soft determinism/compatibilism?

A

It is the attempt to reconcile the following two beliefs:

  1. All events are caused.
  2. Humans have free will.
23
Q

How does compatibilism attempt to reconcile free will and determinism?

A

Compatibilists believe that a person has free will as long as they have caused their choices (self-caused).

24
Q

What is freedom?

A

The ability to have chosen differently if you wanted to.

25
Q

What is a thesis?

A

A statement that someone wants to prove.

26
Q

What is ethics?

A

The branch of philosophy concerned with human conduct and its moral value.

27
Q

Who is the father of moral philosophy?

A

Socrates

28
Q

What are the three branches of ethics?

A
  1. Meta-ethics
  2. Normative ethics
  3. Applied Ethics
29
Q

What is meta-ethics?

A

The attempt to answer the fundamental philosophical questions about the nature of ethics itself.
Examples:
Is there such a thing as a moral fact?
Do I always act in self-interest?

30
Q

What is normative ethics?

A

The study of what makes actions right or wrong. It seeks to provide “action guides” for answering the question “What ought I do?”

31
Q

What are the 3 main theories of normative ethics?

A
  1. Virtue ethics
  2. Utilitarianism
  3. Deontological ethics
32
Q

What is applied ethics?

A

The study that attempts to deal with specific realms of human action and/or specific moral issues.
Examples: abortion, death penalty, any debate topic ever.

33
Q

What is moral relativism?

A

The belief that morality is part of the complex web of beliefs, traditions, feelings, and practices we call culture.

34
Q

What are the three main theories of moral relativism?

A
  1. Cultural relativism
  2. Ethical subjectivism
  3. Emotivism
35
Q

What is moral absolutism?

A

The belief that some moral rules are binding on everyone, regardless of cultural differences.

36
Q

What is the main difference between moral relativism vs moral absolutism?

A

A relativist thinks that morals are created; an absolutist thinks that morals are discovered.

37
Q

What question does utilitarianism and deontological ethics attempt to answer vs that of virtue ethics?

A

The first two ask “What is the right thing to do?” whereas virtue ethics asks “What traits of character make a good person?”

38
Q

What is virtue ethics?

A

The moral theory that emphasizes virtue or moral character (not duties or consequences).

39
Q

“Being” goes with which branch of normative ethics and “doing” goes with which other two?

A

Being (virtue ethics) vs Doing (deontology and utilitarianism)

40
Q

What is the basic idea of virtue ethics?

A

A virtuous person will act virtuously as situations arise.

41
Q

What is the Golden Mean?

A

The desirable middle between two extremes, one of excess and the other of deficiency. Initially proposed by Aristotle.

42
Q

What is utilitarianism?

A

The theory that accepts as the foundation of morals, Utility, or the Greatest Happiness Principle.

43
Q

What is the Greatest Happiness Principle? (Tenet of Utilitarianism)

A

Actions are right in proportion as they tend to promote happiness, wrong as they tend produce the reverse of happiness. By happiness is intended pleasure, and the absence of pain.

44
Q

What is the basic idea of utilitarianism?

A

In deciding what to do, we should ask what course of conduct would promote the greatest amount of happiness for all those affected.

45
Q

What is the difference between an act utilitarian and a rule utilitarian?

A

An act utilitarian would say that an action is OK as long as it produces happiness (or prevents pain) whereas a rule utilitarian believes that we should make (and follow) rules that will lead to the most happiness.

46
Q

What is deontological ethics?

A

Ethical theories that place special emphasis on the relationship between duty and the morality of human actions.

47
Q

What do hypothetical imperatives tell us?

A

They tell us how to act in order to achieve a specific goal.

48
Q

What is the Categorical Imperative?

A

Act only according to that maxim whereby you can, at the same time, will that it should become a universal law.

Philosophy (2 decks)

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