RS Key Terms Flashcards
(221 cards)
1
Q
Forms
A
A name Plato gave to ideal concepts
2
Q
Reason
A
Using logical steps and thought processes in order to reach conclusions
3
Q
Rationalist
A
Someone who thinks that the primary source of knowledge is experience gained through the five senses
4
Q
Empiricist
A
Someone who thinks that the primary source of knowledge is experience gained through the five senses
5
Q
Prime Mover
A
Aristotle’s concept of the ultimate cause of movement and change in the universe
6
Q
Socratic Method
A
The method of philosophical reasoning which involves critical questioning
7
Q
Analogy
A
A comparison between one thing and another in an attempt to clarify meaning
8
Q
Transcendent
A
Being beyond this world and outside the realms of ordinary experience
9
Q
Dualism
A
The belief that reality can be divided into two distinct parts, such as good and evil, or physical and non-physical
10
Q
Telos
A
The end, or purpose, of something
11
Q
Theist
A
Someone who believes Ina God or gods
12
Q
Soul
A
Often, but not always, understood to be the non-physical essence of a person
13
Q
Consciousness
A
Awareness or perception
14
Q
Substance dualism
A
The belief that the mind and body both exist as two distinct and separate entities
15
Q
Scepticism
A
A questioning approach which does not take assumptions for granted
16
Q
Materialism
A
The belief that only physical matter exists, and that the mind can be explained in physical terms as chemical activity in the brain
17
Q
Reductive materialism
A
Otherwise known as identity theory - the view that mental events are identical with physical occurrences in the brain
18
Q
Category error
A
A problem of language that arises when things are talked about as if they belong to one category when in fact they belong to another
19
Q
Teleological
A
Looking to the end result or purpose (telos) in order to draw a conclusion about what is right and wrong
20
Q
Cosmological
A
To do with the universe
21
Q
Contingent
A
Depending on other things
22
Q
Principle of Sufficient Reason
A
The principle that everything must have a reason to explain it
23
Q
Sceptic
A
Someone who will not accept what others say without questioning and challenging
24
Q
A posteriori argument
A
An argument which draws a conclusion based on observation through experience
25
Necessary existence
Existence which does not depend on anything else
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A priori argument
An argument which draws a conclusion through the use of reason
27
Logical fallacy
Reasoning that has a flaw in its structure
28
Ontological
To do with the nature of existence
29
Predicate
A term which describes a distinctive characteristic of something
30
Epistemic distance
A distance in knowledge and understanding
31
Mystical experience
Experiences of God or of the supernatural which go beyond everyday sense experience
32
Conversion experience
An experience which produces a radical change in someone's belief system
33
Corporate religious experience
religious experience which happen to a group of people ' as a body'
34
Principle of credulity
Swinburne's principle that we should usually believe what our senses tell us we are perceiving
35
Principle of testimony
Swinburne's principle that we should usually trust that other people are telling us the truth
36
Naturalistic explanation
an explanation referring to natural rather than supernatural causes
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Neurophysiology
an area of science which studies the brain and the nervous system
38
Omnipotent
All-powerful
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Omniscient
All-knowing
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Omnibenevolent
all-good and all-loving
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Inconsistent triad
the omnibenevolence and omnipotence of God, and the existence of evil in the world, are said to be mutually incompatible
42
Theodicy
an attempt to justify God in the face of evil in the world
43
Natural evil
evil and suffering caused by non-human agencies
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Moral evil
the evil done and suffering caused by deliberate misuse of human free will
45
Privatio boni
a phrase used by Augustine to mean an absence of goodness
46
Deonotological
from the Latin for 'duty', ethics focused on the intrinsic rightness and wrongness of actions
47
Natural Law
a deontological theory based on behaviour that accords with given laws or moral rules that exist independently of human societies and systems
48
Synderesis
to follow the good and avoid the evil, the rule which all precepts follow
49
Secondary precepts
the laws which follow from primary precepts
50
Primary precepts
the most important rules in life - to protect life, to reproduce, to live in community, to teach the young and to believe in God
51
Practical reason
according to Aquinas, the tool which makes moral decisions
52
Eudaimonia
living well, as an ultimate end to life which all other actions should lead toward
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Justice
notion of fair distribution of benefits for all
54
Pragmatism
acting, in moral situations, in a way that is practical, rather than purely ideologically
55
Relativism
the rejection of absolute moral standards, such as laws or rights
56
Positivism
proposes something as true or good without demonstrating it, as Fletcher posits love as good
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Personalism
ethics centred on people, rather than laws or objects
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Conscience
a faculty or function, possible of divine origin, that enables us to make moral decisions
59
Teleological ethics
moral goodness is determined by the end or result
60
Legalistic ethics
law-based moral decision-making
61
Situational ethics
ethics focused on the situation, rather than fixed rules
62
Agape
unconditional love, the only ethical norm in situationism
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Extrinsically good
good defined with reference to the end rather than good in and of itself
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Moral law
binding moral obligations
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Maxims
moral rules, determined by reason
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Summum Bonum
the highest, most supreme good
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Categorical imperative
an unconditional moral obligation that is always binding irrespective of a person's inclination or purpose
68
Hypothetical imperative
a moral obligation that applies only if one desires the implied goal
69
Kingdom of ends
an imagined future in which all people act in accordance with the moral law
70
Principle of utility
the idea that the choice that brings about the greatest good is the right choice
71
Hedonic calculus
the system for calculating the amount of pleasure or pain generated
72
Consequentialism
ethical theories that see morality as driven by the consequences, rather than the actions or character of those concerned
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Act utilitarian
weighs up what to do on each individual occasion
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Rule utilitarian
weighs up what to do in principle in all occasions of a certain kind
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Non-treatment decision
withholding treatment or life support that is keeping a person alive
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Active euthanasia
a deliberate action performed by a third party to kill a person
77
Sanctity of life
the idea that life is intrinsically sacred
78
Quality of life
a way of weighing the extrinsic experience of life, that affects or justifies whether or not it is worth continuing life
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Personhood
the quality of human life that makes it worthy, usually linked to certain higher capacities
80
Autonomy and the right to die
the idea that human freedom should extend to decide the manner and time of death
81
Voluntary euthanasia
when a person's life is ended painlessly by a third party at their own request
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Non-voluntary euthanasia
when a person is unable to express their wish to die but there are reasonable grounds for ending their life painlessly
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Dignity
the worth or quality of life
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Palliative care
end-of-life care to make the person's remaining moments of life as comfortable as possible
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Involuntary euthanasia
When a person is killed against their wishes
86
Capitalism
an economic system based on the private ownership of how things are made and sold, in which businesses compete freely with each other in order to make profits
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Shareholder
a person who has invested money in a business in return for a share of the profits
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Corporate social responsinility
a sense that businesses have wider responsibilities than simply to their shareholders, including the communities they live and work in and to the environment
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whistle-blowing
when an employee discloses wrongdoing to the employer or to the public
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globalisation
the integration of economies, industries, markets, cultures and policymaking around the world
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Stakeholder
a person who is affected by or involved in some form of relationship with a business
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consumerism
a set of social beliefs that put a high value on acquiring material things
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will
the part of human nature that makes free choices
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sin
disobeying the will and commands of God
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grace
God's free and undeserved love for humanity
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the Fall
the biblical event in which Adam and Eve disobeyed God's command, the imperfect state of humanity
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neoplatonism
philosophical thinking arising from the ideas of Plato
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redeemed
'saved' from sin by the sacrifice of Christ
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concordia
human friendship
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cupiditas
love of worldly things and of selfish desires
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caritas
a love of others and virtues
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concupiscence
uncontrollable desire for physical pleasures and material things
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ecclesia
heavenly society, in contrast with earthly society
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disembodied existence
existing without a physical body
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resurrection
living on after death in a glorified physical form in a new realm
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beatific vision
a face-to-face encounter with God
107
purgatory
a place where people go, temporarily, after death to be cleansed of sin
108
election
predestination, chosen by God for heaven or hell
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limited election
the idea that God only chooses a certain number of people for heaven
110
original sin
a state of wrongdoing in which people are born because of the sin of Adam and Eve
111
unlimited election
the view that all people are called to salvation but only a few will be saved
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universalism
the view that all people will be saved
113
parable
a story told to highlight a moral message
114
particular judgement
judgement for each person at the point of death
115
parousia
the Second Coming of Christ
116
faith
voluntary commitment to a belief without the need for complete evidence to support it
117
Natural theology
drawing conclusions about the nature and activity of God by using reason and observing the world
118
protestantism
a form of Christianity which rejects the authority of the Catholic Church and places a greater emphasis on the Bible and personal faith
119
revelation
when God chooses to let himself be known
120
Immediate revelation
where someone is given direct knowledge of God
121
Mediate revelation
where someone gains knowledge of God in a secondary, non-direct way
122
wisdom literature
a genre of writing from the ancient world, teaching about wisdom and virtue
123
Son of God
a term for Jesus that emphasises that he is God incarnate
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liberator
someone who frees a group of people
125
Rabbi
a Jewish teacher, often associated with having followers
126
Homoousios
of the same substance or same being
127
Word
from the Greek 'logos', another name for the second person of the Trinity
128
Redemption
the action of saving or being saved from sin, error or evil
129
incarnation
God born as a human being, in Jesus Christ
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Zealot
a member of the Jewish political/military movement that fought against Rome in the first century CE
131
Messiah
in Christianity, Jesus Christ the Son of God. In Judaism, one who rises up against the oppression of the people of Israel
132
Church tradition
the traditions of how Christian life in community works, the teaching of the Church handed down through time
133
Sacred tradition
the idea that the revelation of Jesus is communicated in two ways - scripture and the teaching of the Pope and Church councils
134
Discipleship
following the life, example and teaching of Jesus
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Cheap grace
grace that is received without any change in the recipient and is ultimately false as it cannot save
136
Costly grace
grace followed by obedience to God's command and discipleship
137
Passion
Jesus' sufferings at the end of his life
138
Solidarity
an altruistic commitment to stand alongside and be with those less fortunate, the oppressed, those who suffer
139
Omnipotent
all-powerful
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Omniscient
all-knowing
141
Eternal
timeless, atemporal, being outside the constraints of time
142
Everlasting
semitemperal, lasting forever on the same timeline as humanity
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Free will
the ability to make independent choices with real options
144
Existentialism
a way of thinking that emphasises personal freedom of choice
145
Immutable
Incapable of changing or being affected
146
Agnosticism
the view that there is insufficient evidence for God, or the view that God cannot be known
147
Truth-claim
a statement that asserts that something is factually true
148
Apophatic Way (via negativa)
a way of speaking about God and theological ideas using only terms that say what God is not
149
Cataphatic Way (via positiva)
a range of ways of speaking about God and theological ideas using only terms to say what God is
150
Equivocal language
words that mean different things when used in different contexts
151
Analogy
A comparison made between one thing and another in an effort to aid understanding
152
Symbol
a word or other kind of representation used to stand for something else and to shed light on its meaning
153
Logical positivism
a movement that claimed that assertions have to be capable of being tested empirically if they are to be meaningful
154
Cognitive
having a factual quality that is available to knowledge, where words are labels for things in the world
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Non-cognitive
not having a factual quality that is available to knowledge - words are tools used to achieve something rather than labels for things
156
Empirical
available to be experienced by the five senses
157
Verification
providing evidence to determine that something is true
158
Symposium
a group of people who meet to discuss a particular question
159
Falsification
providing evidence to determine that something is false
160
Demythologising
removing the mythical elements from a narrative to expose the central message
161
Absolutism
the view that morals are fixed, unchanging truths that everyone should always follow
162
Relativism
the view that moral truths are not fixed and are not absolute. What is right changes according to the individual, the situation, the culture, the time, and the place
163
Naturalism
Ethical theories that hold that morals are part of the natural world and can be recognised or observed in come way
164
Intuitionism
ethical theories that hold that moral knowledge is received in a different way from science and logic
165
Vienna Circle
A group of scientists known as logical positivist who rejected claims that moral truth can be verified as objectively true
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Emotivism
ethical theories that hold that moral statements are not statements of fact but are either beliefs or emotions
167
Hume's Law
you cannot go from an 'is' statement (a statement of fact) to an 'ought' (a moral)
168
Naturalistic Fallacy
G. E. Moore's argument that it is a mistake to define moral terms with reference to other properties (a mistake to break Hume's Law)
169
Ratio
the word used by Aquinas to describe reason, something which is placed in every person as a result of their being created in the image of God
170
Synderesis
for Aquinas, this means to follow the good and avoid the evil, the rule that all precepts follow
171
Id
For Freud, this is the part of the mind that has instinctive impulses that seek satisfaction in pleasure
172
Super-Ego
Freud uses this word to describe the part of the mind that contradicts the id and uses internalised ideals from parents and society to make the ego behave morally
173
Ego
Freud uses this work to describe the mediation between the id and the super-ego
174
Conscientia
this is the name Aquinas gives to the process whereby a person's reason makes moral judgements
175
Vincible ignorance
this is how Aquinas describes a lack of knowledge for which a person is responsible and can be blamed
176
Invincible ignorance
this is how Aquinas describes a lack of knowledge for which a person is not responsible and cannot be blamed
177
Cohabitation
an unmarried couple living together in a sexually active relationship
178
Consent
freely agreeing to engage in sexual activity with another person
179
Premarital sex
sex before marriage
180
Extramarital sex
sex beyond the confines of marriage, usually used to describe adulterous sex
181
Betrothal
traditionally the exchange of promises, which in earlier times marked the point at which sex was permitted
182
Consummation
an act of sexual intercourse that indicates, in some traditions, the finalisation of marriage
183
Exclusive
a commitment to be in a sexual relationship with a person to the exclusion of all others. This is the opposite of an 'open marriage' or a 'casual relationship'
184
Homosexuality
sexual attraction between people of the same sex
185
Exclusivism
the view that only one religion offers the complete means of salvation
186
Inter-faith dialogue
sharing and discussing religious beliefs between members of different religious traditions, with an aim of reaching better understanding
187
Theology of religion(s)
the branch of Christian theology that looks at the relationships between Christianity and other world religions from a Christian perspective
188
Inclusivism
the view that although one's own religion is the normative (setting the standard of normality) means of salvation, those who accept its central principles may also receive salvation
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Pluralism
the view that there are many ways to salvation through different religious traditions
190
Particularism
an alternative name for exclusivism, meaning that salvation can only be found in one particular way
191
Vatican II
the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, held from 1962 to 1965 to discuss the place of the Catholic Church in the modern world
192
Noumena
a Kantian term to describe reality as it really is, unfiltered by the human mind
193
Phenomena
a Kantian term to describe reality as it appears to us, filtered by the human mind
194
Multi-faith societies
societies where there are significant populations of people with different religious beliefs
195
Encyclical
an open letter sent to more than one recipient
196
Missionary work
activity that aims to convert people to a particular faith or set of beliefs, or works for social justice in areas of poverty of deprivation
197
Synod
the legislative body of the Church of England
198
Social cohesion
when a group is united by bonds that help them to live together peacefully
199
Feminism
the name given to a wide range of views arguing for, and working for, equality for women
200
Gender biology
the physical characteristics that enable someone to be identified as male or female
201
Gender identification
the way people perceive themselves in terms of masculine, feminine, both or neither
202
Gender expression
the ways in which people behave as a result of their gender identification
203
Socialisation
the process by which people learn social norms
204
Patriarchal society
a society that is dominated by men and men's interests
205
Post-Christian theology
religious thinking that abandons traditional Christian thought
206
Reform feminist theology
religious thinking that seeks to change traditional Christian thought
207
Davidic Messiah
a Messiah figure based on the kingly military images of the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament)
208
Sophia
Greek for 'wisdom', personified in female form in the ancient world
209
Thealogy
studying God based around the goddess ('thea' is Greek for 'goddess')
210
Secularism
a term that is used to mean either that religion should not be involved in government or public life OR the principle that no one religion should have a superior position in the state. It often entails a belief in a public space and a private space, and that religion should be restrained from public power
211
Secularisation
a theory developed in the 1950's and 1960's from Enlightenment thinking, that religious belief would progressively decline as democracy and technology advanced. Sociologists now doubt such a linear decline.
212
Secular
not connected or associated with religious or spiritual matters
213
Wish fulfilment
according to Freud, this is the satisfaction of a desire through a dream or other exercise of the imagination
214
Exploitation
treating someone unfairly in order to benefit from their work or resources
215
Alienation
the process of becoming detached or isolated
216
Capitalism
an economic system in which the means of production are privately owned and operated for profit
217
Communism
an economic system in which trade and industry is controlled by the state
218
Conscientisation
the process by which a person becomes conscious of the power structures in society
219
Basic Christian Communities
Christian groups that gather together to try to directly resolve difficulties in their lives
220
Structural Sin
the idea that sin is not just a personal action, but something that can be brought about through unjust organisations and social structures
221
Preferential option for the poor
the idea that Jesus Christ stood with the poor and oppressed and that the Church should focus on the poor and oppressed and stand in solidarity with them
