Test #1 Flashcards
(30 cards)
Metaphysics 1
What is a person?
Metaphysics 2
What is a meaningful life?
Aesthetics
What is beautiful?
Social & political
What is a just society?
Epistemology
What can be known?
What is critical thinking?
Critical thinking is the process of observing, analyzing, inferring and conceptualizing concepts and information to solve problems and personal dilemmas. It is typically used as a guide to belief and action.
What are the 2 components to critical thinking
1.A set of information and belief generating and processing skills
2.Commited to intelectual thinking and making it a habit in your life. Using your conclusions from your thinking to guide behavior.
Who were the presocratics and what did they focus on?
Presocratics are those who predated Socrates. They focussed on the structure and development of the universe. They studied the night sky and discovered planets and stars.
Who were the milesians and what did they focus on?
They were the first thinkers to abandon supernatural or religious explanations for what they observed.
Who was Thales ?
One of 3 great milesians
Predicted a solar eclipse and proved that certain events are regular and predictable
Socratic dialogue
Socratic dialogue is a method of questioning used during discussions to elicit knowledge from someone, determine how much they truly know about what they are arguing and determine why they believe what they do. It is a way to break down belief and determine if its correct.
According to scruton what are the 2 things that distinguish philosophical thought?
Abstraction: The problems in philosophy are designed to be solved with the realms of possibility and necessity instead of actuality
Concern for truth: Giving answers that have evidence.
What does a critical thinker do?
-Raises questions clearly
-Gathers and accedes relevant using abstract ideas to interpret it
-tests their conclusions and answers
-thinks open-mindedly
-communicates well with others to come to a conclusion
What are the origins of critical thinking
Traces back to Socrates. Was necessary in his ways of teaching (socratic dialogue)
Socrates argued that we can’t rely on those in authority to always be correct and that we should question everyone’s thinking
What was Hobbes arguement/conclusion?
That we ought to submit to a sovereign power or our nature will take over.
What is the state of nature according to Hobbes?
A world with no government. Each person decides for themselves what is right and wrong. There is no way to get in trouble for your wrongs because there is no authority
What we’re the contradictions in Hobbes arguements
His limits of political obligation seem like they would be incompatible with absolute authority. If absolute government is the product of choice how can it also be the sole constitution?
What are the limits of political obligation? (Hobbes)
Subjects retain the right to self defence against the absolute sovereign power or when their families or honour are at steak.
What does the conscience do?
Acts as a moral barometer
Gauges each action you may commit
Determines if an action gives a good or bad feeling
Depending on how well you listen to your conscience it can influence how much it controls your decisions.
What did Bertrand Russel do?
He pointed out a problem with the conscience-it can’t be trusted because there is no consistency. Your right may be someone else’s wrong. He argued that our conscience comes from learned behaviour and isn’t apart of human nature. He believed that you should trust things above your conscience when making big decisions about how to live.
What is dualism?
Humans are made of two parts:
Body
Soul (or mind)
What are platos 3 division of the soul?
Appetite-the wants
Spirit-seeks honour and prestige
Reason-makes judgements,seeks education and wisdom
Plato says that the ‘‘Best” type of person is guided most by their reason.
What is the problematic soul?
-It is not a physical thing, so can it be found?
-If it cannot be seen how do we know what it does?
-Is the soul a problematic thing to believe in? Is it a sortable thing that can be broken down?
-Is the soul immortal?
Who was Dr.Penfield?
He was fasinated by the idea of the soul and wanted to find it
Did many experiments and is responsable for mapping parts of the brain. He had never found a soul in any of his patients brain and concluded that it is nonmateriel.
