Philosophy Core Concepts Quiz

Philosophy: Core Concepts

• Wonder (Awe): The fundamental requirement for a good philosopher is the power of wonder.
• Sanity/Insanity Boundary: Philosophers exist on the edge of sanity and insanity.
• Knowledge is Virtue: Vvincible ignorance is acceptable; metacognition (knowing what you know and don't know) is key.
• Decipher/Analyze: Breaking down concepts is crucial.
• Love of Wisdom: Philosophy is the love of wisdom (from the Greek words philos and sophia).
• Delay Gratification: Important for personal growth.
• Adversity Quotient: The ability to surpass challenges.
• Transcendence: Going beyond the ordinary.
• Proactive Nature: Humans need to be proactive (Stephen Covey).
• Learning is Inevitable: (Aristotle).
• Soul/Animus: Drives motion in living things; three types: vegetative (plants), sentient (animals), and rational (humans).
• Psyche/Soul/Mind: Related concepts, often interchangeable.
• Embodied Subjectivity: Humans are material beings (corporeal).

Human Existence

• Being-in-the-World: Humans occupy space and time.
• Being-with: Humans are social creatures.
• Political Animal: Humans are fundamentally social (Aristotle).
• Euphemism: A more polite way to express something awkward.
• Love & Justice: Love (presupposes Justice; important aspect of being human)
• Suum Cuique: Give to each what is due to them (Justice).
• Body & Soul: Human beings are a combination of body and soul.

Defining Philosophy

• Mental Seeing: Philosophy is a way of seeing the world through analysis and information processing.
• Richness & Exhaustion: Philosophical concepts are complex and cannot be fully understood easily.
• Transcending Superficiality: Philosophy goes beyond surface-level observations.
• Inherent Reality: Philosophy is an intrinsic part of reality.
• Study of Causes/Principles: Philosophy investigates the fundamental reasons behind things using human reason.

Major Branches of Philosophy

Epistemology (Theory of Knowledge)

• Subject/Object: The knower (subject) and the thing known (object).
• Truth: Absolute and unchanging.
• Falsity: Can vary and has degrees (not absolute).
• Knowledge in Truth: Epistemology is fundamentally grounded in truth.
• Rene Descartes: A key figure in modern philosophy.

Metaphysics

• Going Beyond Physics: Examining the essence and meaning beyond the physical world.
• Essence: Fundamental nature or significance.
• Conviction: Core beliefs and Thoughts
• Novelty/Uniqueness: How something is different.
• Appearance/Deception: Beware of appearances to avoid deception.

Value Theory (Aesthetics & Ethics)

• Aesthetics (Beauty): The study of beauty.
• Commercialization of Beauty: A contemporary issue impacting aesthetics.
• Disinterested Eye (Kant): Beauty is appreciated without personal interest .
• Phenomenological Method (Husserl): bracketing and analysis of biases.

Ethics

• Socrates: A renowned philosopher in Western history.
  • "The unexamined life is not worth living"
• Logic as a tool for discernment
• Right vs. Wrong: Differentiated based on written law.
• Universally Accepted: Important considerations in ethics.
• Alfred North Whitehead and Plato: Important influences in philosophy.
• Emulation: Learning by example.
• Buddhism (Nirvana): A state of enlightenment.
• Insatiable Desire: Lack of contentment.
• Dharma/Karma: Duty and law in Hinduism.
• Good Acts:
  • Right Actions: (Permissible)
    • Obligatory/Required; optional; neutral; supererogatory.
  • Wrong Actions: (Not permissible); crimes.
• Ethical Theories:
  • Consequentialism (Teleological Ethics): The end justifies the means (goals lead to decisions).
  • Virtue Ethics (Aristotle): Focuses on character and virtues/vices.
  • Motivational Ethics: The end does not justify the means (motives matter).
• Golden Mean A balance between deficiency and excess in moral actions.