Philosophy Unit 2 Test Review

Philosophy Unit 2 Test Review Metaphysics: The branch of philosophy that asks big questions like "What is real?" and "What exists beyond the physical world?" Idealism: The belief that reality is shaped by ideas or the mind, not physical matter. Materialism: The belief that everything is made of p...

Philosophy Unit 2 Test Review Metaphysics: The branch of philosophy that asks big questions like "What is real?" and "What exists beyond the physical world?" Idealism: The belief that reality is shaped by ideas or the mind, not physical matter. Materialism: The belief that everything is made of physical matter, and nothing exists beyond it. Monism: The idea that everything in the universe comes from one single substance or principle. Dualism: The belief that there are two main things in existence, like mind and body, or good and evil. Cartesian Skepticism: René Descartes' idea of doubting everything to find what can truly be known for sure. Agnosticism: Not being sure if God exists or not. Atheism: The belief that God does not exist. Deism: The belief that God created the universe but doesn't interfere in it anymore. Monotheism: The belief in one God. Theism: Belief in a personal God who interacts with the world. Polytheism: Belief in many gods. Pantheism: The idea that God and the universe are the same thing. Panentheism: The belief that God is in everything but also greater than everything. Impossible vs Contingent vs Necessary: Impossible means something can’t happen, contingent means it depends on something else, and necessary means it must exist no matter what. Hard Determinists: People who think free will doesn’t exist because everything is already determined by cause and effect. Libertarians: People who believe we have complete free will to make choices. Soft Determinists: People who think free will exists but works alongside things being determined by causes. Predestination: The idea that everything, including your fate, has already been decided by God. Ship of Theseus and Possible Solutions: A thought experiment asking if a ship that has all its parts replaced is still the same ship. Solutions include saying identity stays with the design or changes with the parts. What is Real? : Philosophers debate whether reality is based on physical stuff (materialism) or ideas (idealism). Common Metaphysical Theories (Idealism, Materialism, Monism, Dualism): Idealism: Reality is shaped by ideas/mind. Materialism: Reality is just physical stuff. Monism: Everything comes from one source. Dualism: Reality has two main parts (like mind and body). Change vs Oneness: Heraclitus: Believed everything is constantly changing ("You can’t step into the same river twice"). Parmenides: Believed change is an illusion and reality is one unchanging thing. Appearance vs Reality Theories: Questions whether what we see matches what’s really true. Mind vs Brain Theories: Debates whether thoughts come from something non-physical (mind) or just brain activity. What is a Person?: Philosophers ask what makes someone a person—like their mind, soul, or body. Do Machines Think? (Turing Test and Chinese Room): Turing Test: A machine thinks if it can act like a human in conversation. Chinese Room: Even if a machine acts human-like, it might not truly understand—just follow instructions. Why Is There No Empirical Proof for God? (Video): Empirical evidence relies on physical proof, but God is often described as beyond physical reality. Does God Exist?: Philosophers debate this with arguments for and against His existence. Existence of God Arguments (Main 3): Ontological Argument (Anselm): Claims God must exist because He’s the greatest being we can imagine, and existing makes Him greater than not existing. Objection: Just imagining something doesn’t mean it’s real. Cosmological Argument (Aquinas): Says everything has a cause, so there must be a first cause (God). Objection: Why does the first cause have to be God? Teleological Argument (Paley): Points to design in nature as proof of a designer (God). Objection: Evolution explains design without needing God. Pascal’s Wager: It’s safer to believe in God because if He exists, you gain eternal life; if He doesn’t, you lose nothing. Human Nature and Evil (Problem of Sin/Evil): Evil challenges why bad things happen if God is good and powerful. Philosophers say it could come from free will or serve a greater purpose. Free Will and Determinism (Ideas of Free Will, Predestination, Election): Free will means we choose our actions; determinism says choices are caused by outside forces; predestination says God decides everything ahead of time.