Chapter 1: Key Terms

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Arguments

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present one or more reasons to support a specific result or conclusion. Arguments simply present a conclusion and suggest why certain reasons indicate that conclusion is true, or probable.

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skepticism

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is a general term indicating some degree of doubt, from a small amount to an extreme amount, relative to a given claim.

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Classical philosophy

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is used to describe the philosophy developed in Greece and surrounding areas between the 6th century BCE and the 6th century CE, including the important thinkers Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle.

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modern philosophy

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refers to the period that begins with Francis Bacon (1561–1626) or René Descartes (1596–1650) and ends with Immanuel Kant (1724–1804) or, sometimes, G.W.F. Hegel (1770–1831).

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medieval philosophy

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describes an era of philosophy, generally from around St. Augustine (354–430 CE) to around Francis Bacon (1561–1626), that was influenced greatly by the Greeks but perhaps even more by the development of the world's great monotheisms, Judaism, Islam, and, in the West particularly, Christianity.

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aesthetics

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studies questions having to do with beauty, as well as philosophical issues that arise in discussing art.

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analytic

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is often contrasted with synthetic. A sentence is said to be analytic if its truth value can be determined solely on the basis of the terms used in that sentence.

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dogmatism

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the view that maintains beliefs and claims either without reason and evidence, or in spite of criticism and examination.

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empiricism

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characterizes the view that our knowledge is ultimately derived completely from the various sense impressions we have.

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epistemology

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the branch of philosophy that studies knowledge.

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logic

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the systematic study of the rules used in reasoning.

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metaphysics

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seeks to explore the absolute and fundamental questions of the world and what exists in (and outside) of that world.

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neo–Platonism

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was the development of Plato's views in new ways, often quite different from Plato's views. It also generally sought to reconcile some of Plato's philosophical views with Christianity.

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philosophy of language

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was, and is, an influential philosophical movement that focuses closely on how language can generate philosophical problems. It often seeks to dissolve philosophical problems by showing that they arise from the misuse of language.

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philosophy of mind

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is the philosophical study of various things thought to do with the (human) mind, including consciousness, beliefs, and the relationship between the mind and the brain.

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philosophy of religion

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is the philosophical exploration of issues that arise with religion, including the existence of God, the problem of evil, determinism, and the afterlife.

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political philosophy

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explores questions that arise specifically within politics, including questions of justice, fairness, and what political structures are more appropriate for human flourishing.

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rationalism

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s often contrasted with empiricism in its commitment to innate ideas that people are born with and belief that the senses do not lead to truth but may interfere with reason, which is the real source of the truth.

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Socratic method

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is the question–and–answer strategy Socrates employs, particularly in the early dialogues of Plato, to investigate philosophical questions.

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existentialism

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as a philosophy developed in the 20th century that emphasizes the radical freedom of individuals and the responsible way of dealing with that freedom.

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phenomenology

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was a philosophical movement, and method, developed by Edmund Husserl (and Martin Heidegger) that focused on what aspects of the world were present to a conscious subject and explored the relationship between that world and that subject.