Basics of Phil.
Identify and explain the six branches of philosophy.
Logic: studies principles/methods of correct reasoning
Epistemology: theory of knowledge
Aesthetics: study of art, beauty, taste
Political Phil: studies how/why we organize ourselves into societies/governments
Metaphysics: study of the structure of reality
Ethics: theory of morality
What are three primary subdivisions of ethics?
Descriptive Morality, Prescriptive Morality, and Applied Ethics
What is deontology?
Deontology is the theory of the nature of duty and obligation, serving as an ethical framework that judges the morality of an action based on its adherence to rules rather than the consequences it produces.
What are the three parts of Plato's soul?
Appetite, Spirit, Reason
One person wants to steal a loaf of bread because she has no money to feed her children. Another person wants to steal a loaf of bread for the fun of it and to post a video online. Why would the morality of these two situations be evaluated differently if both people ended up stealing the bread?
different motive preceding their actions
How is philosophy both similar and different to science?
Both philosophy and science are systematic ways of trying to understand the world, yet they differ in their methodology.
Science: uses physical experiments and empirical data to test hypotheses
Philosophy: employs conceptual analysis and reasoning without needing a laboratory
What are four domains of ethical assessment used to assess morality?
Action, consequence, character, motive
What is utilitarianism?
ethical theory that determines the morality of an action based on whether it maximizes overall happiness and well-being for the greatest number of people
What is the distinctive function (ergon) of a human being?
Rational activity
Plato would argue that mindlessly scrolling on TikTok for hours to satisfy a craving for instant entertainment means your body is completely dominated by this specific part of the tripartite soul.
Appetitive
What is a normative claim?
a statement that asserts how things ought or should be, rather than simply describing how they currently are
This normative subject determines what is polite behavior rather than what is morally right behavior.
Etiquette
What broader umbrella of ethical theories does utilitarianism fall under?
Consequentialism
According to Plato, what is justice in the individual?
Justice is the proper ordering and harmony of the soul: reason leads, spirit supports reason, and appetite follows rational guidance. Each part does its proper job without interfering with the others.
What is the difference between Socrates and the sophists of Ancient Greece?
Socrates sought objective truth and wisdom through questioning and philosophical inquiry, while the Sophists emphasized rhetoric and persuasion, often teaching people how to argue effectively for a social position. Socrates did not charge for his philosophical discussions, while Sophists charged fees for their instruction.
What is the main characteristic of philosophy?
Rational argumentation
Why did Socrates think "the unexamined life is not worth living?"
Human life without critical reflection lacks meaning and purpose because the unique human function of reason should be exercised in order to live well.
What is the categorical imperative?
"Act only according to that maxim whereby you can at the same time will that it should become a universal law"
Kant's central philosophical concept establishing an unconditional moral law that applies to all rational beings regardless of their personal desires or goals
Why does Plato argue that the soul must have distinct parts?
We can experience conflicting desires or motivations at the same time, for example, being thirsty but refusing to drink. Since the same thing cannot simultaneously produce opposite actions in the same respect, Plato concludes that these conflicting impulses must come from different parts of the soul.
What do the puppeteers in Plato's Allegory of the Cave represent?
They represent the ways in which our understanding of reality can be shaped byother people, institutions, conventions, or systems
Why was Socrates considered the "gadfly of Athens" and a "midwife of ideas?"
Socrates was considered the "gadfly of Athens" because he used relentless questioning to sting complacent citizens into examining their lives, and a "midwife of ideas" because he helped people "give birth" to their own thoughts and discover truth through dialogue
Identify five typical features of moral principles and explain them.
Prescriptivity: principle should be action-guiding
Practicability: must be workable/rules must not create heavy burden
Overridingness: moral principles should override other principles
Universalizability: must apply to all people in relatively similar situation
Publicity: must be made public in order to guide our actions
Describe the hedonic calculus, its seven variables, and the meaning of each variable.
The hedonic calculus is a quantitative system invented by Jeremy Bentham to calculate the total amount of pleasure and pain that an action will produce.
intensity (how strong pleasure is); duration (how long it lasts); certainty (how likely pleasure is to result); proximity (how soon it will occur); fecundity (chance it has of generating additional future outcomes); purity (chance it has of not being followed by pain); extent (number of persons to whom it extends)
According to Plato, what are the Forms? And what does the sun in Plato's Allegory of the Cave represent?
The Forms are perfect, universal, unchanging, intelligible realities that particular things participate in. For example, particular beautiful things change, but the Form of Beauty is Beauty itself and does not change.
The sun represents the Form of the Good. Just as the physical Sun makes things visible and supports life in the visible world, the Form of the Good makes knowledge and understanding possible in the intelligible world.
In a contemporary version of Plato's famous thought experiment, digital algorithms act as the hidden puppeteers and smartphone screens serve as the stone wall. AI deepfakes replace what specific objects of deception?
The shadows on the cave wall