Introduction to Philosophy & Methods
What is the literal translation of the Greek word philosophia?
A) The search for truthThe love of wisdom ("philo" - love, "sophia" - wisdom).
What are the two fundamental components of any argument?
A) Facts and OpinionsPremises (supporting statements) and a Conclusion (what the premises aim to prove).
Which area of philosophy examines how society determines governance, justice, and authority?
A) Epistemology; B) Axiology; C) Political Philosophy.
C) Political Philosophy.
What was the historical basis for knowledge before the introduction of the Scientific Method?
A) Truth by authority"Truth by authority," relying on figures like Aristotle or religious teachings
What is the branch of Western philosophy that deals with questions of right and wrong action and moral values?
A) Metaphysics; B) Epistemology; C) Ethics
Ethics (or Moral Philosophy)
What's the difference between truth and opinion?
A) Truth is verifiable, Opinion is historicalTruth is objective and verifiable, Opinion is subjective and not necessarily verifiable
What is the Law of Excluded Middle?
A) A statement can be partially trueC) A statement must be either true or false; no middle ground exists.
According to Aristotle, what is the key role of laws in a political society?
A) To maximize the wealth of the leadersTo create good citizens
What is the specific philosophical problem that challenges our understanding of scientific prediction, often associated with Nelson Goodman?
A) The Trolley ProblemThe "Grue" Paradox.
Name three main schools of Eastern Philosophy mentioned in the provided document.
A) Stoicism, Epicureanism, and PlatonismBuddhism, Confucianism, and Hinduism (Any three of: Buddhism, Confucianism, Hinduism, Taoism, Zen, Islam, Legalism, Maoism, or Shinto).
Name the three main areas that philosophy questions
A) Physics, Chemistry, and Biology
B)Metaphysics, Epistemology, Aesthetics/Ethics
C) History, Mathematics, and Art.
Metaphysics (Existence), Epistemology (Knowledge), Aesthetics/Ethics (Values/beauty)
What type of inference moves from specific observations to a general, but only probable, conclusion?
A) Inductive ReasoningInductive reasoning
What is the core distinction between Moral Equality and Political Equality?
A) Moral Equality is equal respect for being human; Political Equality is equal distribution of rights and powerMoral Equality is equal respect for being human; Political Equality is equal distribution of rights and power
What is the central requirement of Karl Popper's theory of Falsificationism for a theory to be considered truly scientific?
A) The theory must be confirmed by multiple experimentsThe theory must be falsifiable or refutable through clear experimental conditions
According to Vedanta (Hinduism), what is the key to achieving self-liberation and nirvana?
A) Performing one's prescribed duties (action) without expecting any reward or result for the effortC) Dedicating all efforts to the accumulation of vast material wealth and achieving positions of great power.
Performing one's prescribed duties (action) without expecting any reward or result for the effort
What is the philosophical attitude, and why is it essential for study?
A) Accepting traditional beliefs without questionB) Open-mindedness, a willingness to question beliefs, and intellectual curiosity
Describe the difference between Deductive and Inductive reasoning in terms of certainty.
A) Inductive is always certain, and Deductive is sometimes certainDeductive reasoning, if valid, aims for certainty (the conclusion must be true).
Inductive reasoning aims only for probability (the conclusion is likely to be true, but not guaranteed).
Aristotle introduced the concept of telos into his political theory. What does telos mean, and what is the ultimate human goal (telos) according to him?
A) Telos means "Law," and the goal is securityTelos means "goal-directed purpose," and the goal is living a good life through virtue
How does the "theory-laden observation" concept challenge the idea of unbiased data collection?
A) It argues that observation is never neutral because it is influenced by the observer's prior knowledge and backgroundC) It claims that all scientific data is inherently false.
It argues that observation is never neutral because it is influenced by the observer's prior knowledge, cultural background, professional expertise, and the language used to describe it.
State the fundamental philosophical problem addressed by the free will vs. determinism debate.
A) Whether the physical structure of the entire universe is in a state of continuous expansion or contractionC) Are human actions freely chosen by the agent, or are they entirely caused by external factors and natural laws?
The problem is whether human actions are freely chosen and controlled by the agent (free will), or if they are entirely caused by external factors and natural laws (determinism).
Name and briefly describe three key philosophical methods used for inquiry.
A) Observation, Experimentation, CalculationLogical Reasoning, Dialectical Method, Thought Experiments
Explain the difference between an Ad Hominem fallacy and a Straw Man fallacy.
A) Ad Hominem attacks the motives; Straw Man attacks the sourceAd Hominem attacks the character or motives of the person making the argument.
Straw Man misrepresents or exaggerates an opponent's actual position to make it easier to refute.
Political philosophy investigates the legitimacy of political institutions. Why is this concept critical for the functioning and stability of a government?
A) Legitimacy guarantees the government will never make a mistakeC) Legitimacy ensures that the government is always democratic.
Legitimacy grants the government moral right and authority to rule, ensuring voluntary compliance and stability from citizens.
According to the philosophy of science, why is it problematic to rely solely on confirmation rather than seeking falsification?
A) Confirmation is difficult to achieve due to practical limitationsRelying solely on confirmation can lead to confirmation bias and allows non-scientific (unfalsifiable) theories to stand. A theory must risk being proven wrong to truly be meaningful.
Explain the cosmological difference between the Western (Linear) view and the Eastern (Circular) view of the universe, as described in the materials.
A)The Western view asserts that all existence is an illusion, while the Eastern view maintains a strict adherence to material reality and empirical scienceThe Western view is often linear, emphasizing a clear beginning and end (or progress/evolution). The Eastern view is typically circular, based on the perception of eternal recurrence and life being a journey towards eternal realities.