Vocab 1-B

Here are some more definitions.  These terms will be seen some in the future, and not just within these pages.

Emanation - the act of -to flow out, issue or proceed, as from a source or origin, come forth, originate Empiricism - the doctrine that all knowledge is derived from sense experience Epistemological Predicates - proclamations pertaining to the branch of philosophy that investigates the origin, nature, methods, and limits of human knowledge Epistemology - investigating the origin, nature, methods, and limits of human knowledge Equivocal - allowing the possibility of several different meanings, as a word or phrase, especially with intent to deceive or misguide; susceptible of double interpretation; deliberately ambiguous of doubtful nature or character; questionable; dubious; suspicious, of uncertain significance; not determined Eternal - without beginning or end; lasting forever, always existing, perpetual; ceaseless; endless, enduring, immutable or,  Metaphysics existing  outside all relations of time; not subject to change Ex Nihilo - from the Latin which means "out of nothing" or "from nothing" Existentialism - a philosophical position that stresses the individual's unique position as a self-determining agent responsible for the authenticity of his or her choices (or truth) Extrinsic Value - of importance while not essential or inherent; not a basic part or quality, extraneous,  being outside a thing; outward or external; operating or coming from without Fallacy -  a deceptive, misleading, or false notion, belief, a misleading or unsound argument. deceptive, misleading, or false nature, erroneous, or in Logic any of various types of erroneous reasoning that render arguments logically unsound Finite - having bounds or limits, measurable, subject to limitations or conditions, as of space, time, circumstances, or the laws of nature Foundationalism - the practice of or application of the basis or groundwork of anything, the act of founding, setting up, establishing Gnosticism - a group of ancient heresies, stressing escape from this world through the acquisition of esoteric knowledge. Hedonism -  the doctrine that pleasure or happiness is the highest good, devotion to pleasure as a way of life Idealism - the cherishing or pursuit of high or noble principles, purposes, goals, etc. or any system or theory that maintains that the real is of the nature of thought or that the object of external perception consists of ideas, the tendency to represent things in an ideal form, or as they might or should be rather than as they are, with emphasis on values. Immanent - remaining within; indwelling; inherent, or  a mental act taking place within the mind of the subject and having no effect outside of it Immortality – unending life Induction  - any form of reasoning in which the conclusion, though supported by the premises, does not follow from them necessarily, or the process of estimating the validity of observations of part of a class of facts as evidence for a proposition about the whole class. Infinite – never ending, continues without foreseeable end, unmeasurable Intrinsic Value – importance based on belonging to a thing by its very nature Intuitionism - Ethics. the doctrine that moral values and duties can be discerned directly, or Metaphysics the doctrine that in perception external objects are given immediately, without the intervention of a representative idea, the doctrine that knowledge rests upon axiomatic truths discerned directly. Law of Non-Contradiction - states that contradictory statements cannot both be true in the same sense at the same time Logic - the science that investigates the principles governing correct or reliable inference, a particular method of reasoning or argumentation: We were unable to follow his logic, the system or principles of reasoning applicable to any branch of knowledge or stud, reason or sound judgment, as in utterances or actions: There wasn't much logic in her move, convincing forcefulness; inexorable truth or persuasiveness: the irresistible logic of the facts. Metaphysics - the branch of philosophy that treats of first principles, includes ontology and cosmology, and is intimately connected with epistemology, philosophy, especially in its more abstruse branches, the underlying theoretical principles of a subject or field of inquiry Mysticism - a doctrine of an immediate spiritual intuition of truths believed to transcend ordinary understanding, or of a direct, intimate union of the soul with God through contemplation or ecstasy, obscure thought or speculation. Natural Revelation - universal aspect of God, knowledge about God and to spiritual matters, discovered through natural means, such as observation of nature (the physical universe), philosophy and reasoning, human conscience or providence or providential history  aspects of natural or general revelation are believed to pertain to outward temporal events that are experienced within the world or this physical universe. Naturalism - the view of the world that takes account only of natural elements and forces, excluding the supernatural or spiritual, the belief that all phenomena are covered by laws of science and that all teleological explanations are therefore without value Nihilism - an extreme form of skepticism: the denial of all real existence or the possibility of an objective basis for truth, nothingness or nonexistence. Noetic Effects (of sin) – how sin affects one’s reasoning, but it should be clear that the flaws or errors in our thinking (its processes and results) are not always the effect of sin. non-sequitur - an inference or a conclusion that does not follow from the premises, a statement containing an illogical conclusion. Objectify - to present as an object, especially of sight, touch, or other physical sense; make objective; externalize Objective - not influenced by personal feelings, interpretations, or prejudice; based on facts; unbiased: an objective opinion, intent upon or dealing with things external to the mind rather than with thoughts or feelings, as a person or a book, being the object of perception or thought; belonging to the object of thought rather than to the thinking subject (opposed to subjective ) Ockman's Razor - is a principle of parsimony, economy, or succinctness used in problem-solving. It states that among competing hypotheses, the hypothesis with the fewest assumptions should be selected. Ontological  - the application of ontology, studying the nature of being Ontological Argument - a category of philosophical arguments for the existence of God using ontology, when constructed properly logically proves the existence of God Ontology - the branch of metaphysics that studies the nature of existence or being Panentheism – a belief that God is everything and in everything.  God is viewed as the eternal animating force behind the universe.  Some variations of this belief structure will hold that God is greater than the universe, of which he is part of.  God exists and interpenetrates every part of nature, and timelessly extends beyond as well Pantheism - the doctrine that God is the transcendent reality of which the material universe and human beings are only manifestations: it involves a denial of God's personality and expresses a tendency to identify God and nature, identifying God with the universe Perception - the act or faculty of perceiving, or apprehending by means of the senses or of the mind; cognition; understanding, immediate or intuitive recognition or appreciation, as of moral, psychological, or aesthetic qualities; insight; intuition; discernment: an artist of rare perception, the result or product of perceiving, as distinguished from the act of perceiving Pluralism - a theory that there is more than one basic substance or principle, not dualism; a theory that reality consists of many independent elements. Polytheism - the doctrine of or belief in more than one god or in many gods. Pragmatism - system having various forms, but generally stressing practical consequences as constituting the essential criterion in determining meaning, truth, or value principles of parsimony – see Ockman’s Razor Rationalism - the doctrine that reason alone is a source of knowledge and is independent of experience,  all knowledge is expressible in self-evident propositions or their consequences. Realism - the doctrine that universals have a real objective existence, as opposed to conceptualism or nominalism, objects of sense perception have an existence independent of the act of perception Relativism - any theory holding that criteria of judgment are relative, varying with individuals and their environments, situational or variable Skepticism - the doctrines or opinions of universal doubt, disbelief, suspension of decision until sufficient data is accumulated Special Revelation – the belief that knowledge of God and of spiritual matters can be discovered through supernatural means, such as miracles or the scriptures, a disclosure of God's truth through means other than through man's reason Subjective - relating to or of the nature of an object as it is known in the mind as distinct from a thing in itself, or relating to properties or specific conditions of the mind as distinguished from general or universal experience, or pertaining to the subject or substance in which attributes inhere; essential, not necessarily fact based

Vocab 1-A

Some terms defined:

a posteriori -- derived from or requiring evidence for its validation or support; empirical; open to revision a priori –of logic  relating to or involving deductive reasoning from a general principle to the expected acts or effects: logic  known to be true independently of or in advance of experience of the subject  matter; requiring no evidence for its validation or support abstract -- thought of apart from concrete realities, specific objects, or actual instances: an abstract idea; expressing a quality or characteristic apart from any specific object or instance, as justice, poverty,  and speed; theoretical; not applied or practical: abstract science; difficult to understand; abstruse: abstract speculations.  absurd -- utterly or obviously senseless, illogical, or untrue; contrary to all reason or common sense; laughably foolish or false: an absurd explanation. ad hoc -- concerned or dealing with a specific subject, purpose, or end: for the special purpose or end presently under consideration. ad hominem -- appealing to one's preju-dices, emotions, or special interests rather than to one's intellect or reason; attacking an opponent's character rather than answering his argument.  ad infinitum -- without end; endlessly; to infinity. agnosticism -- an intellectual doctrine or attitude affirming the uncertainty of all claims to ultimate knowledge.
annihilate - to reduce to utter ruin or nonexistence, destroy utterly: to destroy the collective existence or main body of; wipe out, to annul, make void, to cancel the effect of, nullify; to defeat completely, vanquish apodictic  necessarily true or logically certain, incontestable because of having been demonstrated or proved to be demonstrable apologetics the branch of  theology concerned with the defense or proof of Christianity. argument - a process of reasoning, series of reasons, a statement or or fact for oar against a point, an address or composition intended to convince or persuade.  atheism - the doctrine or belief that there is no God, or disbelief in the existence of a supreme being or beings axiology - the branch of philosophy dealing with values, as those of ethics, aesthetics, or religion.   being  -the fact of existing; existence (as opposed to nonexistence), conscious, moral existence, life, substance or nature, something that exists, sentience may or not be necessary. cosmology  - the branch of philosophy dealing with the origin and general structure of the universe, with its parts, elements, and laws, and especially with such of its characteristics as space, time, causality, and freedom.
cosmological argument -  an argument for the existence of God, asserting that the contingency of each entity, and of the universe composed wholly of such entities, demands the admission of an adequate external cause, which is God deduction - a process of reasoning in which a conclusion follows necessarily from the premises presented, so that the conclusion cannot be false if the premises are true.   de facto - in fact; in reality:  actually existing, especially when without authority   deism - belief in the existence of a God on the evidence of reason and nature only, with rejection of supernatural revelation:  belief in God who created the world but has since remained indifferent to it deontology - ethics, especially that branch dealing with duty, moral obligation, and right action   dialectic - of, pertaining to, or of the nature of logical argumentation dogmatism -  unfounded positiveness in matters of opinion; arrogant assertion of opinions as truths dualism  - the state of being dual or consisting of two parts; division into two, the view that there are just two mutually irreducible substances, contrast to monism and pluralism

Vocabulary

As we look at the world of philosophy, we will encounter some terms that seem strange. Some we know, some will have new definitions, some will be strange indeed.

The following list will be defined over the next few weeks.  As more topics are explored, the list will grow.

a posteriori
a priori
abstract
absurd
ad hoc
ad hominem
ad infinitum
agnosticism
annihilate
apodictic
apologetics
argument atheism axiology being cosmological   cosmological argument deduction defacto deism deontology dialectic dogmatism dualism emanation empiricism epistemological predicates epistemology equivocal eternal ex nihilo existentialism extrinsic value fallacy finite foundationalism gnosticism hedonism idealism immanent immortality induction infinite intrinsic value intutionism law of non-contradiction logic metaphysics mysticism natural revelation naturalism nihilism noetic effects (of sin) non-sequitur objectify objective ockman's razor ontological   ontological argument ontology panentheism pantheism perception pluralism polytheism pragmatism principles of parsimony rationalism realism relativism skepticism special revelation subjective subjectivism syllogism tautology teleological teleology temporal theism transcendent unequivocal univocal

Why philosophy?

We look to philosophy to us with some everyday problems or questions, and with some challenges faced in the not so common day to day activities.  As these words are being read, no doubt the question comes to mind as to what some of these might be?

All of us have beliefs that are not open to much challenge, and then there are those which are wide open to challenge and questioning.  One such value that may be posed is the existence of God.  There are some who do not believe in anything supernatural, and will not be changed no matter what evidence is presented.  Genuine miracle will have little chance of changing the opinion.  Receiving such miracle may not occur form refusal to believe.  If miracle does happen, this person may change his/her mind. 

Once the question of God has been decided, the question of who is Jesus Christ may arise.  The "miracle" above may help in this decision, but there may be other lingering issues, such as who He really is, what He really did, what about this Easter experience, and more.

The above illustrations suggest theological questions, but philosophy helps in going “lower” in the decision making process, this falls into the reasons of “Can I believe?” and “How do I prove this belief?”  

Going further, apologetics, which is the defense of the Christian faith makes use of philosophical processes.  Polemics defend the faith form attacks outside of the faith.  These may seem unneeded to the average believer, which may seem true until one reads in the Bible that we are to ready to provide an answer to the faith that is within us.

Again the above examples indicate that theology uses the tools and methods of philosophy.  Without realizing it, everybody uses some of these tools and processes every day.  With some practice, these skills can be better refined. 

Be warned, many will not change cherished beliefs, but those who are most secure in their value system are open to discussion.  Discussion may not change the mind, but, will share important seeds of truth.