Philosophy Terms
Absolute- Something that is not affected by anything the exists outside of itself; independent
Abstract Idea- A broad, overarching idea which exists only in one’s mind and not concrete reality
Absurd- Logic which contradicts itself
Accident- A metaphysics term which refers to something that has no use in the nature of the object
Aesthetics- The study of beauty and art, in reference to philosophy
Agnosticism- The belief that one cannot be certain about the existence of an ultimate reality (meaning God)
Altruism- The belief that humans should be concerned for the well-being of others
Amoral- Something that is not moral or immoral; a “grey area”
Angst- A sense one feels of apprehension and panic
Anthropomorphism- Relates to the term personification; used human traits to describe non-human beings or things (usually God in philosophy)
Apologetics- One’s rationale for defending a certain opinion or belief
Atheism- The belief that there is no God in the universe
Attribute- Trait, personality, or characteristic of something
Autonomy- Being independent and free; to determine one’s own fate
Being- Definite reality which does not change; something that exists; something that is real
Principle of Causality- The cause which sets into motion an effect
Coherence Theory of Truth- A way to understand what is true or false which states that there are no set principles of the universe but simply a variety of perspectives; it opposes the Correspondence Theory of Truth
Contingent- That which is dependent on another thing to survive and exist
Correspondence Theory of Truth- A way to understand what is true or false which states that for a statement to be true, it must correspond to the reality of the world around it
Cosmos- The universe or the world
Deism- The belief that there is a God in this world, but chooses not to be involved within it
Determinism- The belief that everything has been determined by the previous state of things and cannot be changed because of this
Dialectic- Using reason, discussion, and arguments to find logical truths
Doubt- Uncertainty
Efficient Cause- The cause which produces something
Epicureanism- A type of hedonistic philosophy which states that pleasure can be found through living a simple life, gaining knowledge of the world, and limiting one’s desires.
Essence- Nature of something to make it the thing it has become
Ethics- A branch of philosophy which debates morality
Existentialism- A term can have several meanings to different philosophers, depending on the context. It usually refers to one’s existence within an incomprehensible world, to find meaning within that world, and to take ultimate responsibility for the actions of oneself. It became popular after WWII
Fideism- Usually referring to religious beliefs; states that faith is sufficient to justify one’s beliefs and does not require reason
Finite- Has boundaries
Form- A metaphysics term which refers to the essence of something
Hedonism- The ethical belief that seeking pleasure is the greatest good one can do; it compares humans to the base instincts of animals as pleasure seeking and pain avoiding.
Idealism- The view that reality exists within the mind and consists of ideas; opposes materialism
Immanent- Exists at this time
Independent- Can exist on its own
Indubitable- Something that, without any doubt, is true
Infinite- Has no end
Innate Ideas- The belief that some aspects and ideas are natural (from birth)
Logic- The study of principles through rational thinking
Materialism- The belief that all reality exists through material or physical objects
Moral Argument- Uses the existence of God to explain morality
Naturalism- The belief that reality is only found in that which is physical
Nihilism - A form of existentialism that believes that there is no purpose, meaning, or value to this world
Objective Idealism- The belief that objects exist outside of the way we perceive them
Ontology- Another word for metaphysics
Pantheism- The belief that God is everything
Philosophy- Means ‘love of wisdom’
Platonism- The philosophy and teachings of Plato
Pragmatism- American philosophy that determines truth through consequences
Skepticism- The belief that everything is uncertain, especially truth and knowledge
Socratic Method- a system of using questions to determine one’s beliefs, or the holes within them
Theism- Belief in a single God that is personal, infinite, and transcendent
Transcendent- Outside of this reality
Absolute- Something that is not affected by anything the exists outside of itself; independent
Abstract Idea- A broad, overarching idea which exists only in one’s mind and not concrete reality
Absurd- Logic which contradicts itself
Accident- A metaphysics term which refers to something that has no use in the nature of the object
Aesthetics- The study of beauty and art, in reference to philosophy
Agnosticism- The belief that one cannot be certain about the existence of an ultimate reality (meaning God)
Altruism- The belief that humans should be concerned for the well-being of others
Amoral- Something that is not moral or immoral; a “grey area”
Angst- A sense one feels of apprehension and panic
Anthropomorphism- Relates to the term personification; used human traits to describe non-human beings or things (usually God in philosophy)
Apologetics- One’s rationale for defending a certain opinion or belief
Atheism- The belief that there is no God in the universe
Attribute- Trait, personality, or characteristic of something
Autonomy- Being independent and free; to determine one’s own fate
Being- Definite reality which does not change; something that exists; something that is real
Principle of Causality- The cause which sets into motion an effect
Coherence Theory of Truth- A way to understand what is true or false which states that there are no set principles of the universe but simply a variety of perspectives; it opposes the Correspondence Theory of Truth
Contingent- That which is dependent on another thing to survive and exist
Correspondence Theory of Truth- A way to understand what is true or false which states that for a statement to be true, it must correspond to the reality of the world around it
Cosmos- The universe or the world
Deism- The belief that there is a God in this world, but chooses not to be involved within it
Determinism- The belief that everything has been determined by the previous state of things and cannot be changed because of this
Dialectic- Using reason, discussion, and arguments to find logical truths
Doubt- Uncertainty
Efficient Cause- The cause which produces something
Epicureanism- A type of hedonistic philosophy which states that pleasure can be found through living a simple life, gaining knowledge of the world, and limiting one’s desires.
Essence- Nature of something to make it the thing it has become
Ethics- A branch of philosophy which debates morality
Existentialism- A term can have several meanings to different philosophers, depending on the context. It usually refers to one’s existence within an incomprehensible world, to find meaning within that world, and to take ultimate responsibility for the actions of oneself. It became popular after WWII
Fideism- Usually referring to religious beliefs; states that faith is sufficient to justify one’s beliefs and does not require reason
Finite- Has boundaries
Form- A metaphysics term which refers to the essence of something
Hedonism- The ethical belief that seeking pleasure is the greatest good one can do; it compares humans to the base instincts of animals as pleasure seeking and pain avoiding.
Idealism- The view that reality exists within the mind and consists of ideas; opposes materialism
Immanent- Exists at this time
Independent- Can exist on its own
Indubitable- Something that, without any doubt, is true
Infinite- Has no end
Innate Ideas- The belief that some aspects and ideas are natural (from birth)
Logic- The study of principles through rational thinking
Materialism- The belief that all reality exists through material or physical objects
Moral Argument- Uses the existence of God to explain morality
Naturalism- The belief that reality is only found in that which is physical
Nihilism - A form of existentialism that believes that there is no purpose, meaning, or value to this world
Objective Idealism- The belief that objects exist outside of the way we perceive them
Ontology- Another word for metaphysics
Pantheism- The belief that God is everything
Philosophy- Means ‘love of wisdom’
Platonism- The philosophy and teachings of Plato
Pragmatism- American philosophy that determines truth through consequences
Skepticism- The belief that everything is uncertain, especially truth and knowledge
Socratic Method- a system of using questions to determine one’s beliefs, or the holes within them
Theism- Belief in a single God that is personal, infinite, and transcendent
Transcendent- Outside of this reality