Random Cool Stuff

Question 1

What is the Principle of Sufficient Reason?

Answer 1

An idea postulating that everything must have a sufficient reason or cause for their existence.

Question 2

What is the Is/Ought problem?

Answer 2

Also known as Hume’s law or Hume’s guillotine, this argument posits the idea that an ethical or judgmental conclusion cannot be inferred from purely descriptive or factual statements. For example, I cannot say I ought not to poison people if I know poison is lethal. I would need a normative statement, such as “I dislike killing people” to bridge the gap.

Question 3

What is cultural variability?

Answer 3

Differences in belief and ideology between cultures.

Question 4

What does philosopher Thomas Hobbes believe about human nature?

Answer 4

That we are intrinsically evil, as we seek our own pleasure and ignore others.

Question 5

What is J.L Mackie’s error theory?

Answer 5

A meta-ethical view that all moral judgements are false as they are based on the premise that they believe in objective right and wrongs.

Question 6

What is divine command theory?

Answer 6

If it is in the bible, do it.

Question 7

What is Pascal’s wager?

Answer 7

That we should believe in a creator good for the pure chance that we don’t lose anything if we do and he doesn’t exist, but risk eternal damnation if we don’t and he does exist.

Question 8

What is ‘Empty Formalism’

Answer 8

A critique of many deontological ethical theories such as Kantian Ethics, which posits that they are too formal (rule-focused) and abstract to provide concrefe moral guidance.

Question 9

What is Hume’s Fork?

Answer 9

The idea that we should reject any statement that isn’t necessarily true or analytic (such as all bachelors are unmarried men) as their truth is contingent on how the world appears to be (‘the cat is on the mat’) (synthetic)

Question 10

What are analytic statements?

Answer 10

Statements undeniably true, such as ‘all bachelors are unmarried men’

Question 11

What are synthetic statements?

Answer 11

Statements that are not undeniably true - contingent on how reality appears to be.

Question 12

What did Karl Marx feel on religion? (Quote)

Answer 12

That ‘Religion is the opium of the people’

Question 13

What are Hume’s views on reason and emotion?

Answer 13

Hume feels we cannot make decisions with purely reason, and that emotions provide the will to make these decisions. Reason can inform us, but it cannot move us.

Example: Hume would say Kant’s respect for moral law is simply emotion in disguise. Kant stating that murder is wrong because it’s our duty to preserve life is just the statment ‘I am strongly opposed to murder’ rephrased.

Question 14

What is an ad hominem argument?

Answer 14

An argument directed at a person rather than the position or role they are taking. Usually used to invalidate certain arguments.

Question 15

What is epistemological humility?

Answer 15

Awareness our knowledge is always incomplete.