Philosophy and Ethics Flashcards

What is epistemology primarily concerned with?

Answer: The nature of knowledge and justification

Epistemology is the branch of philosophy that investigates the nature, sources, scope, and limits of knowledge and justified belief.

Which philosopher wrote 'Critique of Pure Reason'?

Answer: Immanuel Kant

Immanuel Kant published 'Critique of Pure Reason' in 1781, in which he argued that space, time, and causality are forms imposed by the mind on experience.

The philosophical position that reality is fundamentally mental or spiritual in nature is called:

Answer: Idealism

Idealism holds that reality is mentally constructed or immaterial, with prominent proponents including George Berkeley and G.W.F. Hegel.

Socrates' method of philosophical inquiry through systematic questioning to expose contradictions is called:

Answer: The Socratic Method

The Socratic Method involves asking a series of questions to help a person examine their beliefs and arrive at a clearer understanding of truth.

Which branch of philosophy deals with questions of right and wrong, good and evil, and moral obligations?

Answer: Ethics

Ethics (or moral philosophy) is the branch of philosophy concerned with the nature of moral judgment, values, and principles guiding human conduct.

René Descartes' famous philosophical statement 'I think, therefore I am' is expressed in Latin as:

Answer: Cogito ergo sum

'Cogito ergo sum' is Descartes' foundational claim that the very act of doubting proves the existence of the thinking self.

Which philosopher is associated with the 'Allegory of the Cave,' illustrating the difference between appearance and reality?

Answer: Plato

Plato's Allegory of the Cave, found in 'The Republic,' uses prisoners in a cave watching shadows to illustrate how most people mistake appearances for true reality.