PHIL101 YATES JMU FINAL
K
EXAM FALL 2023 QUESTIONS
C
AND CORRECT DETAILED /
LO
VERIFIED ANSWERS LATEST
YC
UPDATE
D
U
ST
,Key terms
Aporia
Greek term for an experience in which we arrive at a state of confusion when we realize
that we
hold contradictory viewpoints and/or premises. It's distressing but important and
productive.
Socrates employed the 'Aporetic Method' in order to bring this about in people as a way
of
motivating the pursuit of wisdom.
Epistemology
K
The branch of philosophy that focuses on trying to understand how we can best
determine
C
knowledge claims, truths, and the limits/possibilities of human understanding. It's often
referred to
as 'Theories of Knowledge," and evaluates different claims about what counts as
LO
justified
'knowledge' as opposed to mere 'opinions.'
Metaphysics
The branch of philosophy that focuses on trying to understand (and make arguments
about) the
YC
nature of existence/reality and the human place in it. While it includes ancient questions
like "is their
one substance at the root of all things?," it is also interested in things that are not just of
a
'physicalist' nature, such as "What's the nature of Will? Of the Soul? And is there a
D
reality behind the
realm of Appearances?
U
Premise
A principle or assumption lying at the foundations of a viewpoint or claim.
subjectivity
ST
Personhood. Where a person is a "subject" in the sense of the subject of existence.
Telos/teleological
Greek term referring to Purpose-seeking in life. It contains the idea that a part of being a
person (a
'subject') is that we live life in a purposeful project-oriented way
Action
Arendt's term for the category of human living in which we express ourselves to the
world and
involve ourselves in society through speech and deeds. It is ongoing, a part of our
unfolding 'story',
, in terms of how we use our freedom/agency to take initiative and insert ourselves into
the social
world. Action cannot be reversed, which means we should approach it responsibly. She
also names two unique forms of Action that we need in life generally, and which can
help set the Political on a proper course: making/keeping Promises, and Forgiving.
Approximation
Kierkegaard's term for the best that an Objective (logical) approach to the question of
religious truth can do. Being 'objective' about such things is fine up to a point, but it will
only ever get you an 'approximate' sense of the reality of God and the truth of faith. By
contrast, 'subjective' certainty is
K
needed. (See Passion, Inwardness, Paradox, and Objective vs. Subjective Faith.)
Cosmology
C
We looked at this specifically in relation to Native American Philosophy's version of
metaphysics,
although Cosmology is also found in other forms of philosophy. It includes the study of
LO
the overall
nature of reality (metaphysics), but it emphasizes a spiritual dimension in this reality.
Thus, Native
American cosmology sees the 'sacred' in all things and places. (See Great Spirit.
Four Noble Truths
YC
The original main teachings of the Buddha. They emphasize the reality of suffering as
the human condition (because of our cycles of desire and dissatisfaction), and the
importance of Nirvana and the Noble Eight-Fold Path as the way forward through such
suffering.
Free-Will Argument (in relation to question of God's existence)
D
Critics of the Teleological Argument (see below) ask: If there is a supreme God who has
designed and
U
who governs the world so wonderfully, then why is there evil and suffering? A prominent
Christian
response (by St. Augustine, we mentioned), is that God gave humans freedom to make
ST
choices in
their lives ('free-will') rather than 'determine' (control) them in every way; so,
evil/suffering are a
result of bad uses of free-will which affect ourselves and others.
Great spirit
The Native American cosmological term for the central God - Wakan Tanka. This God is
the source of life and spirit for all things, and through which all things of nature
(including people) are connected. It is also sometimes called the "Great Mystery." It is
both Transcendent and Immanent.
Herd
K
EXAM FALL 2023 QUESTIONS
C
AND CORRECT DETAILED /
LO
VERIFIED ANSWERS LATEST
YC
UPDATE
D
U
ST
,Key terms
Aporia
Greek term for an experience in which we arrive at a state of confusion when we realize
that we
hold contradictory viewpoints and/or premises. It's distressing but important and
productive.
Socrates employed the 'Aporetic Method' in order to bring this about in people as a way
of
motivating the pursuit of wisdom.
Epistemology
K
The branch of philosophy that focuses on trying to understand how we can best
determine
C
knowledge claims, truths, and the limits/possibilities of human understanding. It's often
referred to
as 'Theories of Knowledge," and evaluates different claims about what counts as
LO
justified
'knowledge' as opposed to mere 'opinions.'
Metaphysics
The branch of philosophy that focuses on trying to understand (and make arguments
about) the
YC
nature of existence/reality and the human place in it. While it includes ancient questions
like "is their
one substance at the root of all things?," it is also interested in things that are not just of
a
'physicalist' nature, such as "What's the nature of Will? Of the Soul? And is there a
D
reality behind the
realm of Appearances?
U
Premise
A principle or assumption lying at the foundations of a viewpoint or claim.
subjectivity
ST
Personhood. Where a person is a "subject" in the sense of the subject of existence.
Telos/teleological
Greek term referring to Purpose-seeking in life. It contains the idea that a part of being a
person (a
'subject') is that we live life in a purposeful project-oriented way
Action
Arendt's term for the category of human living in which we express ourselves to the
world and
involve ourselves in society through speech and deeds. It is ongoing, a part of our
unfolding 'story',
, in terms of how we use our freedom/agency to take initiative and insert ourselves into
the social
world. Action cannot be reversed, which means we should approach it responsibly. She
also names two unique forms of Action that we need in life generally, and which can
help set the Political on a proper course: making/keeping Promises, and Forgiving.
Approximation
Kierkegaard's term for the best that an Objective (logical) approach to the question of
religious truth can do. Being 'objective' about such things is fine up to a point, but it will
only ever get you an 'approximate' sense of the reality of God and the truth of faith. By
contrast, 'subjective' certainty is
K
needed. (See Passion, Inwardness, Paradox, and Objective vs. Subjective Faith.)
Cosmology
C
We looked at this specifically in relation to Native American Philosophy's version of
metaphysics,
although Cosmology is also found in other forms of philosophy. It includes the study of
LO
the overall
nature of reality (metaphysics), but it emphasizes a spiritual dimension in this reality.
Thus, Native
American cosmology sees the 'sacred' in all things and places. (See Great Spirit.
Four Noble Truths
YC
The original main teachings of the Buddha. They emphasize the reality of suffering as
the human condition (because of our cycles of desire and dissatisfaction), and the
importance of Nirvana and the Noble Eight-Fold Path as the way forward through such
suffering.
Free-Will Argument (in relation to question of God's existence)
D
Critics of the Teleological Argument (see below) ask: If there is a supreme God who has
designed and
U
who governs the world so wonderfully, then why is there evil and suffering? A prominent
Christian
response (by St. Augustine, we mentioned), is that God gave humans freedom to make
ST
choices in
their lives ('free-will') rather than 'determine' (control) them in every way; so,
evil/suffering are a
result of bad uses of free-will which affect ourselves and others.
Great spirit
The Native American cosmological term for the central God - Wakan Tanka. This God is
the source of life and spirit for all things, and through which all things of nature
(including people) are connected. It is also sometimes called the "Great Mystery." It is
both Transcendent and Immanent.
Herd
