Core Concepts of Political Science: Government, Ideology, and Citizenship

Posted by on Nov 16, 2025 in Philosophy and ethics | 0 comments

Political Science 102: Chapter 1 Essential Concepts

This glossary covers fundamental terms and theories discussed in Political Science 102, Chapter 1. (Source material available online via Quizlet: https://quizlet.com/_21hhf3)

1. Politics

The process of deciding who benefits in society and who does not.

2. Efficacy

A citizen’s belief that they have the ability to achieve something desirable and that the government listens to people like them.

3. Civic Engagement

Individual and collective actions designed

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Philosophical Concepts of Truth and the Evolution of Life

Posted by on Nov 15, 2025 in Philosophy and ethics | 0 comments

The Concept of Truth Through Philosophical Eras

Ancient Philosophy

  • Truth and Reality: What remains true is immutable, so it is always the same. (Plato and Aristotle)
  • Truth as Fitness of Intellect to Thing: Something is true if what is said corresponds with what is being spoken about. (Aristotle)

Medieval Philosophy

  • Transcendental Truth: Truth and being are equated. (Thomas Aquinas)
  • Logical Truth: (Thomas Aquinas)

Modern Philosophy

  • Truth as Evidence: Seeking certain knowledge, rejecting as false anything
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Kant’s Philosophy: Reason, Morality, and the Categorical Imperative

Posted by on Nov 14, 2025 in Philosophy and ethics | 0 comments

Kantian Philosophy: Theoretical and Practical Reason

Kantian philosophy is fundamentally divided into two consistent parts. The first, examined in the Critique of Pure Reason, investigates the conditions necessary for human knowledge. The second, discussed in the Critique of Practical Reason, analyzes how morality functions for humans and establishes a formal ethics based on the practical use of reason.

The Critique of Pure Reason: Limits of Knowledge

Kant’s analysis of theoretical reason starts

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Popper vs. Kuhn: Philosophy of Science and Paradigm Shifts

Posted by on Nov 14, 2025 in Philosophy and ethics | 0 comments

Differences Between Verificationism and Falsificationism

The two major approaches to scientific methodology are:

  • Verificationism: An increased number of confirming cases suggests the hypothesis is true and possesses greater scientific value.
  • Falsificationism: A hypothesis is only important if it is deemed unlikely to happen and is capable of being proven false.

Critiques of Falsificationism

  1. Just as theories are falsifiable, observational facts can also be used to falsify them.

    Solution: We must distinguish

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Fundamental Concepts in Ancient Greek Philosophy

Posted by on Nov 10, 2025 in Philosophy and ethics | 0 comments

Arche: The First Principle

Arche (or archai) is a concept in ancient Greek philosophy signifying the beginning of the world or the first principle of all things. It can also mean substance or matter—i.e., that which does not need anything else to exist, just the same.

The philosophers of Miletus agreed in regarding substances as derived from a single, natural principle. For Thales, this was water; for Anaximenes, air; and for Heraclitus, fire.

Physis: Nature and Essence

To the Greeks, the term physis

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Intellectual and Religious Shifts in 18th Century America

Posted by on Nov 10, 2025 in Philosophy and ethics | 0 comments

The Enlightenment and the Great Awakening

John Locke and the Foundations of Knowledge

An important thinker was John Locke, who wrote the Essay Concerning Human Understanding. His philosophy challenged traditional views:

  • It is incorrect to think that colors are innate in a creature; you are not born knowing colors, you actually learn colors. Therefore, knowledge is not innate.
  • Knowledge comes from experience (from life, experiments, and science).
  • We can change society for the better by pooling our experiences.
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