Key Philosophical Concepts to Know for Philosophical Texts

Philosophical concepts shape our understanding of knowledge, reality, and ethics. They tackle big questions about existence, morality, and reasoning, guiding us in making sense of our experiences and choices in life. These ideas form the backbone of philosophical texts.

1. Epistemology

   • The study of knowledge, its nature, sources, and limits.
   • Explores questions like "What is knowledge?" and "How do we know what we know?"
   • Distinguishes between justified belief and opinion.

2. Metaphysics

   • Investigates the fundamental nature of reality, including concepts like being, existence, and the universe.
   • Addresses questions about what things exist and their properties.
   • Examines the relationship between mind and matter.

3. Ethics

   • The study of moral principles that govern behavior.
   • Explores concepts of right and wrong, virtue and vice, and justice.
   • Includes various ethical theories that guide moral decision-making.

4. Logic

   • The study of reasoning and argumentation.
   • Focuses on the structure of arguments and the validity of inferences.
   • Utilizes formal systems to analyze and evaluate reasoning.

5. Existentialism

   • A philosophical movement emphasizing individual existence, freedom, and choice.
   • Explores themes of absurdity, alienation, and the search for meaning.
   • Highlights the importance of personal experience and responsibility.

6. Rationalism

   • The belief that reason is the primary source of knowledge.
   • Argues that certain truths can be known independently of sensory experience.
   • Prominent figures include Descartes, Spinoza, and Leibniz.

7. Empiricism

   • The theory that knowledge comes primarily from sensory experience.
   • Emphasizes observation and experimentation as the basis for knowledge.
   • Key proponents include Locke, Berkeley, and Hume.

8. Dualism

   • The view that reality consists of two distinct substances: mind and body.
   • Explores the relationship between mental phenomena and physical processes.
   • Most famously associated with Descartes' mind-body dualism.

9. Materialism

   • The belief that only physical matter exists and that everything can be explained in terms of material interactions.
   • Denies the existence of immaterial substances like the soul or spirit.
   • Often contrasted with dualism and idealism.

10. Free will

    • The ability to make choices unconstrained by external circumstances or fate.
    • Central to discussions of moral responsibility and ethics.
    • Explores the implications of choice on human agency.

11. Determinism

    • The philosophical view that all events, including human actions, are determined by preceding events in accordance with the laws of nature.
    • Raises questions about the compatibility of free will and determinism.
    • Often discussed in the context of causality and predictability.

12. Utilitarianism

    • An ethical theory that advocates for actions that maximize overall happiness or utility.
    • Evaluates the moral worth of an action based on its consequences.
    • Key figures include Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill.

13. Deontology

    • An ethical theory that emphasizes duty and rules over consequences.
    • Argues that certain actions are morally obligatory regardless of their outcomes.
    • Associated with the philosophy of Immanuel Kant.

14. Skepticism

    • A philosophical attitude of doubting the certainty of knowledge.
    • Questions the reliability of perception, reason, and evidence.
    • Encourages critical examination of beliefs and assumptions.

15. Phenomenology

    • The study of structures of consciousness as experienced from the first-person perspective.
    • Focuses on the lived experience and the meaning of phenomena.
    • Key figures include Edmund Husserl and Martin Heidegger.