# Axiology glossary Axiology - The branch of philosophy concerned with the concept of "[value](symbols.md)". ## How do we find purpose? Absurdism - [Reality](reality.md) doesn't give us meaning, so we must accept that fact to find [purpose](purpose.md). Nihilism - Absolutely everything has zero meaning, purpose, knowable truth, or value. - Fatalism - Because determinism (see above) is true, thinking and doing anything is pointless to determine events. Anthropomorphism - People tend to make human-like qualities for non-human things, including animals and deities. Egoism (descriptively) - Everything people do consciously is inherently self-interested. - Cynicism - Everyone is likely doing things for self-interested reasons. - Psychological egoism - Everyone is always motivated by self-interest, consciously or subconsciously. Freudianism - People psychologically repress experiences, it gets mixed up with sexual desire, and the very act of talking about bad experiences will often fix them. Hedonism (descriptively) - People are motivated to seek pleasure and avoid pain. ## Where *should* we place our purposes? Amor fati - Everything that happens is either good or at least necessary. Anthropocentrism/Homocentrism - Human beings are the central reason/fact/purpose for the universe. Immortalism - People are able to, at least theoretically, live forever. Pragmatism - The practical use or consequences of something gives it [meaning](purpose.md) and truth. Teleologism - There's an inherent design/purpose/principle/clarity in [reality's](reality.md) [patterns](symbols.md). ## How should we gain knowledge? Coherentism (coherence theory of truth) - Someone's beliefs are only true if they're consistent with at least most of their other beliefs. Coherentism (coherence theory of justification) - We can be [certain](understanding-certainty.md) of beliefs when they're consistent with at least most other beliefs that person has. Opposite of foundationalism. Critical rationalism - To keep their value, all elements of [science](science.md) should be constantly criticized and questioned. - Pancritical rationalism - All elements of science or truth should be constantly criticized and questioned, irrespective of any authority's justifications. Deism - Reasoning is the only basis for knowledge. Thus, someone should only believe in God through reason, not tradition or gained insight. Experientialism - Knowledge should be measured by experiences and first-hand accounts. Foundationalism - We can be [certain](understanding-certainty.md) of beliefs when when they're based on self-evident basic beliefs that are based on non-belief things like experiences. Opposite of coherence theory of justification. Functionalism - Since reductive materialism (see above) and logical behaviorism (see above) are wrong, we must consult [beliefs](understanding-certainty.md), [desires](purpose.md), and [emotions](mind-feelings.md) to [understand](understanding.md) people. The opposite of coherence theory of justification. Falsificationism/Deductivism - Things are only [scientific](science.md) if there's a possibility they could be wrong. Inductionism - We can use inductive reasoning on sets of information to create [theories and laws](lawsaxioms.md) to live by. - Inductivism - The body of science is guided by previous scientific data, so it's always advancing toward truth. - Psychologism - We can only grow in understanding via [philosophical study](philosophy.md). - Scientism - We can best grow in understanding via [scientific study](science.md). Instrumentalism - Knowledge doesn't need to be true, but must be useful. Irrealism - We should swap phenomenalism (see above) with physicalism (see above) back-and-forth to understand things from the best perspective. Kierkegaardianism - While truth may be absolute, finding the things that are subjective is the most important thing. Methodological reductionism/Scientific reductionism/Occamism/Occam's razor - Explaining things should be continually reduced to the very simplest they can get, but no simpler. - Greedy reductionism - Too many people reduce too much to too little. Logical positivism - Philosophy should have the same rigor as [science](science.md), with strict rules for judging sentences as true, false, or meaningless. - Comtism - All metaphysics and theology should be replaced by a hierarchy of [sciences](science.md) that start with [math](math.md) at the bottom to [sociology](groups-member.md) at the top. Phenomenal conservatism - It's reasonable to assume things are as they appear unless there's a good reason to doubt it. Skepticism - Doubt things that are held as knowledge. - Postmodernism - Question absolutely everything. - Probabiliorism - While knowledge is impossible, strong beliefs for likely things is a good idea. Opposed to probabilism. - Probabilism - While knowledge is impossible, strong beliefs for practical things is a good idea. Opposited to probabiliorism. - Pyrrhonism/Pyrrhonian skepticism - All things are unprovable, so learn to be comfortable knowing nothing for certain. Structuralism - All elements of human culture are connected to a broader system. - Post-structuralism - Since all elements of human culture are relative, there's no certain connection between any of them but there's a type of absolute to all of it. Subjectivism - Things are subjective, and they either don't independently exist or it doesn't matter. Syncretism - Contradicting things can be converged and unified into one harmonizing thought pattern. ## What is the most moral thing to do (greatest good)? Altruism - People are morally required to serve the "greater good". Antinatalism - Giving birth is a morally bad thing. Antinomianism - Nobody has to follow moral laws, typically referring to theology. Asceticism - The [good life](goodlife.md) requires refraining from pleasurable things in this world. Careerism - The greatest good comes in someone advancing their career, even if it risks them growing in other areas of life. Collectivism - People should serve the interests of the group, not the self. Opposite of egoism. Consumerism - The greatest good is attachment to physical things. Defeatism - The greatest good is to give up without a fight. Egoism (normatively)/Ethical egoism - People should serve their own self-interests, not the group. Opposite of collectivism. Emotionalism - Focusing on feelings is the greatest good. Hedonism (ethics) - Pleasure is the greatest good. - Epicureanism - Happiness comes from success in avoiding all forms of pain, in both mental worry and physical discomfort. Opposite of Stoicism. - Utilitarianism - An act is moral when it maximizes the most wellness for the most people. Humanistic naturalism - assuming naturalism (see above), humans are extensions of nature, so living naturally is the best way to live, which is against [industry](jobs-specialization.md) and [technology](technology.md). Immoralism - Since morality doesn't matter, people should strive for an aesthetic (see below) that imitates living forever. Intellectualism - Assuming rationalism (see above), reasoning is the best way to gain understanding. Irrationalism - Science is inferior to intuition, and the ultimate transcendence of humanity comes through art and conquering aesthetics. Mysticism - A good life comes from a direct experience that creates conscious awareness of ultimate reality, divinity, spiritual truth, or God. Objectivism - At least some actions are universally right or wrong. Pacifism - Peace is the greatest good. Perfectionism - People live [the good life](goodlife.md) to the degree that they successfully do things that are part of their nature. Randianism - People are best as heroic beings morally focused on [self-happiness](mind-feelings-happiness.md), focused on [productivity](success-3_goals.md) foremost, with their only absolute being [reason](logic.md). Often called objectivism by Randians. Role ethics - People are best defined by their role in a [family](people-family.md). Stoicism - Self-control of all types creates inner strength that builds harmony with the universe. Opposite of Epicureanism. Has largely been disproven by [psychology](science-social.md). ## Do we have free will? Compatibilism/Soft determinism - Because we can [imagine](imagination.md) and [our environment](people-culture.md) profoundly impacts our decisions, determinism (see above) and free will can coexist. Opposite of incompatibilism. Incompatibilism - Free will and determinism (see above) cannot [logically](logic.md) coexist. Libertarianism (metaphysics) - Free will exists. Generally opposed to determinism. Open theism/Openness theology/Free will theism - Since God and humans have free will, God's knowledge and providing are flexible. Personalism - Only people are real, have value, and have free will. ## How can mankind be morally saved by an all-knowing God? Soteriology - The theological study of salvation (soteria). - Arminianism - Man's faith, empowered by God's grace, gives the condition for salvation. Jesus saves everyone who wants him, but people can resist the Holy Spirit. - Calvinism/Janesenism - God's grace, empowering man, gives the condition for salvation. Jesus saves everyone by his decree, and people can't resist the Holy Spirit. - Fideism/Solifidianism - Reasoning is only somewhat relevant to [religious belief](religion-answers.md). - Gnosticism - Salvation depends on some degree of reasoning. - Molinism - God has 3 types of knowledge: a permanent and immutable knowledge, condition-based knowledge, and free knowledge that can move around and he doesn't have to know everything all at once. - Pelagianism - People are always able to choose good or evil, irrespective of any sin nature. - Semipelagianism - People must make the first step toward God, then God will complete their salvation. ## Ethics Ethics - The branch of philosophy concerned with the nature of [moral values](morality.md). Cognitivism - Ethical statements can only be true or false. Opposite of non-cognitivism. - Moral realism - Moral judgments express beliefs, which can only be true or false, so objective moral values exist. Emotivism/Hurrah-boo theory - We make ethical statements based on our attitude about other statements, not as stand-alone ideas. - Universal prescriptivism - Ethical statements always have a [purpose](purpose.md)-based part to them (e.g., "Killing is bad" always means "You shouldn't kill"). Expressivism - Moral statement (e.g., "wrongness", "goodness") never state real, metaphysical things. Thus, moral statements don't directly apply to truth. A middle ground between cognitivism and non-cognitivism. Non-cognitivism - Ethical statements don't state facts or beliefs, so they're not matters of truth. Opposite of cognitivism. Quasi-realism - Ethical statements aren't facts or beliefs, but do project emotional viewpoints as if they were real. Value pluralism - Two or more moral values may be equally true, but also in conflict. ### Why are things good or bad? Ascriptivism - Even if determinism (see above) is true, people are still responsible for their actions. Consequentialism - The consequences from deicisions determine whether something was the right decision. Opposite of deontologism. - Eudaimonism - Actions are good to the degree that they produce human flourishing. - Situationalism/Situation ethics - Moral principles, while generally true, can be cast aside in certain situations if it's the most [loving](people-love.md) action. Deontologism/Non-consequentialism - All moral values come from principles, so consequences never dictate morality. Opposite of consequentialism. - Extrinsicism - External laws and precepts are more important than principles to determine moral conduct. - Kantiamism - Morality is a matter of duty to "categorical imperatives", not [feelings](mind-feelings.md) or [purposes](purpose.md). Humanism - A broad range of ethics that says humanity is the source of values. - Meliorism - Progress is a real value, made by humans, that transcends natural things. - Posthumanism - There's no special place for humanity in the universe. - Secular/scientific humanism - Ethics and reason are the only legitimate means of gaining knowledge, with some supplementation from the arts. - Transcendentalism - People must find a spiritual state to transcend their physical state. - Neo-Platonism - People must use philosophy to find a mystical union with the divine. - Transhumanism/>H/H+ - [Science](science.md) and [technology](technology.md) can overcome human limitations and improve the human condition. - Extropianism - [Science](science.md) and [technology](technology.md) will someday let people live functionally forever. - Singularitarianism - A [technological](technology.md) singularity with smarter-than-human intelligence is possible, and its coming must be preserved. - Religious humanism - Religious rituals/beliefs harmonize with centering on human needs, interests, and abilities. - Christian humanism - Christian rituals/beliefs harmonize with centering on human needs, interests, and abilities. Moral absolutism - We can judge moral questions against absolute standards, so some things are universally right/wrong irrespective of the context. Opposite of moral relativism. Moral relativism - Presuming relativism (see above), morality is completely relative to indviduals or their [culture](people-culture.md). Opposite of moral absolutism. Moral universalism/Universalism - Moral statements can apply universally. A middle ground between moral absolutism and moral relativism.