General philosophy

General philosophy

Terms that relate to philosophy, yet do not fit other specific categories.

Industry: Philosophy

Add a new term

Contributors in General philosophy

Become a Contributors

General philosophy

Category mistake

Philosophy; General philosophy

A favourite kind of "philosophical puzzlement" to which the Oxford philosopher Gilbert Ryle drew attention. A category mistake occurs when a speaker or writer applies a concept outside the domain in ...

Causal theory of reference

Philosophy; General philosophy

The view of Kripke and others that names, and perhaps some other terms, gain meaning from an initial act of naming and then preserve meaning through suitable causal links.

Causal functionalism

Philosophy; General philosophy

The view that a physical system realises a mental state not in virtue of the particular stuff it is made of but instead in virtue of the causal relations that parts of that system bear to each other.

Catharsis

Philosophy; General philosophy

Purging of the emotions (of pity and fear in particular) which, according to Aristotle, is a beneficial psychological effect had by art (of tragic drama in particular).

Categoricity of systems

Philosophy; General philosophy

(1) A formal system in general is categorical iff all its models are isomorphic. (2) A first- order theory with identity is categorical iff all its normal models are isomorphic.

Principle of causality

Philosophy; General philosophy

The principle which states that whatever passes from a state of nonexistence into a state of existence must have an efficient cause for its existence.