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Philosophy 101
Great thinkers, thought experiments, and fundamental questions about reality, ethics, and knowledge.
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What is Plato's Allegory of the Cave?
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Prisoners chained in a cave see only shadows on a wall and mistake them for reality. When freed, they discover the real world. Metaphor for enlightenment and the nature of perception.
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What is the trolley problem?
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A thought experiment: a runaway trolley will kill 5 people. You can divert it to kill 1 instead. Is it moral to actively cause one death to save five? Tests utilitarian vs deontological ethics.
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What is Descartes' "I think, therefore I am"?
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Cogito ergo sum — even if you doubt everything, the act of doubting proves you exist as a thinking being. The one thing that cannot be doubted.
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What is utilitarianism?
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An ethical theory that the right action maximizes overall happiness/well-being. "The greatest good for the greatest number." Associated with Bentham and Mill.
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What is Occam's Razor?
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The simplest explanation is usually the best. Among competing hypotheses, prefer the one with the fewest assumptions. A heuristic, not a law.
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What is existentialism?
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A philosophy emphasizing individual freedom, choice, and responsibility. "Existence precedes essence" — you define yourself through actions. Key figures: Sartre, Kierkegaard, Camus.
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What is Kant's categorical imperative?
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Act only according to rules you could will to be universal laws. A moral test: if everyone did this, would it work? Focuses on duty and intention, not consequences.
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What is the Ship of Theseus?
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If you replace every plank of a ship over time, is it still the same ship? And if you build a ship from the old planks, which is the original? Explores identity and persistence.
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