Page 403 - Social Sciences Humanities - The Ontario Curriculum Grades 9 to 12 - 2013

instrumentalism. The view that a scientific theory should be evaluated by how effectively it explains and predicts phenomena rather than by how accurately it describes reality.
liberalism. A political ideology based on
belief in the essential goodness of human beings as well as the autonomy of the individual. Liberalism argues for the protection of political and civil liberties, and views the government as a crucial instrument for reducing or eliminating social inequities.
libertarianism. A political ideology that advocates the maximization of individual rights and freedoms, and the minimization of the government’s role or influence in society.
Marxism. A political ideology that advocates the abolition of private property and class divisions through revolution and violence, if necessary, in order to establish a classless society.
materialism. The metaphysical view that reality consists only of physical or material things. Every event, thing, or state is composed entirely of matter, as there are no non-physical things.
metaphysics. A branch of philosophy that explores the nature of reality, including questions about mind and body, space and time, causation, and the existence of God and the soul.
monism. The view that the person consists of only a single substance and that there is no relevant difference between mental and physical events, mind and body.
nihilism. A belief in nothing, characterized by a sense that there are no values and there is no meaning to existence.
objectivity. A reality that exists independent of the mind.
philosophy. From the Greek term meaning the love of knowledge or wisdom. Philosophy is the study of abstract and universally important aspects of humanity, including reality, reason, truth, beauty, identity, time, and the meaning of existence.
philosophy of science. A branch of philosophy that overlaps in part with epistemology and metaphysics and addresses the nature of scientific knowledge. Philosophy of science questions the assumptions, foundations, methodologies, and implications of science and scientific results.
Platonism. The philosophy articulated by Plato and others who were closely allied to his thinking. It posits that physical objects are only imperfect and temporal representations of ideals.
political philosophy. The study of people’s relationship to society, including the role of the state in relation to its citizens and the rights and responsibilities of citizens in that state. Political philosophy is different from political ideology, which is a belief system. See also anarchism, communitarianism, conservatism, liberalism, libertarianism, and Marxism.
positivism. A term and idea shared by episte­ mology and philosophy of science. Positivism, which developed in the nineteenth century, focuses on knowledge being something that can be verified. See also falsification.
postmodernism. A philosophical movement beginning in the mid-twentieth century that was highly critical of many fundamental per­ spectives and assumptions in philosophy up until that time. Postmodernism questions the notion of objective truth and posits that many apparent realities are merely social constructs that are subject to change depending on time and place.
premise. An assumption that is used as a basis for an argument.
rationalism. The epistemological belief that knowledge is acquired through reason, rather than through the senses or experiences.
representationalism. The metaphysical view that we cannot perceive objects directly. Instead, we perceive only representations, or copies, of the real world.
GLOSSARY
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