Truth-functional argument schema: An argument schema whose validity may be determined by converting it to a conditional sentence schema and  testing the latter for tautologousness. Source: ‘What is Good? What is Bad? The Value of All Values across Time, Place and Theories’ by John McMurtry, Philosophy and World Problems, Volume I-III, UNESCO in partnership with Encyclopedia of Life Support… Read More

Truth-functional sentence: Any sentence whose truth-value is a function of the values of its component sentences. Source: ‘What is Good? What is Bad? The Value of All Values across Time, Place and Theories’ by John McMurtry, Philosophy and World Problems, Volume I-III, UNESCO in partnership with Encyclopedia of Life Support Systems: Oxford, 2004-11. 

Truth-table definition: A type of definition for logical operators based on an exhaustive listing of the truth-value of sentences formed by those operators. Source: ‘What is Good? What is Bad? The Value of All Values across Time, Place and Theories’ by John McMurtry, Philosophy and World Problems, Volume I-III, UNESCO in partnership with Encyclopedia of Life Support Systems: Oxford,… Read More

Truth-table test: A type of test for tautologousness of truth-functional sentences. Source: ‘What is Good? What is Bad? The Value of All Values across Time, Place and Theories’ by John McMurtry, Philosophy and World Problems, Volume I-III, UNESCO in partnership with Encyclopedia of Life Support Systems: Oxford, 2004-11. 

Understanding: ability to relate given elements of knowledge or cognition to other elements of knowledge or cognition so that they cohere in a meaningful whole from which explanations can be developed. Source: ‘What is Good? What is Bad? The Value of All Values across Time, Place and Theories’ by John McMurtry, Philosophy and World Problems, Volume I-III, UNESCO… Read More

Universal: general category which exists independently of its particular instances (realism) or is merely a convenient designation (nominalism). Source: ‘What is Good? What is Bad? The Value of All Values across Time, Place and Theories’ by John McMurtry, Philosophy and World Problems, Volume I-III, UNESCO in partnership with Encyclopedia of Life Support Systems: Oxford, 2004-11. 

Universal life goods/necessities: All goods without which human life capacities are reduced or destroyed: atmosphere (breathable air, open space and light); organism (clean water, nourishing foods, waste disposal); home and habitat (shelter and a life-enhancing environment); care through time (love, safety and healthcare); human culture (music, language, art, play and sport); human vocation (meaningful work of value… Read More

Universals: Applied to general terms like ‘red’, ‘table’ or ‘human being’ in which an ancient debate from Plato through medieval scholasticism to philosophy today has involved the issue whether ‘universals’ refer to eternal forms independent of their instances (“idealism” or “realism”) or are explicable as merely convenient designations for resembling particulars (“nominalism”). Source: ‘What is Good?… Read More

Unsound argument: An argument with at least one false premise, an invalid logical schema, a methodological flaw, or any combination of these defects. Source: ‘What is Good? What is Bad? The Value of All Values across Time, Place and Theories’ by John McMurtry, Philosophy and World Problems, Volume I-III, UNESCO in partnership with Encyclopedia of Life Support Systems: Oxford,… Read More

Utilitarianism: social, political and philosophical movement claiming the good to be that which brings forth the greater utility or happiness for the greater number. Classically defined by John Stuart Mill that “actions are right as they tend to promote happiness, wrong as they tend to promote pain”. Source: ‘What is Good? What is Bad? The Value of… Read More