CIE Year 10 Philosophy: Essential Vocabulary Quick Memorisation Guide | CIE 十年级哲学：核心术语速记指南

📚 CIE Year 10 Philosophy: Essential Vocabulary Quick Memorisation Guide | CIE 十年级哲学：核心术语速记指南

Mastering philosophical terminology is like learning the grammar of thought—once you know the essential words, arguments start to make sense. This guide covers the key terms you will meet in your CIE Year 10 Philosophy course, grouped by topic, with memory aids and dual-language explanations to help you remember them fast.

掌握哲学术语就像学习思想的语法——一旦你知道了这些核心词汇，论证就会变得清晰易懂。本指南涵盖 CIE 十年级哲学课程中你将遇到的关键术语，按主题分组，配有记忆技巧和双语解释，帮助你快速记住它们。

1. Metaphysics & Ontology | 形而上学与本体论

Metaphysics asks ‘What is real?’, while ontology is the branch that studies being and existence. You will often see these terms when discussing the mind-body problem or the nature of reality.

形而上学探究“何为真实？”，本体论则是研究存在与实在的分支。你在讨论心身问题或实在本性时经常会见到这些术语。

Substance – That which exists independently and does not depend on anything else for its existence. Think of Descartes’ idea of substance as something that needs nothing else to exist.

实体——独立存在、不依赖任何其他事物而存在的东西。可以联想笛卡尔的实体观念：它无需任何其他东西就能存在。
Dualism – The view that mind and body are two fundamentally different substances (mental and physical). Mnemonic: ‘Two’ in dualism = two substances.

二元论——认为心灵与身体是两种根本不同的实体（精神实体和物质实体）。记忆法：“二元”即两种实体。
Materialism (Physicalism) – The theory that only physical matter exists and everything, including consciousness, can be explained in terms of material processes. Remember: ‘Matter is all that matters.’

唯物主义（物理主义）——主张只有物质存在，一切包括意识都能用物质过程来解释。记忆口诀：“物质就是一切。”
Idealism – The belief that reality is fundamentally mental or spiritual, and the physical world is dependent on the mind. Berkeley’s ‘to be is to be perceived’ sums it up.

唯心主义——相信实在从根本上说是精神的或心灵的，物理世界依赖于心灵。贝克莱的“存在即被感知”概括了这一点。

2. Epistemology | 认识论

Epistemology deals with knowledge: what it is, how we acquire it, and how much we can know. The crucial terms here revolve around justification, truth, and belief.

认识论研究知识：什么是知识，我们如何获得知识，以及我们究竟能知道多少。这里的关键术语围绕辩护、真理和信念展开。

Knowledge as Justified True Belief (JTB) – The classic definition: you know P if you believe P, P is true, and you have justification for believing P. But note Gettier problems challenge this.

知识作为被辩护的真信念（JTB）——经典定义：你知道命题P，如果你相信P，P为真，并且你有相信P的辩护。但要注意盖梯尔问题对这一观点的挑战。
A Priori – Knowledge that is independent of experience, such as mathematical truths (2+3=5). Think ‘prior to experience’.

先验——独立于经验的知识，例如数学真理（2+3=5）。联想“先于经验”。
A Posteriori – Knowledge that depends on experience or empirical evidence, like ‘the cat is on the mat’. Think ‘post experience’.

后验——依赖于经验或经验证据的知识，比如“猫在垫子上”。联想“经验之后”。
Scepticism – The view that we cannot have certain knowledge. Global scepticism doubts everything; local scepticism targets specific areas (e.g., other minds).

怀疑论——认为我们无法获得确定知识的观点。全面怀疑论怀疑一切；局部怀疑论针对特定领域（如他心）。
Empiricism – The theory that all knowledge originates in sensory experience. Locke’s ‘tabula rasa’ (blank slate) is an empiricist idea.

经验主义——主张所有知识都来源于感觉经验。洛克的“白板说”是一个经验主义观点。
Rationalism – The view that reason is the primary source of knowledge, and some ideas are innate. Descartes’ ‘I think, therefore I am’ is a rationalist starting point.

理性主义——认为理性是知识的主要来源，某些观念是天赋的。笛卡尔的“我思故我在”是理性主义的出发点。

3. Ethics | 伦理学

Ethics explores questions of right and wrong, good and bad. Philosophical ethics uses precise terminology to evaluate moral actions. Pay attention to the distinction between meta-ethics, normative ethics, and applied ethics.

伦理学探讨对错善恶的问题。哲学伦理学使用精确的术语来评价道德行为。注意区分为元伦理学、规范伦理学和应用伦理学。

Utilitarianism – The ethical theory that the right action is the one that maximises overall happiness or pleasure. Bentham’s ‘greatest happiness for the greatest number’ is the motto.

功利主义——主张正当的行为就是能最大化总体幸福或快乐的行为。边沁的“最大多数人的最大幸福”是其座右铭。
Deontology – The ethics of duty; an action is right if it follows a moral rule, regardless of consequences. Kant’s categorical imperative is deontological.

义务论——基于责任的伦理学；一个行为如果遵循道德规则就是正当的，不论后果如何。康德的定言令式属于义务论。
Virtue Ethics – Focuses on the character of the moral agent rather than rules or consequences. Aristotle’s ‘golden mean’ lies between two vices (e.g., courage between cowardice and recklessness).

德性伦理学——关注道德主体的品格，而非规则或后果。亚里士多德的“中庸之道”处于两个极端恶习之间（例如勇敢介于怯懦与鲁莽之间）。
Categorical Imperative – Kant’s unconditional moral law: ‘Act only according to that maxim whereby you can at the same time will that it should become a universal law.’

定言令式——康德的绝对道德法则：“要只按照你同时能够愿意它成为一个普遍法则的那个准则去行动。”
Hedonism – The belief that pleasure is the highest good. Utilitarianism is hedonistic because it values pleasure.

享乐主义——认为快乐是最高善的观点。功利主义是享乐主义的，因为它重视快乐。

4. Logic & Argumentation | 逻辑与论证

In philosophy, you must analyse and construct arguments. Recognising logical structures and fallacies will sharpen your critical thinking. Here are the essential logical terms you need to know.

在哲学中，你必须分析和构建论证。识别逻辑结构和谬误将增强你的批判性思维。以下是你需要了解的基本逻辑术语。

Premise – A statement that provides support or evidence for a conclusion. In ‘All men are mortal; Socrates is a man; therefore, Socrates is mortal,’ the first two lines are premises.

前提——为结论提供支持或证据的陈述。在“所有人都会死；苏格拉底是人；因此，苏格拉底会死”中，前两句是前提。
Conclusion – The statement that the argument is trying to prove. The conclusion is usually introduced by words like ‘therefore’, ‘thus’, ‘hence’.

结论——论证试图证明的陈述。结论通常由“因此”、“所以”、“故”等词引出。
Deductive Argument – An argument where, if the premises are true, the conclusion must be true. The classic example is the syllogism above. Key characteristic: validity.

演绎论证——一种论证：如果前提为真，则结论必然为真。经典例子就是上面的三段论。关键特征：有效性。
Inductive Argument – An argument where the premises make the conclusion probable but not certain. Scientific reasoning is often inductive. ‘The sun has risen every day so far; therefore it will rise tomorrow’ is inductive.

归纳论证——一种论证：前提使得结论很可能为真，但并非必然。科学推理常常是归纳的。“太阳至今每天都升起，所以明天也会升起”是归纳的。
Valid / Invalid – In deductive arguments, validity is about the logical structure: if premises are true, the conclusion must be true. An argument can be valid even with false premises. Invalid arguments have a flaw in the logical connection.

有效 / 无效——在演绎论证中，有效性关乎逻辑结构：如果前提为真，则结论必定为真。一个论证即使前提为假，也可以是有效的。无效论证在逻辑联系上有缺陷。

5. Fallacies | 谬误

A fallacy is a flaw in reasoning that weakens an argument. Being able to name and spot fallacies is a core skill in philosophical analysis. These are some of the most common ones.

谬误是削弱论证的推理缺陷。能够命名并识别谬误是哲学分析的核心技能。以下是一些最常见的谬误。

Ad Hominem – Attacking the person making the argument rather than the argument itself. ‘You can’t trust her view on climate change because she’s not a scientist.’ It shifts focus from the evidence to the individual.

人身攻击——攻击提出论证的人，而不是论证本身。“你不能相信她对气候变化的看法，因为她不是科学家。”这转移了对证据的关注。
Straw Man – Misrepresenting someone’s argument to make it easier to attack. You set up a ‘straw man’ version of the opponent’s view and knock it down.

稻草人谬误——歪曲某人的论证，使其更容易被攻击。你树立了一个对手观点的“稻草人”版本，然后将其击倒。
Begging the Question (Petitio Principii) – Assuming as a premise what you are trying to prove. ‘We know the Bible is true because it says so in the Bible.’ The conclusion is hidden in the premise.

乞题谬误（循环论证）——把待证明的结论当作前提来假设。“我们知道圣经是真的，因为圣经里这么说。”结论已隐含在前提中。
Slippery Slope – Arguing that a single step will inevitably lead to an extreme chain of events without evidence. ‘If we allow students to retake one test, soon they will demand to retake every exam.’

滑坡谬误——在无证据的情况下声称采取某个步骤将不可避免地导致一系列极端事件。“如果我们允许学生重考一次，很快他们就会要求重考所有考试。”
False Dilemma (Either/Or) – Presenting only two options when more exist. ‘Either you support the government’s policy, or you don’t care about national security.’ Other possibilities are ignored.

假两难谬误（非此即彼）——只提出两个选项，而其实还有更多。“你要么支持政府政策，要么不关心国家安全。”忽视了其他可能性。

6. Philosophy of Religion | 宗教哲学

This area examines concepts like God, faith, reason, and the justification of religious belief. Many CIE philosophy syllabuses include arguments for and against God’s existence.

这一领域考察上帝、信仰、理性和宗教信仰的辩护等概念。许多 CIE 哲学大纲都包含关于上帝存在的论证与反驳。

Theism – Belief in the existence of God or gods, especially a personal God who is creator and sustainer of the universe. Monotheism = one God; polytheism = many gods.

有神论——相信上帝或诸神存在，特别是一位作为宇宙创造者和维系者的位格神。一神论＝一个神；多神论＝许多神。
Atheism – The absence of belief in God or gods. Strong atheism asserts that no God exists; weak atheism is simply lack of belief.

无神论——不相信上帝或诸神存在。强无神论断言没有神存在；弱无神论仅仅是缺乏信念。
Agnosticism – The stance that it is impossible to know whether God exists or not. From Greek ‘a-‘ (without) and ‘gnosis’ (knowledge).

不可知论——认为不可能知道上帝是否存在。源自希腊语“a-”（无）和“gnosis”（知识）。
Teleological Argument (Design Argument) – The argument that the universe shows evidence of design, therefore it must have a designer (God). Paley’s watchmaker analogy is the classic example.

目的论论证（设计论证）——认为宇宙显示出设计的证据，因此必定有一位设计者（上帝）。佩利的钟表匠类比是经典例子。
Cosmological Argument – Argues from the existence of the universe (cosmos) to a first cause or necessary being. Aquinas’ First Cause argument: everything has a cause; there cannot be an infinite regress; therefore, there is an uncaused first cause (God).

宇宙论论证——从宇宙的存在推演出第一因或必然存在者。阿奎那的第一因论证：事物都有原因；不可能无限回溯；因此存在一个不被推动的第一因（上帝）。
Problem of Evil – The challenge to theism: if an all-loving, all-powerful God exists, why is there evil and suffering? The logical problem argues that the existence of evil is logically incompatible with God’s attributes. The evidential problem says that the amount and distribution of evil makes God’s existence improbable.

恶的问题——对有神论的挑战：如果存在一位全善全能的上帝，为何还有邪恶与苦难？逻辑恶的问题认为恶的存在与上帝属性逻辑上不相容。证据恶的问题则说恶的数量和分布使得上帝的存在不太可能。

7. Philosophy of Mind | 心灵哲学

This branch explores the nature of mind, consciousness, and their relationship to the physical body. Understanding these terms will help you grasp classic debates like dualism vs. physicalism.

这个分支探究心灵、意识及其与物理身体的关系。理解这些术语将帮助你把握二元论与物理主义等经典辩论。

Consciousness – The state of being aware of and able to think about one’s own existence, sensations, thoughts, and surroundings. Often described as ‘what it is like’ to be something (Nagel).

意识——能够察觉并思考自身存在、感觉、思想和周围环境的状态。常被描述为作为某物“是什么样的”（内格尔）。
Qualia – The subjective, qualitative aspects of conscious experience, such as the redness of red or the taste of coffee. These are the ‘raw feels’ that seem difficult to explain purely in physical terms.

感受质——意识体验的主观质性方面，比如红的红性、咖啡的滋味。这些“原始感受”似乎难以用纯物理术语解释。
Mind-Body Problem – The question of how mental states (beliefs, desires) relate to physical states (brain processes). Two main solutions are dualism and physicalism.

心身问题——关于心理状态（信念、欲望）如何与物理状态（大脑过程）相关的问题。两个主要解决方案是二元论和物理主义。
Interactionism – A form of dualism claiming that mind and body causally influence each other (Descartes). Mental events can cause physical actions, and physical events can cause mental experiences.

交互论——一种二元论形式，声称心灵与身体相互因果作用（笛卡尔）。心理事件能引起身体行动，物理事件能引起心理经验。
Identity Theory – A physicalist view that mental states are identical to brain states. For example, pain is just the firing of C-fibres. Mind is nothing over and above brain processes.

同一论——一种物理主义观点，认为心理状态等同于大脑状态。例如，疼痛就是 C－纤维的放电。心灵不过是大脑过程，无他物。

8. Political Philosophy | 政治哲学

Political philosophy examines the justification of government, the nature of justice, rights, and liberty. Core terms appear in discussions of authority, democracy, and social contract.

政治哲学研究政府的合理性、正义、权利和自由的性质。在关于权威、民主和社会契约的讨论中会出现核心术语。

Social Contract – A hypothetical agreement among individuals to form a society and government, giving up some freedoms in exchange for security and order. Hobbes, Locke, and Rousseau each had their version.

社会契约——个人之间形成社会和政府的假想协议，人们放弃某些自由以换取安全与秩序。霍布斯、洛克和卢梭各有其版本。
Natural Rights – Rights that individuals have simply by being human, not granted by any government. Locke argued for life, liberty, and property as natural rights.

自然权利——个人作为人而拥有的权利，不是任何政府授予的。洛克主张生命、自由和财产是自然权利。
Sovereignty – The supreme authority within a territory. In political philosophy, you may discuss whether the people or the monarch is sovereign.

主权——领土内的最高权威。在政治哲学中，你可能讨论主权在民还是在君主。
Utilitarianism – Also appears here as a political theory: laws and policies should aim for the greatest happiness of the greatest number. Used to justify democratic reforms.

功利主义——这里也作为一种政治理论出现：法律和政策应以最大多数人的最大幸福为目标。常被用来为民主改革辩护。
Positive Liberty – Freedom to act in accordance with one’s higher self or true interests, not just absence of interference (negative liberty). Isaiah Berlin’s distinction is crucial.

积极自由——按照一个人更高的自我或真正利益行动的自由，而不仅仅是免受干涉（消极自由）。以赛亚·伯林的区分至关重要。

9. Existentialism & Meaning of Life | 存在主义与人生意义

While more common in Year 11 or A Level, some introductory courses touch on existentialist concepts about freedom, authenticity, and the search for meaning. These terms give you a head start.

虽然更多见于十一年级或 A Level 课程，但一些入门课程会涉及关于自由、本真性和意义探寻的存在主义概念。下面这些术语让你先人一步。

Existence precedes essence – Sartre’s slogan: humans first exist, encounter themselves, and only later define their essence through actions. There is no predetermined human nature.

存在先于本质——萨特的口号：人首先存在，遇见自己，随后才通过行动定义自己的本质。没有预定的人性。
Authenticity – Living in accordance with one’s own values and choices, rather than conforming to external pressures or ‘bad faith’. An authentic person takes responsibility for their freedom.

本真性——按照自己的价值观和选择生活，而不是屈从于外部压力或“自欺”。本真的人为自己的自由承担责任。
Bad Faith (Mauvaise Foi) – The act of deceiving oneself to escape the anxiety of freedom, pretending that one is not free. Telling yourself ‘I had no choice’ when you actually did is an example of bad faith.

自欺（坏信念）——欺骗自己以逃避自由带来的焦虑，假装自己是不自由的。当实际有选择时却告诉自己“我别无选择”，就是自欺的例子。
Absurd – Camus’ idea that human beings seek meaning in a universe that offers none, creating a fundamental conflict. The absurd is not in the world or in the human, but in their relationship.

荒谬——加缪的思想：人在一个不提供意义的宇宙中寻求意义，造成了根本冲突。荒谬既不在世界上也不在人身上，而在两者的关系中。
Nihilism – The rejection of all moral and religious principles, often in the belief that life is meaningless. Nietzsche warned against passive nihilism and proposed creating one’s own values instead.

虚无主义——拒绝所有道德和宗教原则，常常认为生命毫无意义。尼采警告被动的虚无主义，并提出应创造自己的价值。

10. Key Philosophers and Their Contributions | 关键哲学家及其贡献

Here is a quick reference table connecting famous philosophers to the ideas and terms you must remember. Use it for revision and linking thinkers to theories.

这里是一个速查表格，将著名哲学家与你需要记住的思想和术语联系起来。用于复习和将思想家与理论对应。

Philosopher 哲学家	Key Terms/Ideas 关键术语/思想	Memorable Quote 易记引言
Plato 柏拉图	Theory of Forms, Philosopher-King, Allegory of the Cave	‘The unexamined life is not worth living.’
Aristotle 亚里士多德	Golden Mean, Virtue Ethics, Empiricism, Four Causes	‘We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence is a habit.’
René Descartes 笛卡尔	Dualism, Cogito Ergo Sum, Rationalism, Method of Doubt	‘I think, therefore I am.’
John Locke 洛克	Empiricism, Tabula Rasa, Natural Rights, Social Contract	‘No man’s knowledge here can go beyond his experience.’
Immanuel Kant 康德	Deontology, Categorical Imperative, Phenomena/Noumena	‘Act only according to that maxim whereby you can at the same time will that it should become a universal law.’
Jeremy Bentham 边沁	Utilitarianism, Hedonic Calculus, Greatest Happiness Principle	‘It is the greatest happiness of the greatest number that is the measure of right and wrong.’
John Stuart Mill 密尔	Rule Utilitarianism, Harm Principle, Higher/Lower Pleasures	‘Better to be a human being dissatisfied than a pig satisfied.’
Jean-Paul Sartre 萨特	Existentialism, Existence precedes essence, Bad Faith	‘Man is condemned to be free.’

11. Quick Memorisation Strategies | 速记策略

Now that you have the vocabulary, here are a few techniques to lock the terms into your long-term memory, specially designed for philosophy students who must handle both English and Chinese terminology.

现在你有了词汇，以下是几个将术语固化到长期记忆的技巧，专为需要同时掌握中英术语的哲学学生设计。

Flashcard Pairing: Write the English term on one side and the Chinese equivalent with a one-sentence definition on the other. Shuffle and test yourself daily. Add the philosopher’s name where relevant.

抽认卡配对：一面写英文术语，另一面写中文对应词和一句话定义。每天打乱顺序自测。在相关处添加哲学家名字。
Story Chains: Create a mini-story linking terms from one philosopher. Example: Descartes walks into a room, doubts everything (scepticism), realises he is thinking (‘Cogito’), concludes he is a thinking substance (dualism). Stories make abstract ideas sticky.

故事链：将某位哲学家的术语编成一个小故事。例如：笛卡尔走进房间，怀疑一切（怀疑论），意识到自己正在思考（“我思”），得出结论自己是一个思维实体（二元论）。故事让抽象概念记得牢。
Opposition Pairs: Philosophy is full of contrasts. Learn terms in opposing pairs: Empiricism ↔ Rationalism; A Priori ↔ A Posteriori; Dualism ↔ Materialism; Utilitarianism ↔ Deontology. Repetition of contrasts strengthens recall.

对立配对：哲学充满对比。将术语作为对立配对来学习：经验主义 ↔ 理性主义；先验 ↔ 后验；二元论 ↔ 唯物主义；功利主义 ↔ 义务论。对比重复强化回忆。
Philosopher-First Link: Associate every term with a philosopher as early as possible. Instead of learning ‘Categorical Imperative’ in isolation, attach it to Kant immediately. This creates a mental ‘hook’ for retrieval.

哲学家优先关联：尽早将每个术语与一位哲学家关联。不要孤立地学习“定言令式”，而应立即把它与康德联系起来。这为提取记忆提供了一个心理“挂钩”。

12. Final Tips for the Exam | 考试终极提示

When answering exam questions, definition accuracy matters. Always provide a clear definition in your own words, give a philosophical example, and, if appropriate, mention the relevant thinker. Using precise vocabulary demonstrates philosophical competence.

在回答考试问题时，定义准确性很重要。始终用自己的话给出清晰的定义，提供一个哲学例子，并在适当情况下提及相关思想家。使用精确的词汇展示哲学能力。

Define first: Begin by clearly stating what the term means. ‘Utilitarianism is a consequentialist ethical theory that judges actions by their outcomes, specifically the amount of happiness produced.’

先定义：首先清楚说明术语的含义。“功利主义是一种后果论伦理学理论，它根据结果，特别是产生的幸福量来评判行为。”
Give an example: Concrete examples show you truly understand. For the Categorical Imperative, use a promise-keeping example: ‘If everyone broke promises when convenient, the institution of promising would collapse, so it cannot be universalised.’

举例说明：具体例子显示你真正理解。对于定言令式，使用遵守承诺的例子：“如果每个人在方便时就违背诺言，整个承诺制度就会崩溃，因此它不能普遍化。”
Link to criticism: Show higher-order thinking. ‘While utilitarianism seems practical, critics point out it struggles with the problem of justice, as punishing an innocent person might be allowed if it maximises overall happiness.’

联系批评：展示高阶思维。“虽然功利主义看起来实用，但批评者指出它在正义问题上存在困难，因为如果惩罚无辜者能最大化总体幸福，它就可能会允许这样做。”
Compare and contrast: ‘Unlike deontology, utilitarianism is consequentialist; however, both aim to provide rational foundations for morality.’ This shows analytical skill.

比较对照：“与义务论不同，功利主义是后果论的；但二者都旨在为道德提供理性基础。”这展现出分析能力。

Published by TutorHao | Philosophy Revision Series | aleveler.com

更多咨询请联系16621398022（同微信）

CIE Year 10 Philosophy: Essential Vocabulary Quick Memorisation Guide | CIE 十年级哲学：核心术语速记指南