Glossary

The meaning of terms used in the development of Project Locos.

Philosophy Terms
Categorical Imperative – The central philosophical concept of Kantianism. It is a moral obligation/command that is unconditionally and universally binding. This is NOT the Golden Rule; Kant argued that a convicted criminal could appeal being sent to prison by a judge by invoking the Golden Rule. After all, he (the criminal) would not want anyone else to send him to prison, so the judge shouldn’t send people to prison either.

Contradiction – A logical incompatibility between two or more propositions. For example, an object can’t both exist and not exist. Another example; Link and Mario cannot both be THE BEST GAME CHARACTER OF ALL TIME.

Conundrum – Either: a logical postulation that is difficult to solve and has evaded being solved, or a riddle that has some kind of unexpected twist.

Dilemma – A problem offering two choices, and both are not attractive. Common usage allows for a dilemma to have more than two choices, but proper usage would be a trilemma (3 choices), a tetralemma (4), or a polylemma (more than 2 choices). There can be many kinds of dilemmas; the Prisoner’s dilemma for example. In games, when you are forced to move or take an action when it is preferable not to do so is another kind of dilemma called a Zugzwang. See Hobson’s choice and Morton’s fork.

The Golden Rule – A basic tenet of almost every philosophy and religion. The Golden Rule can be formulated many ways, such as “One should treat others as they would like to be treated”. While Kant objected to the Golden Rule for not being strong enough, it is possible to use the Golden Rule selectively and in a self-correcting manner; for example, ignoring race and nationality but not food preference. This reformulated version of the Golden Rule is often called the Platinum Rule.

Hobson’s Choice – A take-it-or-leave-it choice. Is not necessarily a bad choice. Originated from a stable owner named Thomas Hobson who forced customers to ride from the horse in the nearest occupied stall, or not at all. Hobson did this to make sure no horses were overused.

Kantianism – The philosophy of Immanuel Kant, a German philosopher. Kantian is a descriptive term to describe anything about this philosophy. See the categorical imperative.

Morton’s Fork – A choice between two equally unpleasant options. Alternatively, two lines of reasoning that lead to the same unpleasant conclusion. Originated from archbishop John Morton, who held that “a man living modestly must be saving money and could therefore afford taxes, whereas if he was living extravagantly then he was obviously rich and could still afford them.”

Paradox – A statement or group of statements that look contradictory but are in fact not, because one or more premises of the statement(s) are somehow flawed. See Contradiction. A paradox can be true or false.

Social Darwinism – An ideology that applies Darwin’s evolutionary theories to social and political issues. Often referred to in three ways; natural selection & survival of the fittest (the evolutionary terms) and might is right (derived from the title of the book Might Makes Right ). Morally, this theory states that the strongest and most capable will rule and have the power to determine right and wrong.

Utilitarianism – An ethical theory that the best actions maximize overall ‘happiness’, or ‘pleasure’. Actions in this theory are judged by their results, and not their intent. Utilitarianism has many forms; act utilitarianism says that an action is right if it maximizes happiness, rule utilitarianism says that an act is right if it conforms to a rule that maximizes happiness, and there are more variations (preference, ideal, motive). Negative utilitarianism is the idea that rather than maximize pleasure, we should minimize pain.

Religion Terms
Absolution – A term that refers to the forgiveness of God, after one has repented and served his penance, after sinning.

Apostasy – The formal disaffiliation or abandonment/renunciation of a religion by a person. When referring to someone who has committed this, they are called an apostate.

Blasphemy – Irreverence towards anything considered holy by a religion. When referring to someone who has committed this, they are a blasphemer. When referring to a specific act, then someone has blasphemed.

Clergy – The formal leadership hierarchy in some religions. Names and duties vary by religion (and by sect).

Communion – Being in close relationships (fellowship) with other people of the faith, usually through shared performance of rituals and prayers. Specifics vary by religion.

Desecration – An act that deprives something of its sacred quality. Something that has lost its sacred quality is described as desecrated.

Divine – Used to refer to god(s), their attributes and manifestations in the physical world, or an entity that is considered god-like. Divinity is an alternate form.

Dogma – The established belief/doctrine held by a religion, not to be disputed or doubted by believers. Diverging away from these beliefs is heresy.

Excommunication – Putting someone out of communion. What this entails varies by religion, but often consists of shunning, shaming, and banishment.

Faith – Belief in (g)God(s) or in the doctrines/teachings of a religion. Informally used a wide variety of ways, such as belief without proof, or hope.

God – Often refers to the single deity in monotheistic religions. The nature of God varies by religion, but is often usually a supernatural creator entity

Heathen – Any person who holds beliefs that are considered Pagan. Pejorative.

Heresy – Controversial beliefs against the established dogma of the religion. Heretical is used to describe any belief in this way. A heretic is an individual that espouses heretical belief. A heresiarch refers to the founder or leader of a heretical movement. The term has overtime been used in secular contexts.

Holy – Used to describe anything that is believed to be associated with the divine.

Iconoclasm – The deliberate destruction of religious icons, symbols, and monuments, often for religious or political reasons. A person who engages in this is an iconoclast.

Iconolatry – The reverence and veneration of religious symbols and icons. A person who engages in this is an iconolater. Infidel – A person who holds no religious beliefs or doubts/rejects the core tenets of a religion.

Orthodoxy – The same as Dogma and can be used interchangeably with it, but often used specifically to refer to early Christian Christian practices and beliefs established in 313 AD by Emperor Constantine I when he legalized worship of Christianity in the Roman Empire. The adjective form is Orthodox. The opposite of Orthodox is Unorthodox.

Paganism – A blanket term that refers to the worship of any of the old god(s) or ways (usually polytheistic). Paganistic or Pagan is used to describe anything involving Paganism. Pagan can also refer to any follower of the old religions.

Penance – An outward display of repentance, which can take many forms. Often is an act or a change in behavior that will correct sinful behavior. To describe a person or act, use penitent.

Prayer – A religious practice that seeks to form a willing rapport with the divine, usually in the form of an incantation, hymn, creed, etc.

Profanity – A show of disrespect or desecration to something sacred. Such an action is called profane. Profane can also be used as a verb.

Religion – A collection of belief/cultural systems and worldviews that relate humanity to spirituality and sometimes morality. Different from just having faith in that religions have social aspects to them.

Repentance – Regret for committing a sin. A person can be referred to as a repenter, if they try to repent for their actions.

Sacred – Any object that inspires spiritual awe and respect in religious ideas associated with said object.

Sacrilege – Violation of or damage to a sacred object.

Sacrosanct – Something that is extremely sacred, to the point that any person who commits sacrilege to it is instantly marked for death with no chance of absolution.

Sanctity – The state of being holy. To make something holy is to sanctify it. The process or act to make something holy is called sanctification. Often used in respect to a person. Schism – A divide in people belonging to a religious group (ex. Orthodox vs Unorthodox Christian practices). A schismatic is a person who incites or promotes the schism, or a member of a splinter group. Schismatic can also be used as an adjective to refer to anything involving a schism. Anyone charged as a schismatic is also often charged with heresy.