Key Words

• KW- a priori

  arguments which rely on logical deduction and not on sense experience. is prior to / before sense experience.
• KW- deductive

  an argument where, if the premises are true, then the conclusion must be true.
• KW- analytic


  statements / propositions that are true by the meaning of the words used, for example, ‘A bicycle has two wheels’ by definition a bicycle is a two-wheeled vehicle. In short, they are statements are true by definition.
• KW- subject

  Any complete sentence contains a subject and a predicate. The ‘subject’ refers to who or what the sentence is about. In the following sentence, the subjects are ‘George’ and ‘The dog’. George played the piano. The dog barked.
• KW- predicate

  Predicate The ‘predicate’ gives us information about the subject. In the following sentences the predicates are ‘played the piano’ and ‘barked’. George played the piano. The dog barked.
• KW- premise

  A proposition that supports, or helps to support, a conclusion.
• KW- necessary

  A ‘necessary truth’ is a proposition that could not possibly be false, for example, 2 + 2 = 4, or ‘squares have four sides’.

  A ‘necessary thing’ is something that could not possibly have failed to exist, it has always existed and will always exist, independently.
• KW- contingent

  A ‘contingent truth’ is a proposition that happens to be true but might have been otherwise, for example, ‘In the UK police cars use blue flashing lights in an emergency’ – it is possible that they could have been red.

  A ‘contingent thing’ is one which does not exist necessarily and so could have failed to exist. its something that hasn't always existed, won't always exist and depends on other things to exist.
• KW- omnipotent


  All-powerful, an attribute of God.
• KW- omnibenevolent


  All-loving or all-good, an attribute of God.