nihilism
(n) beginning in the late 19th century in Russia, this philosophy holds a few key tenets: 1) total rejection of social mores, 2) human life and values are worthless, 3) no objective basis of truth exists, 4) all forms of authority are corrupt and must be
existentialism
(n) philosophy that began in the 19th century that asserts that existence precedes essence; There are natural laws that are the same as the unchanging laws of society and are analogous to the social sciences // chaos, nothingness
pragmatism
(n) practicality, expediency, common sense; a philosophy that hold the view that a theory or concept should be evaluated only in terms of results rather than principles // disadvantage, inappropriateness
solipsism
(n) a belief that the only reality someone can be certain of is that he or she exists and that no other true knowledge is possible // universality, omniscience,
intransigent
(adj)(n) inflexible, obdurate, uncompromising, unwilling, unmoveable // flexible, willing to compromise, malleable, pliant, submissive
sententious
(adj) tending to use, or full of, maxims and aphorisms, often overly moralizing, pithy, "the early bird catches the worm", "fish and guests stink after three says" // immoral
dialectic
(n)(adj) the tension that exists between conflicting or interacting forces, elements or ideas; the investigation of truth through discussion; debate intended to resolve a conflict by establishing truths on both sides rather than disproving one argument, t
antihero
(n) the protagonist of a modern novel or play who has the converse of most of the traditional attributes of the hero. (See handout�given in class�for more) // traditional hero, antagonist, tragic hero
vitiate
(v) make ineffective, debase or degrade something morally, to cause something to become faulty // allow, affirm, ratify, efficacious
hedonism
(n) devotion, especially a self-indulgent one, to pleasure and happiness as a philosophical position // selflessness, humbleness
utilitarian
(adj)(n) useful, practical, effective, efficacious; a philosophy that gages the worth of any concept, idea, institution, law, etc. according to its usefulness and held that the greatest good for the greatest number was the rule // impractical, unnecessary
abjure
(v) renounce, disavow, reject, disown, forswear // accept, emphasize, allow, endorse,
calumny
(n) slander, falsehood about someone, defamation, denigration // compliment, truth, praise, laudation,
inertia
(n) inactivity, apathy, torpor, indolence, lethargy // liveliness, action, ebullient,
masochism
(n) in general this refers to a tendency to invite and enjoy misery of any kind, especially in order to be pitied by others or admired for forbearance // sadism
futility
(n) uselessness, ineffectuality, pointlessness // usefulness, purpose, efficacy
garner
(v)(n) gather, save, harvest, reap, store, acquire, collect, accumulate // spend, disperse, scatter, waste, squander
obscurantist
(n) doctrinaire, pedant, obfuscator, sophist, recondite // enlightener, clarifier
retrograde
(adj)(n)(v) retrospective, nostalgic, traditional, conservative // forward, positive, avant garde, progressive, spontaneous,
impunity
(n) exemption from punishment, harm, penalty or unpleasant consequences // liability, imprisonment, accountability, consequence
pernicious
(adj) destructive, harmful, insidious, malicious // helpful, beneficial,
caprice
(n) whim, impulse, quirk, fancy, notion // constant, steadfast
deign
(v) condescend, stoop, consent, agree, force oneself to do something that one feels is demeaning // ????
vacillate
(v) waver, hesitate, fluctuate, be indecisive // remain, persist, hold, steadfast, unwaivering
writhe
(v) squirm, wiggle, twist, struggle, thrash // straighten, freeze,
apotheosis
(n) glorification, deification, elevate to a transcendent // damnation, execration
solecism
(n) mistake, faux pas, error in grammar or etiquette // correctness, truth, accuracy, success
audacity
(n) wantonness, daring, impudence, courage, boldness, bravery // cowardice, fear, timidity, caution
tendentious
(adj) trying to influence opinion; spoken or written with personal bias in order to promote a cause or viewpoint // truthfulness, honesty, approval, openness, objective, avericiousness
largesse
(n) munificence, generosity, bounty, charity // stealing, malevolence, selfishness