Themes and topics: society and philosophy (C1 Vocabulary)
Epistemology asks how we know something, while ontology asks what exists at all.
Knowing and being
Not "Ontology asks whether a source can be trusted." — say "Epistemology asks whether a source can be trusted.". Whether we can know something is epistemology; whether it exists is ontology.
Try it: Farid: What did the seminar ask about the witness? Diego: Whether a confident memory can ever count as proof. That is a question of ______. Choose the words for the blank. (epistemology / ontology / authenticity) Answer: epistemology — Whether something counts as proof is a question about knowledge, which is epistemology.
Word
Pronunciation
Example
epistemology
/ɪˌpɪstəˈmɑlədʒi/
Her seminar on epistemology asked what separates knowledge from lucky guesswork.
ontology
/ɑnˈtɑlədʒi/
Questions about whether numbers exist belong to ontology, not to mathematics.
Judging right and living well
In ethics, deontological views judge acts by duty, aggregate welfare totals everyone's well-being, and authenticity means living by your own values.
Try it: Hiroshi: Lying is wrong even when it would spare someone's feelings. Ira: That is a strictly ___ position: the duty matters, not the outcome. Choose the word for the blank. (deontological / utilitarian / authentic) Answer: deontological — Deontological ethics judges an act by duty, not by its results; "utilitarian" ethics judges by results.
Word
Pronunciation
Example
deontological
/ˌdiɑntəˈlɑdʒɪkl/
A deontological argument says the promise must be kept whatever the cost.
aggregate welfare
/ˈægrɪgət ˈwɛlfɛr/
Utilitarians defend the policy on the grounds that it raises aggregate welfare.
authenticity
/ˌɔθɛnˈtɪsəti/
For Sartre, authenticity means owning your choices instead of hiding behind a role.
Describing how a society is changing
Demographic names a population group, urbanization the move to cities, inequality an uneven distribution, and socioeconomic combines social and economic factors.
Not "Urbanization rose sharply between the richest and poorest districts." — say "Inequality rose sharply between the richest and poorest districts.". A gap between groups is inequality; urbanization is movement into cities.
Try it: Farid: How did the report describe the country's shift? Diego: Villages emptied year after year while the capital doubled, so it called the country's ______ the fastest the region has seen. Choose the words for the blank. (urbanization / gentrification / inequality) Answer: urbanization — People moving from villages into cities is urbanization, while "gentrification" is wealthier people moving into poorer city areas.
Word
Pronunciation
Example
demographic
/ˌdɛməˈgræfɪk/
The survey found the sharpest change in the under-thirty demographic.
urbanization
/ˌɜrbənəˈzeɪʃn/
Rapid urbanization left the city's water system decades behind demand.
inequality
/ˌɪnɪˈkwɑləti/
Income inequality widened even as average earnings rose.
socioeconomic
/ˌsoʊsioʊˌɛkəˈnɑmɪk/
Test scores tracked socioeconomic background more closely than class size.
What are the common mistakes?
Incorrect
Correct
Why
Ontology asks whether a source can be trusted.
Epistemology asks whether a source can be trusted.
Whether we can know something is epistemology; whether it exists is ontology.
Urbanization rose sharply between the richest and poorest districts.
Inequality rose sharply between the richest and poorest districts.
A gap between groups is inequality; urbanization is movement into cities.