📚 Year 9 CAIE Philosophy: Key Vocabulary & Rapid Memorisation Guide | Year 9 CAIE 哲学：词汇术语速记指南
Mastering philosophical vocabulary is essential for Year 9 CAIE Philosophy. Without a clear grasp of key terms, it is difficult to construct arguments, analyse ethical dilemmas, or evaluate metaphysical theories. This guide provides a structured list of must-know terms, memorable definitions, and innovative memory hacks to accelerate recall and deepen understanding.
精通哲学词汇是学习Year 9 CAIE哲学的基础。若不能清晰掌握关键术语，便难以构建论证、分析伦理困境或评价形而上理论。本指南提供了一套必知术语的结构化列表、易记定义和创新记忆技巧，以加速回忆并加深理解。
1. Why Build a Philosophical Vocabulary? | 为何要构建哲学词汇？
Philosophy is a discipline built on precise language. Words like ‘epistemology’ or ‘deontology’ may sound intimidating, but they are simply labels for powerful ideas. Learning these terms allows you to think more clearly and communicate more effectively in essays and exams.
哲学是一门建立在精确语言之上的学科。“认识论”或“义务论”这些词可能听起来令人生畏，但它们仅仅是强大概念的标签。学习这些术语能让你更清晰地思考，并在论文和考试中更有效地表达。
Moreover, CAIE exam questions often require you to define terms and use them in context. A strong vocabulary foundation can significantly boost your marks, because you will be able to spot the core concept behind a question quickly and frame a precise response.
此外，CAIE试题常要求你定义术语并结合语境运用。扎实的词汇基础能大幅提升你的分数，因为你能够迅速识别题目背后的核心概念，并组织出精准的回答。
Rather than memorising isolated words, treat each term as a key that unlocks a whole area of thought. The sections that follow group vocabulary by philosophical branch, giving you a mental map to navigate the subject with confidence.
不要孤立地记忆单词，而要把每个术语看作一把开启整个思想领域的钥匙。接下来的小节按哲学分支将词汇分组，让你拥有一张思维地图，自信地遨游这门学科。
2. Core Concepts in Epistemology | 认识论核心概念
Epistemology is the study of knowledge – how we know what we know. The terms below form the backbone of every discussion about belief, truth and justification. You will meet them in topics ranging from perception to scepticism.
认识论是对知识的研究——我们如何知道我们所知的。以下术语构成了关于信念、真理与证成的每一次讨论的支柱。你会在从感知论到怀疑论的各个主题中遇到它们。
| Knowledge | Traditionally defined as justified true belief (JTB), though philosophers like Gettier have shown this may be incomplete. | 知识 | 传统上被定义为被证成的真信念（JTB），尽管盖梯尔等哲学家表明这一定义可能不完整。 | Remember J-T-B: you must believe it, it must be true, and you must have reasons. |
| Belief | An attitude that a proposition is true. You can have a belief without knowing it to be true. | 信念 | 认为某个命题为真的态度。你可以在不知道其真假的情况下拥有一个信念。 | Think of a signpost in your mind: ‘I am convinced that...’ |
| Justification | The evidence, reasons or argument that make a belief rational to hold. | 证成/理由 | 使持有某个信念变得合理的证据、理由或论证。 | ‘Justify’ = ‘make right in reason’. Ask: How do I know this is reasonable? |
| Truth | Often understood through the correspondence theory: a statement is true if it matches reality. | 真理 | 通常通过符合论来理解：一个陈述若与现实相符，则为真。 | Truth is a map that matches the territory. |
| Scepticism | The view that we lack knowledge in some or all areas. Global scepticism doubts everything; local scepticism targets specific domains. | 怀疑论 | 认为我们在某些或所有领域缺乏知识的观点。全局怀疑论怀疑一切；局部怀疑论针对特定领域。 | A sceptic wears a permanent question mark. |
Practise using these five terms in a single sentence: ‘My sceptical friend argued that my belief about the exam result was not knowledge because it lacked justification, even if it happened to be true.’ This trains your brain to link them together naturally.
练习把这五个术语用到一句话中：“我那持怀疑论的朋友争辩说，我对考试结果的信念不是知识，因为它缺乏证成，即便碰巧为真。”这能训练大脑自然地将它们串联起来。
3. Foundational Metaphysical Terms | 基础形而学术语
Metaphysics asks what exists and what it is like. Are there things beyond the physical? What makes an object the same over time? The vocabulary here will help you tackle debates about reality, identity and causation.
形而上学追问什么存在以及存在的样态。是否存在超出物质的事物？是什么让一个物体在时间中保持同一？这里的词汇将助你应对关于实在、同一性与因果的争论。
| Substance | The fundamental entity that exists independently – the ‘stuff’ that has properties. | 实体 | 独立存在的基本事物——具备属性的“基质”。 | Think of clay: it can take many shapes (properties), but remains the same substance. |
| Property | A characteristic or quality that a substance possesses, such as colour, shape or weight. | 属性 | 实体拥有的特征或品质，如颜色、形状或重量。 | Properties are adjectives that describe the noun (substance). |
| Identity | What makes something the very same thing over time, despite changes. Central to the Ship of Theseus puzzle. | 同一性 | 使某物历经变化后仍是其自身的东西。是忒修斯之船谜题的核心。 | Identity = what stays constant when all else varies. |
| Causation | The relationship between cause and effect. Does one event necessarily produce another, or do we only observe regular succession? | 因果 | 原因与结果之间的关系。一个事件是否必然导致另一个，抑或我们只观察到规律的先后继起？ | If X always brings Y, we call X the cause. |
| Ontology | The branch of metaphysics studying being and existence. It asks: ‘What kinds of things exist?’ | 本体论 | 研究存在本身的形而上学分支，追问：“什么类型的事物存在？” | Onto- (being) + -logy (study) = study of being. |
When confronted with an exam question like ‘Discuss whether the mind is a substance,’ your ability to define substance, property and identity will immediately structure your answer. Draw a quick concept map linking these terms before you start writing.
遇到考题如“讨论心灵是否为实体”时，你界定实体、属性与同一性的能力会立刻帮你组织答案。动笔前先用简图将这些术语关联起来。
4. Ethical Frameworks: Keywords & Definitions | 伦理学框架：关键词与定义
Ethics investigates how we ought to act. Year 9 CAIE Philosophy expects you to distinguish between consequentialist, deontological and virtue-based approaches. The following terms are your toolkit.
伦理学探究我们应当如何行动。Year 9 CAIE哲学要求你区分后果论、义务论与美德论进路。以下术语便是你的工具箱。
| Utilitarianism | The theory that the right action is the one that maximises overall happiness or utility (the Greatest Happiness Principle). | 功利主义 | 认为正当的行动就是能够最大化总体幸福或功利（最大幸福原则）的理论。 | Utility = usefulness for happiness. Picture a happiness calculator. |
| Deontology | The ethical stance that certain acts are right or wrong in themselves, regardless of consequences; duty-based ethics. Kant’s Categorical Imperative is a key example. | 义务论 | 认为某些行为本身就具有对错，不管后果如何；基于义务的伦理学。康德的定言令式即为一例。 | Deonto- comes from Greek ‘deon’ (duty). Remember ‘duty first’. |
| Virtue Ethics | An approach focusing on the character of the moral agent rather than specific actions or rules. Key concept: eudaimonia (human flourishing). | 美德伦理学 | 关注道德主体品格而非具体行为或规则的进路。核心概念：eudaimonia（人的繁荣）。 | What would a virtuous person do? Think of an ideal role model. |
| Moral Relativism | The view that moral truths are not absolute but vary across cultures or individuals. | 道德相对主义 | 认为道德真理不是绝对的，而是因文化或个体而异的观点。 | ‘When in Rome...’ but philosophically rigorous. |
| Categorical Imperative | Kant’s foundational moral rule: 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 | 康德的根本道德法则：只按照你同时愿意其成为普遍法则的准则去行动。 | Categorical = unconditional. Contrast with hypothetical imperatives (if you want X, do Y). |
One effective revision method is to create a scenario – for instance, a thought experiment about a runaway trolley – and explain how a utilitarian, a deontologist and a virtue ethicist would evaluate it. This forces you to use the terms actively.
一种有效的复习方法是创设一个场景——比如失控电车思想实验——然后分别说明功利主义者、义务论者和美德伦理学家会如何评价它。这会迫使你主动使用这些术语。
5. The Language of Logic & Argument | 逻辑与论证的语言
Every philosophical essay is built on arguments. Being able to name the parts of an argument and spot fallacies is a superpower for your CAIE exam. Below are the essentials.
每一篇哲学论文都建立在论证之上。能够说出论证的构成部分并识别谬误，是你CAIE考试中的超能力。以下是核心术语。
| Premise | A statement that provides supporting evidence in an argument. Arguments usually have one or more premises. | 前提 | 在论证中提供支持性陈述的语句。论证通常具有一个或多个前提。 | Premise = the ‘because’ part of an argument. |
| Conclusion | The statement that the premises are intended to support or prove. | 结论 | 前提意在支持或证明的陈述。 | Conclusion = the ‘therefore’ statement. |
| Deduction | Reasoning from general principles to specific conclusions. If the premises are true and the logic is valid, the conclusion must be true. | 演绎 | 从普遍原则推出具体结论的推理。若前提为真且逻辑有效，则结论必然为真。 | Deduction moves from general to specific. |
| Induction | Reasoning from specific observations to general conclusions. The conclusion is probable, not certain. | 归纳 | 从具体观察推出普遍结论的推理。结论是或然的，而非必然的。 | Induction moves from specific to general. |
| Validity | A property of deductive arguments where, if the premises are true, the conclusion logically follows. Note: an argument can be valid even if its premises are false. | 有效性 | 演绎论证的一种属性：若前提为真，结论在逻辑上必然跟随。注意：即使前提为假，论证仍可能有效。 | Valid structure forces the conclusion if the premises are true. | Published by TutorHao | Year 9 哲学 Revision Series | aleveler.com
