1. Home
  2. Religion & Spirituality
  3. Agnosticism / Atheism
ch'i
<Back to Last Page >     <Glossary Index>

 Related Terms
• vitalism
• yin and yang

 

Definition:
In Chinese philosophy, ch'i represents the principle of life. Living things have ch'i, non-living things do not have it - whatever it is that confers life on organic matter, that is ch'i. Thus, belief in chi' is a form of vitalism, a tradtional belief system which postulates some essential difference between the organic and inorganic.

Also Known As: qi, chi

Alternate Spellings: none

Common Misspellings: none

Related Resources:

What is an Argument?
It helps to know what, exactly, an argument is before you can critique one and tell what is wrong with it. Sometimes, people say they are making arguments when they are not!

How do you critique an argument?
Assuming that we have established that we have an actual argument, the next step is to examine it for validity. There are two points on which an argument might fail: its premises or its inferences.

What is a Fallacy?
Fallacies are defects in an argument - other than false premises - which cause an argument to be invalid, unsound or weak. By understanding what fallacies are, you can avoid making them and more easily detect them in the work of others.

Index of Fallacies
Known logical fallacies listed in categories and explained as to why they are defects in arguments as opposed to valid reasoning. Examples are included so that you can better see what is happening.

<Back to Last Page >     <Glossary Index>
Explore Agnosticism / Atheism
About.com Special Features

2010 Horoscopes

Find out what the new year holds for you. More >

Prayers for All Occasions

Use these prayers to inspire and inform your own conversations with God. More >

  1. Home
  2. Religion & Spirituality
  3. Agnosticism / Atheism

©2009 About.com, a part of The New York Times Company.

All rights reserved.