Midterm Study Guide - Summary History of Ancient Philosophy PDF

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Midterm Study Guide - Summary History of Ancient Philosophy...

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Midterm Study Guide   

A Little Logic Induction/Deduction: -Perceptionmemoryexperienceuniversal (induction), the process

of understanding an idea  -Deduction: Drawing conclusion from available information 

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Greek Myth

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-Mount Olympus and Divine Agency -Movement of the sun: Apollo’s golden chariot

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-Thunder and lightning: Zeus -Waves: Poseidon’s trident -Human events: victory of defeat in battle, the course of love

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-The Greek Gods are exaggerated human beings (bigger, stronger,

Homer/Hesiod: Two of the first philosophers (Milesian Monists), founded the Contra myth  Homer’s Mythology  -Began 8th century BC  -The Iliad  -The Odyssey

faster, lazy, indifferent to human suffering)  Hesiod (700BC)  -Theogony: (Origin of the Gods) Primary text for the myths about the origin of the Gods, earth, sea, and sky  -Zeus became the supreme deity

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“Succession Myth”: Overthrow of Cronos and the Titans by the

Olympian deities  -Titans were immortal beings of incredible strength and were also the first pantheon of Greek gods and goddesses  -Poem ends with marriage of Zeus and a list of goddesses who lay with mortal men  -Works and Days: advice for living a life of honest work  -Includes the story of Pandora

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Non-Rational/Critical: -Philosophy: The attempt to think rationally and critically about the

most important questions  -These questions may regard: ethics, epistemology, metaphysics, logic, politics, religion, etc.  Oracle at Delphi:  -Delphi: Temple of Apollo, considered the center of the world  -Zeus released two eagles, one from the east and one from the west, which met at Delphi  -Delphic Oracle (Oracle of Apollo): The place where, or medium by which, deities were consulted   Historical Periods  Myth: (see Homer’s Mythology)  

Pre-Socratic: (600-400 BC) -Ionians: Identified reality with some sensible substance

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-Thales: water -Anaximenes: air

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-Heraclitus: fire -Italians- non-sensible substances (Pythagoras: number, Parmenides:

Being)

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Pluralists- more than two substances (Empedoles: earth, air, fire, and

water or atoms)  Two Unresolved Problems Left by Pre-Socratics  The problem of the one and the many~ the fundamental substances and diversity of objects  The problem of change and knowledge~ how objects change and how they can be known  Classical: (400BC-323)  -Metaphysics  (Being): Higher forms~ Beauty, Justice…Lower forms~ Trees, chairs  (Becoming): Sensible objects~ Trees, chairs…Images~ Art, reflections  -Epistemology  

(Knowledge): Understanding, Reason (Opinion): Perception, Imagination

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(323-31 BC): Death of Alexander the Great to the battle of Actium and

Augustus (1st Roman emperor)  -Epicureanism  -Stoicism  -Skepticism  Roman:  -(1st century BC-2nd AD): Epicureanism and Stoicism continued, Plato’s Academy had ended, Rome and Alexandria flourished 

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Pre-Socratics -Pre Socratics: Nature philosophers -Three Traditions: Ionians, Italians, Pluralists: Ionians included Thales

and Heraclitus. Mostly concerned with the nature of matter. They attempted to explain the workings of the universe without the use of religion or supernatural reasoning.

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-Pluralists: There is not one consistent mean for obtaining truths, but

rather multiple methods for understanding and gaining knowledge, best associated with pragmatism  -Thales: A pre-socratic who began to explain the natural phenomenon without the use of mythology. He is accredited with advances in mathematics namely geometry and would use his knowledge to measure the height of pyramids, and the distance of ships off shore. The fundamental reality was water  -Heraclitus: Posited the idea that all things are in a constant state of flux, which were all interwoven by logical structure and pattern, He was the individual who would make the claim that fire is one of the 4 basic elements, and motivates the pattern to move.  -Pythagoras: To him, everything can be reduced to mathematics (the number) 

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Transition to pre-socratic period (mythology) -Problem of one and the many: The fundamental substances and the

diversity of objects  -Principle of simplicity: The simplest explanation to any problem proves to be the best and most persuasive one.  -Problem of change: How do objects change? Also, how can they be known?  -Transition from pre Socratic period (systematic philosophy): Includes theories of knowledge, ethics, politics, and Logic. Coherent general theories of the universe and human experience  -Aristotle: Learned basic anatomy from his father a physician. A naturalist, who began to study under Plato’s academy in Athens.  -Naturalism/Teleology: There is an inherent purpose for all things that exist.  -Blank Slate: The notion that people are born without built-in knowledge and all knowledge is gained from experience and perception. The opposite to innate ideas. 

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Plato -Plato- The first true systematic philosopher. Founded the Academy

and was Aristotle’s teacher.

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-Innate Ideas- Ideas that the human brain can formulate without

empirical evidence. This is done through reason.  -Dualism- The metaphysical belief that reality consists of two basic substances.  -Divided Line- Plato’s conceptual division of the physical world and the forms.  -Being/Becoming- “Being” is described as the unchanging world of the forms. “Becoming” is the physical world, which is constantly in flux.  -Knowledge/Opinion: We are born with knowledge of the forms, but gain opinions based on our sensual perceptions.  -Higher/Lower Forms- Higher forms represent abstract concepts such as beauty or goodness, whereas lower forms represent types of physical objects.  -Sensible Objects/Images- Images imitate objects in the same way objects imitate forms. Images are therefore even further away from being real.  -Understanding/Reason- Connected with Knowledge and the forms.  -Perception/Imagination- Connected with Opinion and the sensible world.  -Plato’s Fourfold Epistemology- Based upon innate ideas, existence of the forms, preexistence of the soul, and recollection.  -Form and Intelligibility- The forms allow us to determine the identities of objects we see.  -Participation in the Forms- Multiple forms can participate in a single object.  -Chorismos- Fundamental separation of the forms and matter, with former being transcendent and the latter immanent.  -Skepticism of Protagoras and the Sophists- Believed that nothing could truly be known because of multiple problems, such as change and unreliability of senses. 

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Milesian Monists Monism: The philosophical position which argues that the variety of

existing things can be explained in terms of a single reality or substance.  Milesain Monist:

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Thales: The first philosopher, Problem of the one and the many.

Principle of Simplicity: “the most rational explanation of something is the one that reduces things to the simplest terms (The One)” Monism vs. the Diversity of Objects.  Miletus, Western Ionia: Identified reality with some sensible substance  Thales: Water  Anaximenes: Air  Heraclitus: Fire  

Metaphysical Monist (600BC) Thales-> One substance: water.

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All living things need water Moisture is present in most things

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Oceans more prevalent than any other thing Water exist in different forms: solid, liquid, gas All objects have one of these 3 consistencies

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Heraclitus-> One substance: fire Flux

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BUT change is not random or chaotic Logos unites all diversity and correlates the logos with fire

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Permanence is an illusion Dualism Discontinuity Dualism: Highest generic level of this category

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How the two substances interact in this reality? Plato World of Ideas(forms)/World of Matter or particular things

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Descartes : Mind/Matter Doesn’t point to anything

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General problem to all dualist Plato – Form/Matter Epistemological Rationalist

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Knowledge is of the forms Gained by the soul in a previous existence

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Plato’s Theory of Ideas

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Solves 3 problems Change One and the Many

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Relativity of Perception Plato’s Divide Line

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Being and Becoming: Higher world of the Forms is constant and unchanging(Being) Lower world of empirical observation is in constant flux(Becoming)

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Knowledge has to do with the unchanging Forms Opinion has to do with the ever-changing world of appearances

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Intelligibility of the Forms: Form:

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The intelligible properties of a thing Idea, concept, essence Contrasted with “matter”

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“Matter” determines that something “is” “Form” determines “what it is”

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So Form differentiates objects The Overlapping of Forms(Blending)

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Things participate in many Forms “Dog” is a blending of essential Forms: Solid, living, heart, nose, ears

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Things accidentally participate in many other Forms Brown, spotted, fast, short Plato: The Pre-Existence of the Soul

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Doctrine came from Pythagoras Pre-existence in the world of Forms

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Carry that knowledge into the incarnate state Knowledge is “recollection Plato’s Theory of Knowledge

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Existence of Forms Pre-existence of the soul

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Innate Ideas Recollection

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Pluralist Empedocles (495-435 BC) Metaphysical pluralist

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Four basic elements in the universe: Two forces: Love and Strife(Attraction and repulsion) cause the

formation, decomposition, and change of objects             ...