Ancient Greeks Philosophy Flashcards
What is epistemology?
The theory of knowledge. A branch of philospy that examines how we acquire knowledge and encourages us to question our knowledge of the everyday world.
What does a priori mean?
Pre-knowledge before experience.
What does a posteriori mean?
After experience
What is René Descartes most famous for saying?
Cogito ergo sum (I think therefore I am).
Was Descartes a rationalist or empiricist?
Rationalist. Eternal truth can only be attained by reason and experience of the world.
What example does Descartes use to illustrate his view?
You can’t learn in a dream because dreams are things that you already know. An evil genius could be controlling our experiences.
Was Plato a rationalist or empiricist?
Rationalist
Was Aristotle a rationalist or empiricist?
Empiricist
Was John Locke a rationalist or empiricist?
Empiricist
Why is Plato a rationalist?
Believes that our knowledge comes from the world of the forms (our souls existed before birth). We know that a horse is a horse even if it’s missing a leg because we’ve seen its perfect form in the world of the forms.
Why is Aristotle an empiricist?
Believes that all knowledge begins with the senses. Material cause, formal cause, efficient cause and final cause.
Why is John Locke an empiricist?
Believed that our minds are blank at birth. Uses the hot pan example- we feel pain if we touch it so we realise that pans get hot.
What is Plato’s book called?
The Republic
What is the example for Aristotle’s four causes?
Something is a statue because it’s made of marble (material cause)●because Michelangelo sculpted it (efficient cause)●♡because it is in the shape of David (formal cause)♡¤because Michelangelo wanted to depict the figure of David in marble; perhaps because he needed money (final cause)¤
What is another word for good purpose?
Eudaimomia
What is Aristotle’s idea of God called?
The Prime Mover. It’s a pure substance that has no form. It’s a deist god and it represents the end to which all matter is moving and aspiring.
What does deist mean?
God created the world then stepped back. Impersonal.
What does theist mean?
Personal god who interacts with the world.
What does Aristotle believe is the Great Attractor?
God. Example: the milk attracts the cat even though the milk does nothing.
What a the fallacy of composition?
An error in reasoning. The assumption that what is partly true is wholy true.
What does creatio ex nihilo mean?
Creating something out of nothing.
Forms
A name Plato gave to ideal concepts
Reason
Using logical steps and thought processes in order to reach conclusions
Rationalist
Someone who thinks that the primary source of knowledge is reason
