Ancient Philosophical Influences Flashcards
What is philosophy?
The study of the fundamental nature of knowledge, reality and existence
What is etymology of ‘philosophia’?
‘Philo” –> Greek, means lover
‘Sophia’ –> means wisdom
Philosophia therefore means lover of wisdom
What years was the Golden Age of Athens?
478 BCE - 404 BCE
What is Socrates often referred to as?
The Father of moral philosophy and Western philosophy
What was Ancient Greece like in Plato’s time?
Not a united single nation
Nostalgia for Golden Age (450 BCE)
Athenians were beginning to ask philosophical questions due to the decline in the city
Who was Pythagorus?
Philosopher and mathematician
What was Pythagorus’ main theory/belief?
Mathematical truth —> always been true and will always be true, timeless, absolute, objective
World of mathematical objects is superior to the ordinary empirical world of sense experience
How did Pythagorus influence Plato?
High regard for mathematics
Superiority of world apprehended by mind
Distinction between world of mind vs. world of senses
Belief that philosopher’s task is to use reason to uncover reality
What was Heraclitus’ main belief?
That the physical world is constantly changing- in a state of perpetual flux
What is a quote from Heraclitus supporting his belief?
“You cannot step into the same river twice”
How did Heraclitus influence Plato?
Belief that physical world cannot be a source of real knowledge —> Plato tried to prove this wrong
What was Zeno’s main belief?
That change and identity appear to be contradictory
Reason rather than sense experience is correct (world experienced by the senses is false)
How did Zeno influence Plato?
With his dualist view of reality and view that reason is superior to senses
What was Athens like in Plato’s time?
Moral discussion was more concerned with the type of person one should be instead of what was right or wrong
What did Homer suggest about the term ‘good’?
Used term ‘good’ in relation to how well someone fulfils their social function or role in society- this made sense within society at the time because it was stable and had a rigid hierarchy
What happened to this concept of ‘good’?
Became more and more unpopular due to Greek society developing and people entered new professions so there were new notions of what good meant –> lead to a period of moral crisis in Athens
Who were the Sophists?
New breed of wise men during moral crisis
Usually widely travelled
Did not believe moral questions had definitive answers
Tendency towards moral relativism
What did the Sophists believe success was?
Knowing the rules of the city state you lived in
Being able to be persuasive in public debate
What is epistemology?
Theory of knowledge
What epistemological claim is Plato making?
That true knowledge consists of grasping/understanding the Forms –> NOT from info from senses
What is metaphysics?
Branch of philosophy
Deals with the first principles of things
Nature of reality
What was Plato’s epistemological view?
Rationalism
What is rationalism?
Concept that knowledge/truth is discovered by the use of reason
What was Plato’s metaphysical view?
Dualism