Greek Philosophies

Question 1

when philosophy started

Answer 1

since the beginning of humankind, start of communication, tied to religion,

Question 2

The Axial Age

Answer 2

coined by Karl Jaspers, the period of pivoting in human understanding, 900-200 BC, emergence of important philosophical/religious figures across Eurasia

Question 3

Axial Age centres

Answer 3

Greece (Western philosophy), Israel (Judaism), India (Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism), China (Confucianism, Daoism)

Question 4

moral exemplars

Answer 4

real or fictitious figures who model a set of positive characteristics and serve as a guide in ethics

Question 5

virtue ethics

Answer 5

seeks to transform the question of ethics from what should be done into what kind of person to be; contrasted with utilitarianism (goals of greatest benefit) and deontology (binding rules and duties)

Question 6

virtue

Answer 6

a positive characteristic which create a disposition to act in a way that promoted the good

Question 7

Socrates

Answer 7

The Apology (defense/justification), rhetoric (speaking/writing intended to persuade) vs philosophy, what distinguishes philosophy from rhetoric is the basis of logic and reason, objectivity, and commitment to truth

Question 8

Socratic method

Answer 8

posing a series of questions (cross-examining) to find contradictions in other arguments, critical thinking

Question 9

Socratic irony/ignorance

Answer 9

“playing dumb” to entertain and evaluate other arguments

Question 10

Socratic dialectic

Answer 10

open dialogue that aims to achieve a more precise understanding, rational ideas come up from interacting and challenging e/o, engaging in dialogue means perceiving the opponent as rational and able to understand positions,

Question 11

elenchos

Answer 11

cross-examination, unrelenting process of questioning

Question 12

intellectualism

Answer 12

theory that knowledge is mainly derived from reason (rationalism)

Question 13

Socratic intellectualism

Answer 13

refers to the idea that ethics is largely about understanding the self, world, and connection with others, understanding leads to learning about and applying virtues,

Question 14

corollaries to Socratic intellectualism

Answer 14

1. moral failure comes from ignorance
2. no one does wrong willingly since ppl don’t realize the consequences of their actions

Question 15

opposite approach to intellectualism

Answer 15

voluntarism (ppl can know the consequences of and choose between good and bad, will is determined not only by intellect)

Question 16

Plato’s Cave

Answer 16

Sein (being, reality, causes, truth, knowledge) vs schein (appearances, opinions), sein involves the question of metaphysics, entire idea involves the question of ethics since it tries to uncover how ppl should act

Question 17

3 parts of the soul and main desires

Answer 17

1. reason (truth, beauty, good)
2. courage (honour, recognition)
3. appetite (sex, money, food)

Question 18

Aristotle’s notion of substance

Answer 18

substance is the basic building block of reality, question of metaphysics is answered by saying that reality is mapped out using the things and ppl we encounter

Question 19

essential vs accidental properties

Answer 19

substances have essential properties that can only be fundamentally changed (what makes a thing what it is) and accidental properties (attributes and aspects of a substance that can be changed without changing what it is)

Question 20

hylomorphism

Answer 20

the essence of smth is its form and matter (every object is a compound of material and substantial form)