Midterms Flashcards
Explain what is meant by the notion that ancient philosophers were the scientists of their day?
Philosophers were the first people of their day who were willing to take a non-religious explanation for things. Their explanations were purely based on what they see and what they can reason (based on experience).
Socrates was originally part of a philosophical group that he broke away from. What was that group called?
Sophists
Unlike the members of that group, Socrates believed in?
Socrates believed in truth and dialogue
A sophist believes……
That you should use reason and rhetoric to manipulate people and achieve power.
Socrates is most famous for saying …… (2)
“The unexamined life is not worth living.” and “The one thing I know for sure is that I know nothing.”
Socrates most famous student was……
PLATO
Who put Socrates to death and why?
The Athenian court for corrupting the youth.
What is the name of Plato’s most famous book?
The Republic
Who is the protagonist in all of Plato’s writings?
Socrates
What is the central question of platos most famous book?
‘what is justice’
What did Plato believe society should be modeled after? Explain the 3 parts
The three parts of the soul.
reason/intellect - part of you that KNOWS
spirit/will - part of you that DOES
The appetitions/appetite - part of you that WANTS
Was Plato a fan of democracy? What event may have heavily influenced this?
No Plato witnessed democracy unwillingly in his city of Athens - put SOCRATES to death
What is a form according to Plato? give an example of This?
The Form is a metaphysical, perfect representation of anything. Ex: circle
Who was Aristotle’s teacher?
Plato
What kind of philosopher is Aristotle? How is it different from Plato?
Aristotle was a realist. Plato was an idealist. Aristotle believed fundamental knowledge was derived from the senses (by going out and seeing things) vs Plato believed ultimate knowledge was derived from reason within your own head.
List and describe Aristotle’s 4 causes
Material cause: “that out of which” it is made.
Formal Cause: What form does it take/how is it structured?
Efficient Cause: how does something come to be
Final Cause: what is the purpose or the goal of the object - what is it used for
Explain how Aristotle models his version of society of those 4 causes
what was the purpose of society according to plato
Aristotle models society after these 4 causes by: material cause is it’s citizens
formal cause is its laws or constitution
efficient cause of any society is its ruler
final cause is righteous prosperous citizenry (people doing well materially and ethically).
Plato believed that purpose of society was to bring people towards ultimate knowledge.
according to him, what 2 factors determine what type of society a given group of people is living under?
Two factors are: a) how many rulers? b) who are they ruling for?
Based on these 2, what are the 6 types of political societies according to Aristotle?
(My Toes Own A Dumpling Palace)
Monarchry: one ruler ruling for the people
Tyranny: one ruler for himself.
Oligarchy: ruled by the few for themselves
Aristocracy: Noble Elites ruling for the people
Democracy: governed by the majority for the majority
Polity: majority ruling for EVERYONE
Which according to Aristotle is the worst and why?
Democracy because he felt the tyranny of the majority was the most dangerous than any single ruler.
What is social contract theory?
A theory of govt based on a contract between a people and a ruling body
Before social contract theory, how many basic theories were there for validating leadership? What were they? List and describe them?
Divine Right Theory: by the GDs
Power Theory: most powerful are the ones to rule
Structural Theory: those people most fit to rule would rise to the top
The first major Social Contract Theorist was? Where was he from? What major Historical event did he live through
Thomas Hobbes from England lived through The English Civil War
What is the name of Hobbes most famous book? What is the title a reference to? Why did he call it that? How is it a symbol of his beliefs?
The Leviathan. Refrence to biblical sea creature. He called it that bc it was a symbol of his beliefs. Hobbes believed in an authoritarian monarchy - a monarchy so big and strong that you would give up all your rights and disputes in font of it. Ties to Leviathan becaus eit represents a gigantic sea monster before which all disputes and rights are not, once u see a giant sea monster all your rights and disputes vanish. Hobbes believed that purpose of government was to settle disputes between citizenry by being the biggest baddest strongest thing and thereby keeping everyone in line and away from chaos (state of nature)
What laws did Hobbes believe the government should be subject to?
Believed GOvernent was answerable to no one.
What kind of contract did Hobbes believe in making?
Straight sale: you sell ur rights for the benefits and protections of the monarchocal government.
With whom is the contract made? What are the terms?
Contract is made between the people and the ruler. Terms: rights for protections
What thought experiment did Hobbes use to come to his conclusions? Describe.
The State of Nature - life in the jungle w/ no govt
Describe Hobbes’ idea of what life was like in the state of nature.
He described it as horrible. It was nasty, brutal and short.
When does Hobbes feel you can rebel against your government?
NEVER
Who Is Sovereign According to Hobbes?
THE GOVERNMENT
What kind of ethics did Hobbes believe in? What does that mean?
Contractarianism - If you make a contract or agreement with someone, you MUST obey that contract.
Where is John Locke from?
ENGLAND
What is the name of Locke’s major work?
Two Treatises of Govt
Describe how Locke disagrees with Hobbes’ assessment of man in the state of nature?
Locke believes that while the state of nature is bad, but man is rational and naturally cooperative without intervention of govt.
What is the problem that exists in the state of nature that causes man to make Government?
There are naturally evil people who are willing to take advantage and for that you need a lerger body of govt to deal with that.
What does Locke believe every person is born with and given by God?
Natural Rights
List and describe the Natural rights
How does the third one work
Life - have the right to not get killed
Liberty - have the right to not be enslaved
Property - have a right to those things I own and which I earned!
When u find something ownerless and u infuse with labor
It becomes yours
What kind of social contract does Locke believe in?
A fiduciary trust.
fiduciary trust
With whom? What are the terms?
Who believed in this
Between citizenry and the government. The terms are I am obligated to follow the governments laws so long as the government preserves my rights.
Locke
When does Locke feel you can rebel against your government?
When government violates your rights.
Locke feels that under those circumstances, not only SHOULD you rebel but you actually……
MUST REBEL - YOU ARE OBLIGATED. You owe it to yourself and fellow man.
What is Locke’s concept of Tabula Rasa
People are born with a blank slate.
According to Locke, what is the essence of personhood or Identity?
Memory
Where was Jean Jaques Rousseau from?
Switzerland
Does Rousseau agree with Locke or Hobbes on man in the state of nature?
NO!!
What does Rousseau believe man is like in the state of nature?
Believes that man is a noble savage (Animal like with basic ethics)
What are the 2 fundamental emotional states that Rousseau believes govern man in the state of nature? List and describe
PRE SOCIETY
POST SOCIETY
PRE SOCIETY:
Amour De Soi’ - a love of self or life
Pity - distaste for pain
POST SOCIETY:
Amour porpre - love of status
What is the new emotional principle that governs man now that he is a part of society?
Amour Porpre - love of status
What is the opening statement of Rousseau’s most famous work and what does it mean?
“Man is born free and is everywhere in chains.” This means that while man is born with limitless capabilities and possibilities if he is born into a society there is all these limitation and expectation and statutes for him to follow.
Does Rousseau believe in a separation of powers?
NO
What kind of contract does Rousseau believe in?
POTLOCK COMMUNITY: everyone gives in their rights and capabilities and in return they get an equal basis of freedoms
The potluck community is with whom?
what are the terms?
With the individual and the population. Terms: all of my rights for equal freedoms.
According to Rousseau what should be the governing principle of a society?
The Common Will
According to Rousseau, when can one rebel against their government?
Anytime they want to
Who is sovereign according to Rousseau?
EVERYONE
What other major field did Rousseau contribute to?
Education
What is Rousseaus major idea in that field
Child centered learning
What are the five branches of philosophy
Provide examples
1) metaphysics- study of reality - what is the meaning of life
2) epistemology - study and understanding knowledge- how do we know
3) ethics - study of right vs wrong - is it right to steal
4) politics - taking ethics to larger scale and applying to groups of people - political laws,justice
5) aesthetics - study of art and beauty - is beauty in the eye of the observer
Who is the first major social contract theorist
Thomas Hobbes
What is Montesquieu’s real name
Charles Louis de Secondant
