Module 3 - Foundations Of Western Philosophy: Rome And The Christian Era Flashcards
Plato believed the best government was the one most closely matching the government found in the world of forms
True
The Greek political philosophers Plato and Aristotle believed strongly in the universal city where all humanity lived
False
Which political philosophy was most prominent during the pre-Christian Roman era?
A ruler should dispense justice fairly and without bias
Who was the Roman statesman who staunchly defended the republic?
Cicero
Which is true about Cicero’s life?
He ironically sided with emperors to restore the Roman republic
Who was the founder of Stoicism?
Zeno
What is an “impression” in Stoicism?
a data input received from one’s senses
What is “assent” in Stoicism?
the recognition and acceptance of an accurate piece of sensory data
Stoics believed it was ethical to mistreat people of different races, cultures, and religions as long as one was faithful to their fellow countrymen.
false
According to Stoicism, where is truth found?
in the material world directly in front of humanity
Who was the founder of Neoplatonism?
Plotinus
What did the Neoplatonists call the divine absolute truth?
The One
Neoplatonism is a more concrete and less mystical iteration of Plato’s philosophies
False
Which of the following is one of Plato’s famous analogies to describe the world of forms?
A group of slaves chained in a cave
In Neoplatonism, an “emanation” is a deceived person who does not understand reality
False
Tertullian was the early church father who sought to use Greco-Roman philosophies to make new converts to Christianity.
false
who was Justin Martyr?
a church father who sought to adopt useful parts of philosophy into his faith
What was the most famous example of Justin Martyr’s incorporation of Greco-Roman philosophies into his faith?
describing Jesus as the Logos or brain that had organized the universe but had now become human
Which worldview did Tertullian push back against during his time as an orthodox Christian?
Gnosticism
Who was Augustine?
bishop who set the trends of theology and philosophy for the medieval period
For his political philosophy, how many cities did Augustine describe?
two
Although Augustine believed manmade governments were run by sinful humans and were doomed to failure, what did he believe these human governments’ purpose was?
to act as a partial antidote to sin’s effects in the larger culture
What is a just war, according to Augustine?
war that is initiated by a legitimate government authority for a cause like self-defense
Which philosophical school most deeply influenced Augustine’s theology?
Neoplatonism
Who was the Greek philosopher whose political philosophy was based heavily on the concept of an ideal, abstract government located in the world of forms?
Plato
What was the basic concept behind Plato’s idea of a “world of forms”?
that material objects can only be categorized together because they have similarities to some abstract, ideal form
According to Plato, what is a philosopher-king?
a king who also thinks deeply about how to emulate the ideal government found in the world of forms
Which trait was seen in most Greek political philosophies?
an emphasis on the small government of the city-state
Which political philosophy was most active during the pre-Christian Roman era?
stoicism
Which does Stoicism view as unreliable and deceitful?
one’s emotions
What did the Stoics believe they needed to do with sensory data aligned with rational principles and thus appeared to be true?
assent to it
Which tenet was unique to Stoicism and made it particularly useful within the Roman empire?
“Humanity lives within one giant, worldwide city, and thus are “on the same team.”
Which of the following did the Stoics believe was of the most value?
reason
How was virtue defined in Stoicism?
a life lived according to reason
In Neoplatonic technical vocabulary, what is an “emanation”?
the “shadows” of the One’s thoughts as he thinks about himself
According to Neoplatonism, what was the first emanation from the One?
The Intellect
Who was Plotinus?
the founder of Neoplatonism
The Neoplatonist philosophers of the Christian Roman era wrote volumes trying to describe which of the following?
the mechanics of how, exactly, the spiritual world can cast “shadows” into the physical realm
In Plato’s analogy of the cave, which so heavily influenced the Neoplatonists, what could the chained slaves inside the cave see from their position?
shadows of what was happening outside the door of the cave
Which early church father believed Christianity was the superior philosophy which made all other philosophies ineffective?
Tertullian
Who was Tertullian?
the early church father who left orthodoxy for various sects
To what did Justin Martyr relate the philosophical term “Logos”?
Jesus, the intellect and the power behind the universe
In his early career, Tertullian pushed back hard against a pseudo-philosophy called Gnosticism, which taught that…
one needed secret passwords to escape the material world and enter the afterlife.
What was Justin Martyr’s approach to philosophy?
He believed philosophy could be used as a tool to convert others to Christianity.
Who first articulated the concept of a just war in which Christians can participate?
Augustine
What made Platonic and Neoplatonic philosophy so appealing to Christians like Augustine?
Platonism argued that there was truth in the spiritual realm.
Who was the Christian philosopher and theologian whose influence was the defining feature of medieval philosophy?
Augustine
Which Christian philosopher and theologian articulated a political philosophy of two competing, parallel cities?
Augustine
According to Augustine, what functioned as a sort of partial antidote to the sinfulness of the human heart by keeping wicked men from running rampant in society at large?
manmade governments
