RS ancient philosophy Flashcards
myth?
an ancient story, often involving gods, which offers an explanation for natural events.
philosophy?
the use of reason to investigate questions of knowledge, existence, and ethics.
reason?
the ability to use logic to solve problems, for example in mathematics or philosophy.
democracy?
a form of government where citizens vote in elections, giving them power over how a country is run.
justice?
fairness in the way people are dealt with.
good?
morally right or beneficial.
evil?
harmful, wicked or morally wrong.
allegory?
a story containing a hidden meaning.
the forms?
for plato, perfect and eternal patterns which are reflected in real world objects.
sense experience?
information and experiences gained through our senses (hearing, sight, taste, touch, sound)
art?
expressions of human creativity, such as painting, literature, music, theatre, and film.
censorship?
suppressing or restricting free speech or access to materials such as art and literature
human rights?
basic entitlements and freedoms owed to all human beings.
citizen?
someone who lives in a state, and who has rights not given to a non-citizen (e.g. voting in elections).
demagogue?
a politician who appeals to people’s emotions and makes false promises to win power.
government?
the system by which a state is controlled; or the group that controls a state.
aristotle’s definition of friendship?
for aristotle, “reciprocated good will between two people.”
utility?
usefulness
virtuous?
morally good or possessing many virtues.
is thales regarded to as the first philosopher?
yes.
why is thales important?
he was the first person to answer life’s big questions using reason.
what did people do before thales?
people looked to religion and myths for answers.
six branches of philosophy?
ethics, logic, epistemology, political philosophy, aesthetics, metaphysics.
ethics?
how humans should live, and which actions are morally right and wrong.
logic?
creates rules for making good judgements.
epistemology?
knowledge and where it comes from.
political philosophy?
government, politics and law.
aesthetics?
the nature of art and beauty.
metaphysics?
the nature and existence of things.
what did socrates claim?
the unexamined life is not worth living.
how did socrates differ from other philosophers?
because he focused on ethics, examining questions of human life and human acttions.
how did socrates disagree with traditional greek beliefs about virtue?
disagreed because he believed that moral virtues were universal.
socrates claimed the only good life was ‘?
the only good life was a morally good life.
what did socrates believe that people do in regards to committing evil deeds?
that nobody would knowing commit evil, and that doing the right thing was just a matter of knowing the right thing to do.
what did socrates believe was the key to achieving goodness?
the key to achieving goodness was continual reflection on the meaning of ideas such as goodness, justice, and wisdom.
who was socrates most famous student?
plato was socrates most famous student.
what did plato believe about the things we see in the world around us? (in regards to his belief on the world of forms)
believed that the things we see in the world around us are distorted copies of eternal, perfect patterns called the Forms.
where did plato believe the forms existed?
in a place plato called the world of forms.
plato’s view on art?
he saw all art as being an imitation of something that existed in the everyday world.
plato’s views on art and reality?
plato believed that art was a long way from reality and truth.
why plato viewed art as dangerous?
plato saw art as dangerous, because art could stir up people’s feelings, and cause them to act on emotion rather than reason.
plato’s view on why art should be censored?
plato believed that in an ideal society art and artists should be banned or censored.
modern day view on censorship?
many people today oppose any form of censorship, seeing it as a restriction of the human right of free speech.
monarchy?
one wise person governs in the interest of the whole community.
tyranny?
an evil person has absolute power and rules for their own benefit.
aristotle’s six types of society?
monarchy, tyranny, aristocracy, oligarchy, polity, democracy
aristocracy?
a small group of outstanding people govern for the common good.
oligarchy?
a group of wealthy people govern in their own interest
polity?
where a large group of virtuous citizens govern.
three types of friendship?
utility, pleasure, true.
utility (friendship definition)?
where people are friends primarily because they are useful to each other.
pleasure (friendship definition)?
based upon two people finding enjoyment in the same things.
true friendship definition?
based upon the character of the friends, when each has virtues that the other admires.
