main players to Philosophy (Key Concepts for Review)

Flashcards cover key themes from the notes: why we study philosophy, major figures (Plato, Aristotle), forms and becoming, rationalism vs empiricism, pre-Socratic ideas (Anaximander, Parmenides, Heraclitus), allegory of the cave, social-religious implications, and Aristotle’s ethics (friendships).

Why do we study philosophy's past thinkers like Aristotle and Plato according to Chapter 1 notes?

To gain understanding of their main figures and contributions and to see how they shape discussions on current cultural issues and morality.

Which philosopher's discussion of virtues underpins modern ethics and is linked to business ethics?

Aristotle.

Which work by Plato asks 'What is justice?' and concerns the just state?

The Republic.

What is the central claim of utilitarianism as discussed in the notes?

The end justifies the means; actions are judged by their consequences toward the greater good (Mill, Bentham).

Name two broad questions about morality raised in the notes.

Why should I be moral? What is the justification for morality? Does God care if I’m happy?

What famous claim does Aristotle make about humanity’s natural curiosity?

All men by nature desire to know.

What do the terms homoreligiosos and homocognizants refer to?

Homoreligiosos: the natural desire to understand deeper meaning; homocognizants: the ability to think and reason about realities.

What is the difference between rationalism and empiricism?

Rationalism prioritizes reason as the source of knowledge; empiricism emphasizes sense experience and observation.

What is reductionism in philosophical method?

Explaining something by reducing it to simpler components (e.g., mind = brain; color = wavelength).

What does the term logos signify in the historical context mentioned?

A unifying principle or rational order of reality; later used in Christian theology as the Word (logos).

What is Anaximander’s 'boundless' about?

The ultimate substance beyond the world from which the elemental stuff originates (the basic stuff behind reality).

What did Parmenides claim about change?

Change is an illusion; only being/reason exists.

What did Heraclitus famously claim about change?

Everything is in flux; you cannot step in the same river twice.

What is cosmology in the context of these notes?

The study of the cosmos and the search for a unifying principle that grounds permanence through change.

What is atomism and which tradition is associated with it in the notes?

The view that reality is composed of atoms; associated with Epicurean-era thought mentioned in the notes.

How does Plato divide reality?

Into the world of becoming (physical, changing) and the world of being (forms, eternal).

What is the realm of the forms like according to Plato?

Eternal, unchanging, knowable by reason; contains perfect exemplars like goodness, beauty, a perfect circle.

What does 'participation' mean in Plato’s theory?

Physical objects imperfectly exemplify their corresponding Forms by participating in them.

What is the Allegory of the Cave meant to illustrate?

People who only see shadows (the physical world) can be led to the real world of forms through reason; the philosopher escapes the cave.

How do Plato and Aristotle differ on the source of knowledge?

Plato emphasizes knowledge of the forms via reason; Aristotle emphasizes knowledge from empirical study of the world (form+matter).

What are matter and form in Aristotle’s theory of substance?

Matter is the stuff; form is the essence/purpose that gives a thing its shape and function.

Which two schools are named after Plato and Aristotle, and what were their roles?

Plato’s Academy and Aristotle’s Lyceum; they were founding models for later universities and taught the next generation of thinkers.

What common phrase captures Plato’s influence on philosophy, as quoted in the notes?

All philosophy is footnotes to Plato (attributed to Alfred North Whitehead).

What is 'divine conceptualism' in the Christian tradition?

The view that the realm of forms are thoughts in the mind of God.

What are Aristotle’s three types of friendship?

Friendship of utility, friendship of pleasure, and friendship of virtue (character-based).