Philosophy Study Guide Foundations - Flashcards

A comprehensive set of Q&A flashcards covering Socratic Method, Euthyphro, Apology, Plato, Socrates, Phaedo, Plato-Aristotle metaphysics, Allegory of the Cave, and Aristotle’s four causes and telos.

What is the Socratic Method as described in the notes?

Socratic ignorance, assume the other is correct, ask questions and follow up questions, repeat position, prove correct or contradiction.

What is Socratic Ignorance?

Taking the position of not knowing and placing the burden on the other to defend their claim; drawing out deeper reasoning.

In the Euthyphro dialogue, what is the key move in the first argument about piety?

First argument is Euthyphro saying that piety is what he is doing now, prosecuting the wrong doer. In which Socrates then goes through the steps of the socratic method to prove to him that what he is saying is only an example and not a true definition.

Why is defining piety as the specific action Euthyphro is doing (prosecuting) considered inadequate?

Because Euthyphro fails to provide a specific definition of what piety is, he only gives an example.

What is the second argument’s definition of pious, and what challenge does it face?

Pious is what is loved by the gods (and impious is what is hated by the gods). The challenge is that gods may disagree, so the same action could be both loved and hated.

Do the gods always agree on what is loved and hated, according to Socrates’ questions?

No. Socrates asks if the gods ever quarrel or disagree about justice and injustice, which would imply disagreement about what is loved or hated.

What is the third argument’s refined definition of pious, and what key question does it raise?

Pious is what is loved by all the gods and impious is what is hated by all the gods. It improves on prior definitions by avoiding disagreement, but raises whether piety is defined by divine love or by the intrinsic nature of piety.

What is the objective vs. subjective distinction introduced in the Euthyphro notes?

Objective: determined by the object itself, independent of human thought.

Subjective: determined by the subject and human thought/convention.

What does ‘Anthropomorphic’ mean in this context?

Giving human qualities or shape to the gods or divine beings.

What are the two famous quotes from Socrates’ Apology discussed in the notes?

Know thyself and the unexamined life is not worth living.

Who prosecutes Socrates in the Apology, and what are the charges?

Meletus prosecutes Socrates for corrupting the youth and impiety toward the gods.

What analogy does Socrates use to argue that corruption of the youth cannot be caused by him alone?

The horse and trainer analogy: if Socrates were the sole corrupter, then all trainers would be corrupting the youth; it undermines Meletus’ claim.

What contradiction does Meletus press regarding Socrates’ religiosity?

Meletus accuses Socrates of atheism while also teaching new divine beings, which Socrates uses to expose inconsistency.

Why does Socrates say he would not stop teaching despite Athenians’ threats?

Because of a divine duty to seek truth, allegedly given by the gods (Apollo’s oracle), and because living a virtuous life requires examining beliefs.

Which groups does Socrates examine to illustrate the limits of supposed wisdom?

Politicians, poets, and artisans/craftsmen; he argues they think they know much but do not truly understand.

What does the term “Platonic Dialogue” refer to in the notes?

Socrates, as a character, engages with and challenges Plato’s ideas within philosophical discussions.

What is the basic content of the Euthyphro definitions and their summaries in this guide?

Definition 1: piety is what Euthyphro is doing (prosecuting the wrongdoer) – treated as an example, not a universal definition. Definition 2: pious is what the gods love; impious is what they hate. Definition 3: pious is what all the gods love; impious is what all the gods hate.

What is the central idea of Plato’s Allegory of the Cave?

Prisoners see shadows on a wall; a freed prisoner discovers the outside world and the sun; learning involves moving from illusion to knowledge and resisting those who cling to the shadows.

What does the sun symbolize in the Allegory of the Cave?

The Form of the Good or ultimate truth that illuminates reality.

What are Being and Becoming in Plato’s two-realism framework?

Being = realm of essences (stable forms);

Becoming = the changing world of physical appearances.

What are Aristotle’s four causes?

Material cause (what it’s made of), Formal cause (its shape/pattern), Efficient cause (what makes it), Final cause (its goal or purpose).

What is telos in Aristotle, and how does it relate to human flourishing?

Telos means end/purpose; for humans, the telos is eudaimonia (flourishing) achieved through rational activity in accordance with virtue.

What does Aristotle mean by ‘Existence proceeds essence’ in the notes?

Reality is found in the physical world; existence and its causes precede or ground an object’s essence rather than an abstract essence determining existence.

How does Aristotle relate form, matter, and essence in determining what something is?

Matter provides what it is made of; form gives the structure; the essence arises from the arrangement of form and matter; existence is established in the material realm, then the form reveals the essence.

What is the purpose of the four causes when explaining why something exists?

To provide a comprehensive explanation of why a thing is the way it is, by detailing its material composition, its form, what produced it, and its final purpose.

What is the meaning of “final cause” in Aristotle’s framework?

The goal or purpose for which a thing exists (e.g., acorn’s final cause is to become an oak tree).

What is eudaimonia according to Aristotle?

Flourishing or living well; achieved by living a life of rational activity in accordance with virtue, beyond mere pleasure or wealth.

What is the theory of recollection in the Phaedo?

Knowledge is innate; learning is a process of recollecting what the soul already knew before birth.

What is the soul’s nature and immortality according to the Phaedo notes?

Soul is non-composite, body is composite; the soul is immortal and does not die with the body.

What is the Cyclical life-death argument in the Phaedo?

Things come from their opposites; life comes from death, and death from life, suggesting a cycle and supporting the soul’s immortality.

How does Socrates view death in the Phaedo, and what is his attitude toward it?

Death is not a sickness or failure but a gift to the soul; he believes he knows where he is going and is not afraid. He thinks that if death is a gift to the soul.

What is the Crito jailbreak episode about?

Crito urges Socrates to escape; Socrates argues that he must honor the laws of Athens and accept his sentence, underscoring obedience to the state.

What does the note say about the relationship between material extension and essence in Aristotle?

Material extension must exist before essence; form then gives the essence in the material.

What does the painting of Plato and Aristotle symbolize?

Plato (pointing to the sky) represents essences/form; Aristotle (floor) represents material extended

What is the meaning of the phrase 'Being and Becoming' in the context of the notes?

Being = realm of essenses or forms (spirituality)

Becoming = entire world of physicality

What is the Unmoved Mover in Aristotle’s cosmology?

The first cause or ultimate reason for movement; a pure actuality that is not moved, often described as a perfect thinking being that everything strives toward.

What are Aristotle’s metaphysics

Existence must exist first before you determine its essence, something cannot have an essence without it having material extension.