Philosophy Terms Quiz #2

Presocratics

philosophers before Socrates; questioned what reality really is; contributed to the birth of science,

Heraclitus

Presocratic who claimed that the answer to “the one and the many” was change and that nothing is permanent except change; can’t step into the same river twice

Paramenides

Presocratic who claimed that reality is a changeless being and the answer to “the one and the many” is being; you cannot even step in the same river once

Pythagoras

Presocratic who believed the answer to “the one and the many” is number

The One of the Many

Concept that asks: “What is one thing among all things that doesn’t change?”; “What’s the fundamental element of all reality?”; “What is the original stuff from which all is derived?'“ among many other questions

Democritus

Presocratic who’s answer to “the one and the many” is atoms and void; inspired Epicurus ideas

Mythos to Logos

the movement away from supernatural explanations (Hesoid, Homer) and towards critical thought, argument, and logical explanations of reality

Thales

First presocratic who answered “the one and the many”; thought everything was water

Socrates

Greek philosopher who thought that philosophy was a way of life; not necessarily the possession of knowledge but rather discussions and truth; contributed to the Socratic Method

Socratic Method

the idea that it is more important to teach students to think for themselves rather than to fill their heads with right answers; based on theories of Socrates; includes elenchus: asks for definition and person offers one, more questions asked that expose implications which conflict with person’s commitments, ends in aporia (being at a loss/perplexity)

Delphi

ancient temple that has the priestess who experiences ceremonial visions and hallucination; entrance says sophrosyne; emphasizes the fear of not living virtuously

Socratic Wisdom

Beings by recognizing the limits of one’s knowledge; understanding that one does not know everything

Sophists

aka “the wise ones”; goal is to win arguments and teach people how to win; opposite of Socrates because he values truth and discussion while they value winning; focus on pursuasion, victory, appearance of wisdom, rhetoric

Logos

a reality that moves through space and time; include nature, fate, speech, reason, account, rational order, logic; basis for scientific thought

Sophrosyne

know thyself, nothing in excess, a balanced life

Euthyphro Dilemma

Euthyphro wants to condemn his dad of piety; Socrates asked him for the definition of piety and he responded with “What the gods think is holy and righteous”; Socrates responds with “are things holy because they are loved by the gods or are they loved by the gods because they are holy?'“; example of Socratic ignorance

Aristotle

Philosopher who focused on the distinction between matter and form; forms are IN things, not a separate thing; happiness is the greatest good, but it is not a state, as it is judged over complete life; arete = excellence; everything has an end purpose (teleology)

Theory of Forms

Theory where there are 2 worlds: sensible world (changing and imperfect copies) and world of forms (eternal, perfect, originals)

Teleology

study of order; idea that everything has an end purpose; doing well has to do with the nature of things (ex. acorn’s potential is an oak tree)

Arete

the highest form of Eudaimonia

Eudaimonia

the art of happiness; 3 answers of what it is: Aristotle says happiness is an activity; Epicurus says that happiness is pleasure and absence of pain; stoics say happiness is living according to logos

Akrasia

the lack of power/ruling of oneself; a roadblock to excellence/happiness

Moral Luck

people can have bad luck/no control over the events in their life

Epicurus

philosopher who’s ideas are that ethics are grounded in physics; universe is atoms and void; focus on watching ones desires, since it can set them up for pain; happiness is pleasure and pleasure is the absence of pain

Types of Desires

natural and necessary: water, shelter, enough food, friendship
natural and unnecessary: fancy, exotic foods, sex

vain (empty): fame, immortality, riches, power

Stoicism

concept that happiness is a virtue and can establish inner freedom; to be free, live according to logos, don’t worry about things you have no control over, have power of your own mind, focus on pathos and apathy to result in ataraxia

Apathia

without passion; freedom of “excessive impulses” and “false judgement”; don’t focus on the things out of your control; goal of life according to stoics

Ataraxia

tranquility, calmness; apathia comes with this

Neoplatonism

philosophical school that was prominent between 3rd and 6th centuries; mix of Greek philosophy and Christianity, which some Eastern mysticism; idea of “the one”

Friendship

different kinds of friends: pleasure, useful, deeper; Cicero says that only good people can be true friends and that people with poor moral character can only be friends of utility; friends make you a better person; even just their presence; Aristotle said that friendship needs to have reciprocity

Arguments for Existence of God

Ontological Argument: God is “that than which nothing greater can be conceived” - Anselm; God exists in both mind and reality

Cosmological Argument: can’t go infinitely back in the causes, since you need to know what caused the cause; uncaused cause; necessary existent/congient being

Theological Argument: order in universe; golden spiral; watchmaker (nature must have a designer) vs blind watchmaker (response)

Problem of Evil

How can a good and benevolent God allow evil to exist?; Leibniz says that this world is best of all possible worlds so there is no control of evil, necessity for free will; 3 types: metaphysical, physical, moral; Voltaire criticized Leibniz

Plotinus

philosopher who came up with “the One”: from which all comes and to which returns lies beyond all experience and all human comprehension; emanation of The One

Porphyry

opponent of Christianity and supporter of paganism; soul is immoral, world is manifestation of the divine

Procleus

philosopher who synthesized the work of Plotinus and Porphyry

Theosophy

contends that all organisms (animals and humans) and all matter flow from a pure spiritual formation