Philosophy 325 - Spring 2025 - Midterm Exam Review

Flashcards covering key concepts from Philosophy 325, Spring 2025, Midterm Exam Review. Topics include Aristophanes' and Socrates'/Diotima's views on love, Augustine's perspective on lust, Freud's theories on sexuality and the unconscious, and attachment styles by Levine and Heller.

Aristophanes' Account of Love Origin

Humans were originally round with four arms and legs, two faces, and two sets of sexual organs. They were split in half by Zeus as punishment, leading to a lifelong search for their other half.

Aristophanes' Account of Love's Function

The purpose of love is to restore humans to their original, whole state by finding their other half and merging with them.

Aristophanes' Account of Love Origin

Humans were originally round with four arms and legs, two faces, and two sets of sexual organs. They were split in half by Zeus as punishment, leading to a lifelong search for their other half.

Aristophanes' Account of Love's Function

The purpose of love is to restore humans to their original, whole state by finding their other half and merging with them.

Aristophanes' View of Lovers' Desire

Lovers desire to become one and merge, creating a complete whole, reflecting the original human form.

Socrates/Diotima's Explanation of Love as a Spirit (Daemon)

Love is a spirit (daemon) that is in between mortal and immortal. It serves as a messenger between gods and humans and is always in need of good and beautiful things.

Socrates’/Diotima’s paradoxical nature of love

Love is the offspring of poverty (Penia) and resourcefulness (Poros), born on Aphrodite's birthday. As such, love is always in need and yearning, yet possesses the cleverness and drive to pursue beauty and fulfillment.

Socrates’/Diotima’s ladder of love

Ascends from the love of one beautiful body to the love of all beautiful bodies, then to the appreciation of the beauty of the soul, ultimately leading to the understanding of the Form of Beauty itself.

Form of Beauty

Eternal, unchanging, and exists beyond the physical world. It is the source from which all other manifestations of beauty derive, and it can only be known through reason

Conditional Nature of Love

Love is based on beauty, and is therefore, conditional and shaped by the lover’s perception of lack and desire for what they do not possess. Since it is conditional with love, if beauty is lost or something is done wrong, the love would stop

Alcibiades' Characterization of Socrates

Socrates is a man of profound wisdom, self-control, and enigmatic charm, he is outwardly unremarkable but pushes Alcibiades to pursue virtue and be better.

Augustine's View of Lust

Lust is a craving for sexual activities and is viewed as a shameful punishment resulting from Adam and Eve's disobedience.

Shameful character of lust (Augustine)

It is shameful because it involves desiring sex with the risk of hurting a third-party. Lust tugs at the faithful and obedient to become disobedient.

Gendered dimensions of Adam & Eve

Eve was made after Adam and for Adam, portrayed as evil, weak, and seductive. The blame falls on Eve for eating the fruit because society viewed women as evil and subordinate.

Freud's Unconscious

The unconscious mind houses forgotten ideas that still have an active effect on conscious life. Repressed sexual thoughts make up some of these thoughts.

Oedipus Complex

Refers to a child's desire for sexual involvement with the opposite-sex parent, which leads to feelings of rivalry with the same-sex parent and repression. If not dealt with, it can lead to 'mother-fixation.'

Psychical/Psychological Impotence

Deals with the psychological aspect of sex, where underlying incestuous thoughts split the affectionate and sensual/sexual currents, leading to an inability to become aroused with certain individuals.

Incest Taboo

The prohibition of sexual relations with close relatives, creates a barrier and leads to the debasement of the sexual object in order to suppress incestuous fantasies.

Debasement

The process of reducing the quality or value of something, often used as a means to avoid directing sensuality towards loved ones.

Freedom in Love (Freud)

To be free and happy in love involved overcoming the oedipus conflict and surmounting respect for women to come to terms with incestuousness.

Sublimation

A defense mechanism where unacceptable feelings and urges are channeled into something harmless or productive.

Levine and Heller - Attachment Styles

Secure, anxious, and avoidant. These styles originate in childhood experiences and affect one's approach to intimacy and relationships.

Jung - Collective Unconscious

A shared, inherited reservoir of memory traces from our species' history.

Jung - Archetypes

Universal, symbolic figures or motifs that represent fundamental aspects of human nature and experience.

Erich Fromm's View on Love

Love is an art and requires effort, knowledge, and commitment. It is not merely a passive experience but an active practice of care, respect, responsibility, and understanding.

Fromm - Components of Love

Care, respect, responsibility, and knowledge. These elements are essential for mature and productive love.

Fromm - Brotherly Love

The most fundamental type of love, underlying all forms of love. It is characterized by a sense of responsibility, care, and respect for all human beings.

Fromm - Motherly Love

Unconditional affirmation of the child's life and needs. It embodies care and responsibility for the child's growth and well-being.

Fromm - Erotic Love

The desire for complete fusion, union with another person, and the longing to overcome separateness.

Fromm - Self-Love

Regard for one's own well-being, growth, and development. It is a prerequisite for loving others, as one cannot give what one does not possess.

Fromm - Love of God

Love for God follows the same principles as human love: understanding, effort, commitment, care, respect, responsibility, and knowledge.