Ancient Indian and Greek Philosophy and Culture

Vocabulary flashcards covering foundational religious, philosophical, scientific, and cultural terms from ancient Indian and ancient Greek civilizations.

Upanishads

Sacred Hindu texts exploring the nature of reality and the soul.

Bhagavad Gita

A revered Hindu scripture embedded in the epic Mahabharata, focusing on duty and devotion.

Epics

Long narrative poems (like the Ramayana and Mahabharata) detailing heroic deeds and religious concepts.

Siddhartha Gautama

The spiritual leader from ancient India who attained enlightenment and founded Buddhism.

Caste system

A rigid social hierarchy in traditional Indian society determined by birth.

Varnas

The four broad social classes or categories within ancient Indian society.

Monism

The philosophical belief that everything in the universe is ultimately made of one single substance or reality.

Maya

The cosmic illusion that prevents people from seeing the true, unified nature of reality.

Reincarnation

The rebirth of a soul into a new body after death.

Polytheistic

The belief in or worship of multiple gods or deities.

Philosophy

The study of the fundamental nature of knowledge, reality, and existence.

Socrates

The foundational philosopher who taught by asking probing questions (the Socratic Method).

Plato

Socrates' student who wrote The Republic and founded the Academy, focusing on ideal forms.

Aristotle

Plato's student who emphasized logic, empirical observation, and science; he tutored Alexander the Great.

Pythagoras

A mathematician and philosopher known for his geometric theorem ($a^2 + b^2 = c^2$) and beliefs in the harmony of the universe.

Hippocrates

The "Father of Medicine" who created the ethical oath still taken by doctors today.

Herodotus

Often called the "Father of History," known for recording the Greco-Persian Wars.

Aristocracy

A form of government in which power is held by the nobility or upper class.

Dramas

Theatrical plays, which were a central part of civic and religious life in ancient Greece.

Tragedies

Serious plays dealing with disastrous events and downfalls of heroic characters.

Sophocles

Tragic playwright famous for Oedipus Rex.

Euripides

Tragic playwright known for bringing more realistic human emotions and strong female characters to his plays.

Aristophanes

The most famous Greek writer of comedies, known for satirizing politics and culture.