Study Guide for Philosophy Midterm 1: Background Information to Philosophy and Greek History

Flashcards covering key vocabulary and concepts from the philosophy study guide for midterm preparation.

Philosophy

The love of wisdom; the pursuit of knowledge and understanding.

Practical Value of Philosophy

Philosophy helps expand our understanding of concepts and leads to the establishment of sciences.

Philosophical Questions

Questions that do not have definitive answers; they are open-ended.

Socrates

An influential philosopher who sought to define concepts and questioned societal norms; known for his method of dialogic inquiry.

Sophists

Private teachers of rhetoric who prioritized persuasion without seeking truth; often criticized by Socrates.

Piety (Euthyphro's Definition)

What is pious to the gods is pious, and what is impious to the gods is impious.

Euthyphro Question

Whether an action is pious because it is loved by the gods or if it is loved by the gods because it is pious.

Justice

According to Plato, justice is about doing good to friends and harm to enemies; however, Socrates critiques this view.

Eudaimonia

A state of happiness and flourishing; the ultimate good that individuals seek.

Virtue

Characteristics that help an individual function well in society; includes qualities like moderation, courage, wisdom, and justice.

Timocracy

A political regime based on honor and ruled by the spirit.

Tyranny

A political regime characterized by absolute domination; associated with the tyrannic soul.

Tripartite Soul

Socrates's division of the soul into three parts: desire/appetite, reason, and spirit.

Moral Virtue

Virtues that pertain to character, cultivated through habituation.

Intellectual Virtue

Virtues that pertain to the intellect and are cultivated through teaching.

Mean

Aristotle's concept of balance; virtue is the mean between the extremes of excess and deficiency.

Ultimate Good

The highest aim in life, which is striving for eudaimonia or a flourishing life.

Relativism

The view that what is just or unjust can vary between different cultures or contexts.

Philosophy

The love of wisdom; the pursuit of knowledge and understanding.

Practical Value of Philosophy

Philosophy helps expand our understanding of concepts and leads to the establishment of sciences.

Philosophical Questions

Questions that do not have definitive answers; they are open-ended.

Branches of Philosophy

Key areas include Metaphysics (nature of reality), Epistemology (theory of knowledge), Ethics (moral philosophy), and Logic (reasoning).

Socrates

An influential philosopher who sought to define concepts and questioned societal norms; known for his method of dialogic inquiry.

Socratic Method

A form of cooperative argumentative dialogue between individuals, based on asking and answering questions to stimulate critical thinking and to draw out ideas and underlying presuppositions.

Sophists

Private teachers of rhetoric who prioritized persuasion without seeking truth; often criticized by Socrates.

Piety (Euthyphro's Definition)

What is pious to the gods is pious, and what is impious to the gods is impious.

Euthyphro Question

Whether an action is pious because it is loved by the gods or if it is loved by the gods because it is pious.

Justice

According to Plato, justice is about doing good to friends and harm to enemies; however, Socrates critiques this view.

Tripartite Soul

Socrates's division of the soul into three parts: desire/appetite (lowest), spirit/emotion (middle), and reason (highest).

Justice in the Soul (Socrates/Plato)

Harmony among the three parts of the soul, with reason ruling over spirit and desire. Analogous to a just society.

Eudaimonia

A state of happiness and flourishing; the ultimate good that individuals seek.

Virtue

Characteristics that help an individual function well in society; includes qualities like moderation, courage, wisdom, and justice.

Moral Virtue

Virtues that pertain to character, cultivated through habituation (repeated actions that shape character).

Intellectual Virtue

Virtues that pertain to the intellect and are cultivated through teaching and experience (e.g., wisdom, understanding).

Habituation (Aristotle)

The process by which moral virtues are acquired through practice and repetition, leading to the formation of a virtuous character.

Mean

Aristotle's concept of balance; virtue is the mean between the extremes of excess and deficiency.

Ultimate Good

The highest aim in life, which is striving for eudaimonia or a flourishing life, achieved through virtuous activity.

Aristocracy/Kingship (Plato)

Plato's ideal political regime, ruled by philosopher-kings guided by reason and wisdom, aiming for the good of the whole state.

Timocracy

A political regime based on honor and ruled by the spirit, where wealth is accumulated but respected.

Oligarchy (Plato)

A political regime where power is held by a small group of wealthy individuals, driven by the desire for money.

Democracy (Plato)

A political regime characterized by extreme freedom and equality, where desires rule and order is lost, often leading to tyranny.

Tyranny

A political regime characterized by absolute domination; associated with the tyrannic soul, driven by unchecked desire.

Relativism

The view that what is just, good, or true can vary between different cultures, individuals, or contexts, rather than being universally fixed.

Universalism

The view that certain moral or philosophical principles are universally applicable to all people, regardless of culture or context.

Plato's Theory of Forms

The philosophical concept that non-physical, perfect, and eternal Forms or Ideas exist independently of the material world and constitute reality.

Epistemology

The branch of philosophy concerned with the nature and scope of knowledge, truth, belief, and justification.

Metaphysics

The branch of philosophy that investigates the fundamental nature of reality, including abstract concepts such as being, knowing, cause, substance, time, and space.

Socratic Ignorance

Socrates's assertion that true wisdom is knowing that one knows nothing, or acknowledging the limits of one's own knowledge.

Telos (Aristotle)

The inherent purpose or end goal of a thing; in Aristotle's ethics, human 'telos' is often associated with eudaimonia.

Arete (Greek Concept)

Greek term for excellence or virtue, often implying the full realization of potential or purpose.

Moral Relativism

The belief that moral judgments are true or false only relative to some particular standpoint (e.g., cultural, historical, personal), and that no single standard is universally valid.