Western Philosophy and The Self - Vocabulary Flashcards (Lecture Notes)

Vocabulary flashcards highlighting key terms and ideas from the lecture notes on Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Medieval and Modern philosophy, Post-Modern thought, Eastern philosophies, and sociology of the self.

Socrates

Ancient Greek philosopher (469/470–399 BCE) who emphasized self-examination, virtue, and the belief that the unexamined life is not worth living.

Know Thyself

Socratic maxim urging self-knowledge as essential to happiness and virtue.

Socratic Method

Questioning approach (aka midwifery method) used by Socrates to guide others to truth without giving answers.

Agora

Athens marketplace where Socrates asked questions to challenge opinions.

The Unexamined Life

Socrates’ claim that living without self-knowledge and moral inquiry is not truly human.

The Republic

Plato’s dialogue exploring justice, virtue, and the ideal state.

Theory of Forms (World of Form vs World of Matter)

Plato’s idea that the perfect, non-material world of forms is more real than the imperfect material world.

World of Form

The perfect, eternal realm in Plato’s theory where true essences reside.

World of Matter

The imperfect, changing realm of physical objects in Plato’s theory.

Platonic Dialogue

Socratic method of presenting ideas through conversations, often with Socrates as a character.

Socrates as midwife

Socrates’ self-description of guiding others to truth by assisting birth of insights.

Tripartite Soul (Plato)

Soul divided into Rational, Spirited, and Appetitive parts.

Rational Soul

Part of the soul focused on reasoning and wisdom.

Spirited Soul

Part of the soul related to emotions, courage, and will.

Appetitive Soul

Part of the soul driven by desires and basic needs.

Aristotle

Ancient Greek philosopher (384–322 BCE); student of Plato; Father of Western Logic; wrote De Anima.

De Anima

Aristotle’s work on the soul.

Hylomorphism

Aristotle’s doctrine that substances are formed by matter (hyle) and form (morphe).

Vegetative Soul

Aristotle’s term for the souls of plants (growth, nutrition, reproduction).

Sensitive Soul

Aristotle’s term for animal souls (movement, sensation).

Rational Soul (Aristotle)

Human soul capable of reason and reflection.

Eudaimonia

Aristotle’s concept of flourishing or the good life achieved through virtue.

Virtue as Habit

Aristotle’s idea that moral character is developed by repeated, proper actions.

Aristotle’s Soul (Hierarchy)

Plants > Animals > Humans in terms of soul complexity and function.

Augustine

Christian philosopher (354–430) from Hippo; integrated Platonic thought with Christian faith; author of Confessions.

Confessions

Autobiographical work by Augustine detailing his spiritual journey and search for truth.

Memoria, Intellectus, Voluntas

Augustine’s tripartite self: memory ( Memoria ), intellect ( Intellectus ), and will ( Voluntas ).

My heart is restless until it rests in You

Augustine’s famous quote illustrating the soul’s longing for God.

Platonism in Augustine

Augustine’s adoption of Platonic ideas (Forms, tripartite soul) within Christian theology.

Summa Contra Gentiles

Thomas Aquinas’ work defending Catholic faith against non-believers.

Summa Theologica

Aquinas’ comprehensive theological compendium explaining Christian doctrine.

Fides et Ratio

Aquinas’ doctrine of harmony between faith and reason.

Unity of body and soul

Aquinas’ view that humans are a composite of material body and immaterial soul.

Immortal Soul

Aquinas’ belief that the soul survives bodily death.

Thomas Aquinas’ Purpose

Fulfillment of human nature through union with God.

Ren (Jen), Xue, Tianming, Yi, Shu

Confucian self-ccultivation concepts: Ren (benevolence), knowledge (Xue), heaven mandate (Tianming), righteousness (Yi), propriety (Shu).

Tao/Dao (Daoism)

The Way; living in harmony with the flow of nature; Wu Wei (effortless action).

Wu Wei

Daoist principle of non-forcing action in harmony with the Tao.

Laozi (Lao Tzu)

Founder of Daoism; author of the Tao Te Ching; emphasizes living in accord with the Tao.

Hinduism (Self and Karma)

Indian philosophy/religion; emphasizes caste, karma, and cycles of rebirth (samsara).

Buddhism (Four Noble Truths, Eightfold Path)

Path to enlightenment; suffering arises from craving; cessation of suffering; includes Eightfold Path.

No-Self (Anatta)

Buddhist doctrine that there is no permanent, independent self.

Karma

Action and its consequential moral retribution across lifetimes.

Caste System (Brahman, Kshatriya, Vaishya, Shudra)

Indian social stratification affecting life and reincarnation.

Nirvana

Enlightenment and liberation from suffering and the cycle of rebirth.

Sociology

The study of human social life, groups, and societies and how culture, economy, politics shape behavior.

Self and Socialization

How the self is formed and shaped through social interaction and cultural norms.

Social Identity

A person’s sense of who they are based on group membership and social roles.

Achieved vs Ascribed Status

Statuses gained by action (achieved) vs. assigned at birth (ascribed).

Five Major Agents of Socialization

Family, School, Peer groups, Religion, Mass Media shaping norms and identity.

Looking-Glass Self (Cooley)

Self-concept formed by imagining how others perceive us and reacting to those perceptions.

Symbolic Interactionism (Mead)

Theory that the self is developed through social interaction and role-taking.

I and Me (Mead)

I = spontaneous, impulsive aspect; Me = internalized social expectations.

Generalized Other

Internalized sense of the total expectations of society in the self.

Disembedding

Modernity’s removal of social relations from local contexts in favor of abstract systems.

Reflexivity

Modern individuals continually reflect on and reassess their social circumstances.

Individualization

Modern emphasis on personal autonomy and self-expression within society.

Modernity (Giddens)

Theme of late modernity: globalization, science, and rapid social change shaping the self.

Embodied Subjectivity

Merleau-Ponty’s idea that the self is formed through lived, embodied experience.

Phenomenology of Perception

Merleau-Ponty’s work on how perception grounds knowledge of self and world.

Sociology vs Traditional Self

Modernity describes how self-identity shifts with global flows and personal agency.