Classical Greek Philosophy

Arete

The originating element of the universe, as thought of by the presocratics

Pre Socratics

A group of philosophers that sought to explain the physical world. They used mental reasoning instead of myths and theorized about the arete.

Thales

A presocratic who thought water was the arete

Anaximander

A presocratic who thought the originating principle of the cosmos was the "apeiron," or the infinite.

Anamaximines

Thought the soul is made of air, which also comprises the other elements in various densities.

Democritus - the “Laughing Philosopher”

An ancient Greek philosopher who proposed that everything is composed of indivisible particles called atoms and that void exists between them.

Socrates

A classical Greek philosopher known for his contributions to ethics and epistemology, and for his method of questioning and dialogue, which sought to stimulate critical thinking and illuminate ideas.

Socratic or Dialectical Dialogue

Created by Socrates, a method that involves one person asking many questions in an attempt to get his interlocuter to define a specific word or idea more specifically. The goal was to find a universal definition.

“The unexamined life is not worth living”

A quote by Socrates demonstrates his belief that a good life is worth living, which can be accomplished through knowledge of good and evil.

Three Part Soul

Created by Plato. The soul is built up of Logic, which dictates the other parts, the Spirited, and the Appetitive.

Dual Reality (Plato)

Sensible World: Everything we use our senses to interpret, corporeal matter in which we live our lives in.

Intelligible World: Things metaphorically understood by the mind, more real than the sensible.

Theory of Forms (Plato)

The forms are eternal, changeless entities from which particular things in the real world derive their own being.

Rationalism

The theory that reason is better than experience.

Empisicism

The theory that all knowledge comes from our senses and experiences.

Epistemology

A branch of philosophy concerned with knowledge and how we acquire it.

Inductive Reasoning

Logical processes.

Eudaimonia

Human flourishing. Aristotle thought that this is something we choose for its own sake; it is the end for all other goods.

The Golden Mean (Aristotle)

In the case of every virtue, there is a mean between two extremes.

Epicarus

A philosopher who thought that peace of mind is the goal of life. This can be found by experiencing pleasure and reducing or eliminating pain.

Four Fold Remedy (Epicarus)

The gods are uninvolved in human affairs and death is nothing to fear since we will not actively experience it; there are beyond our control and unknown to us.

Pain limits pleasure, and pain is limited in degree or duration. This is within our control and known to us.