The Axial Age and the Emergence of Philosophical Thought

These flashcards cover key vocabulary terms and concepts discussed in the lecture on the Axial Age and the emergence of philosophical thought.

Axial Age

A period (roughly 800–200 BCE) characterized by a global shift from tribal, ritualistic religion to universal philosophy and monotheism/monism.

Dao

A Chinese term meaning 'the Way'; in Daoism, it refers to the way of nature and the source of all things.

Dharma

In the Indian tradition, the ultimate truth or the law that governs reality.

Holocene

The geological epoch starting roughly 10,000–12,000 years ago marked by climate stability that enabled agriculture.

Logos

A Greek term variously translated as reason, word, or the 'true account of things'; it represents the shift toward rational inquiry.

Maya

A Buddhist/Hindu concept referring to the world as an illusion or a state of mindless delusion.

Monism

The philosophical view that all of reality is one single substance or source.

Monotheism

The religious belief that there is only one God, who is the creator and source of all things.

Mythos

The understanding of the world through myths, stories, and ancestral traditions passed down through antiquity.

Polytheism

A religious system involving many gods, often associated with tribal identities and rituals.

Shamanistic

A type of religion involving a practitioner (shaman) who interacts with a spirit world, often through animal symbolism and ritual.

Therianthrope

A creature that is part human and part animal, common in prehistoric and shamanistic art.