Term
| What is the etymological definition of philosophy? |
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Definition
Philo = love
Sophia = wisdom
The love of wisdom |
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Term
| What are the basic subdivisions of philosophy? |
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Definition
Metaphysical
Epistomology
Axiology or Value Theory
Axiology goes into the subgroups of
Aesthetics
Ethics
Ethics goes into the subgroups of
Individual Ethics
Political Ethics |
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Term
| What are some questions that arise in each subdivision of philosophy? |
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Definition
Metaphysics = The study of ultimate reality
Does God exist? Is there a immaterial soul?
Epistomology= The study of knowledge
How do we get knowledge? Does knowledge exist? Can we know or reasonably believe God exists?
Axiology= The study of value
Aesthetics: What is beauty? Is beauty in the eye of the beholder?
Ethics: Individual - What makes us act right or wrong?
Political Philosophy- Should we legislate morality/abortion/slavery? |
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Term
| What is the Rationalist Credo? |
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Definition
The Universe is orderly.
The Universe is knowable.
The Universe is knowable best by human reason. |
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Term
| State the Traditional Analysis of Knowledge. |
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Definition
Knowledge is justified true belief.
S knows P if and only if
P is true
S believes P
S is justified in believing P |
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Term
| Name some sources of knowledge claimed by the Standard View of Knowledge. |
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Definition
Memory
Testimony
Senses
Rational Insight
Reasoning
Revelation
Introspection |
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Term
| Explain the Presocratics' shift away from mythological understandings of reality. |
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Definition
Dominant cultural beliefs were handed down from authority (often religious leaders). The beliefs were myths.
A myth is a story that explains the unknown in terms of the known (often, not always false).
It made gods that behave or mirror human thoughts/behaviors that were much, more powerful to explain nature (lightning/tides/disaster).
Myths were not subject to rational investigation.
Presocratics in the area around Ionia (modern day Turkey)
Demand that beliefs about the world (nature) be supported by rational insight, reasoning, experience, or any combination of the three.
Presocratics wanted to use reason as the common currency of explanation based on the Rationalist Credo the understand the world (nature). |
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Term
What are the so-called "four elements" commonly discussed in Presocratic Philosophy?
Why are these elements important? |
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Definition
Earth
Air
Fire
Water
These are the fundamental basis for reality. |
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Term
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Definition
| True wisdom is the know that we know nothing. |
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Term
| Explain Plato's attempt to reconcile Heraclitus and Parmenides on the topic of change. |
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Definition
Heraclitus: like fire, everything always changes
Parmenides: like the One, nothing changes
Plato's answer: Both are right...and wrong
Dualism: There are two worlds
One is physical that always changes
One is of the Forms that never change
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Term
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Definition
| Forms are the eternal, unchanging ideas that lie behind the changing, temporal, physical world. |
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Term
| Explain the example of the "equal sticks" |
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Definition
It has never come from our senses because we haven't seen perfect equality.
This means we're born with the concept.
We have "an idea" of perfect equality even though nothing is perfectly equal in this world, because we were with the Forms in a previous life. Our current life has reminded us of the Forms' perfect equality.
Therefore, what we call knowledge is actually memory.
This proves that learning is really recollecting.
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Term
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Definition
Argument: A set of statements in which one (conclusion) is affirmed by the others (premises).
Premise 1
Premise 2
Conclusion
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Term
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Definition
| Logic: The study of methods of evaluating whether the premises of an argument provide good evidence for the conclusion. |
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Term
| What is Aristotle's definition of knowledge? |
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Definition
We know a thing when we know both
- the cause of the thing, we know that it is the cause, and
- it is not possible for it to be otherwise
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Term
| Why is Aristotle's definition of knowlege too strict? |
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Definition
Why do we need to the the telos (the purpose) of the thing to know the thing.
If we cut open a cow and see four stomachs, why do we need to know why the cow has four stomachs to know it has four stomachs? |
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Term
| What is Aristotle's account for change? |
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Definition
Potentiality and Actuality
The thing already has the potential in it to become its end product.
For example: An acorn has the potential to become an oak tree within it. |
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Term
| What are Aristotle's four causes? |
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Definition
Material cause- what it is made of
Formal cause- its shape
Efficient cause - How it is made
Final cause (telos) - Its purpose |
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Term
Explain the four causes of a knife and a mushroom.
Which is more difficult to explain and why? |
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Definition
Knife:
Material: wood and steel
Formal: a hand shaped handle, an angled to a tip blade
Efficient: a woodworker sculpts wood to the shape that fits in a hand, and another artisan forges the steel into the blade with fire
Final: to cut
Mushroom:
Material: atoms
Formal: a cylindrical stem with a umbrella style cap with gills attached underneath
Efficient: spores, humidity, relative darkness, decomposing matter
Final: eudaimania- to flourish (be the best darn mushroom out there)
It is harder to explain living things because their purpose is not easily learned or explained
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Term
| Compare and contrast Plato and Aristotle on the sources of knowledge |
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Definition
Both Believe:
The thing must be something stable
Requires more that a belief
Plato: Reason alone can be used. Senses only deliver opinion and can't be trusted. knowledge comes from contemplating/remembering the Forms.
Aristotle: Reasoning and the senses. Senses are important to scientific discovery and knowledge. |
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Term
What is the Highest Good for humans according to Aristotle?
How does one discover this? |
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Definition
Eudaimonia - to flourish
translated: Happiness!
It is discovered by REASON |
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Term
| What is Aristotle's Doctrine of the Golden Mean? |
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Definition
Virtue is the mean between two extremes, which are vices. One being deficiency, and the other excess.
Example:
Deficiency Virtue Excess
cowardice courage brashness |
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Term
| Explain the similarities and differences in Epicurean and Stoic physicalism. |
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Definition
Both believe: Everything is physical
Epicureans believe in indeterminism. Humans and the world have an undetermined number of possibilities along life's continuum.
Stoics believe in determinism. Logos determines everything in our lives. We have no control over choices or what happens to us. |
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Term
| Explain the difference between Epicurean/Stoic attitudes and Skeptical attitudes toward sense perception. |
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Definition
Epicureans and Stoics trust the senses to gain knowledge.
Skeptics don't trust the senses, because senses only tell us what we perceive at the time. |
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Term
| What is the Epicureans' two arguments against the fear of death? |
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Definition
1. All good and evil lie in physical sensation
2. Physical sensation ends at death
3. So, death is not evil
1. While we are alive, death is not present
2. When death is present, we no longer exist
3. Therefore, death is neither present to us when we're alive or dead
4. What is never present should not concern us
5. So, death should not concern us (Death is nothing to us)
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Term
| What is the Epicureans' view of the Good? |
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Definition
Pleasure!
It is freedom from pain of the body and anxiety of the mind. |
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Term
What is the common misunderstanding of Epicurean ethics?
What is their true belief? |
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Definition
Epicureans party and live it up to excess all the time!
Epicurean view:
Epicureans not referring to physical pleasures, but instead, that the body be free from pain and the mind be free from anxiety:
1. Every pleasure is good, but not every pleasure should be chosen
2. Some pleasures are outweighed by the pains they cause. These pains are evil.
3. We should base decisions by considering which course of action will bring the best balance of pleasure to pain - moderation
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Term
| What is the link between Epicurean theology and Epicurean ethics? |
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Definition
gods exist.
They live between the worlds.
They have nothing to do with us.
So don't worry about hell or hope for immortality |
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Term
| What is the link between Stoic theology and Stoic ethics? |
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Definition
Logos determines everything.
Accept the world as it is.
The only thing one can change and be accountable for is his/her attitude. |
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Term
| State the Skeptical Argument from Disagreement. |
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Definition
1.Concerning every controversial issue, there are equally strong arguments on both sides.
2.If there are equally strong arguments on both sides of every controversial issue, we should give up our beliefs about such matters (and suspend judgment).
3.Therefore, we should give up all our beliefs about controversial matters.
4.But there is controversy about every matter.
5.So, we should give up all our beliefs (and instead suspend judgment). |
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Term
| Explain the three attitudes a skeptic might take toward a claim/proposition? |
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Definition
Belief
Every issue is controversial, so give up the belief about the matter and suspend judgment.
Agnostic
I don't have a belief. Suspend judment.
Disbelief
Every controversial issue has an equally strong argument for both sides. Therefore, give up belief about the matter and suspend judgment. |
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Term
| What are the Epicureans' and Hebrews' view of God? |
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Definition
Epicureans: many gods exist. They have nothing to do with us. The gods are powerful but not all-powerful.
Hebrews: One God, Personal, All-powerful, creator, morally good, active in creation
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Term
State three Christian beliefs about Jesus.
How was it possible for them to hold these beliefs? |
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Definition
1. Jesus is the Messiah.
2. By his death, Jesus saves us from our sins.
3. Jesus (the Risen Christ) is worthy of worship
Reasons: They believed both that:
1.In his actions and teachings, Jesus claimed (if only implicitly) to be Messiah, Savior, and God; and
2. Jesus was raised from the dead after crucifixion, thereby vindicating his claims.
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Term
| What are some key factors in the succsess of the early Christian church? |
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Definition
¨The destruction of Jerusalem (A.D. 70)- believers dispersed throughout known world
¨A universal message- Salvation was for everyone
¨A message for “regular people”- ordinary people could understand
¨The martyrs’ witness- believers remained gracious even unto death
¨The Roman Peace- Roman rule over a vast empire brought relative peace for spreading belief
¨An organized structure- the early church had an orderly structure |
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Term
| What was the key theological issue at the Council of Nicea? |
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Definition
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Term
| Explain the difference between the Creed of Arius and the Nicene Creed. |
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Definition
Creed of Arius: Jesus is created by the Father. He is not of the same substance or one with the Father. He is not equal with the Father.
Nicene Creed: Jesus is of the substance of the Father. Jesus is equal with the Father. Jesus is God. Jesus in incarnate! |
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Term
1. What was the key theological issue at the Council of Chalcedon?
2. What was Council's answer? |
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Definition
1. If Jesus is God incarnate, how can he be human?
2. Jesus is one person with two natures. One is human. The other is divine.
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Term
| Contrast Avicenna, Al-Ghazali, and Averroes on the topic of faith and reason. |
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Definition
Avicenna (Is a sinna) If faith and reason clash REASON WINS
1. Allah acts out of necessity 2. Allah works through intermediaries 3. Souls are immortal
The Qur'an should be taken metaphorically
Al-Ghazali (All Qur-an, all the time) If faith and reason clash FAITH WINS
Take the Qur'an literally
Averroes (double "r" double-truth) If faith and reason clash
BOTH FAITH AND REASON ARE RIGHT
It depends on who you are on how the Qur'an should be read
1. The masses: read the Qur'an literally
2. Theologians: Can find inferrences in the text
3. Philosophers: Can find the allegorical and deeper meaning of the text.
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Term
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Definition
| Humanism is the celebration of human dignity, achievement, and potential. |
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