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What is the meaning of the term 'philosophy'?
What is the meaning of the term 'philosophy'?
What does philosophy investigate?
What does philosophy investigate?
Tangible and intangible worlds, including God, soul, the nature of society, and free will.
The term 'Hedonism' refers to the pursuit of moral excellence.
The term 'Hedonism' refers to the pursuit of moral excellence.
False
Who is considered the father of Western philosophy?
Who is considered the father of Western philosophy?
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The primary focus of Sophist philosophy is that only the ______ deserve justice.
The primary focus of Sophist philosophy is that only the ______ deserve justice.
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What is the Socratic method?
What is the Socratic method?
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Which of the following philosophers is known for the concept of 'Ubermensch'?
Which of the following philosophers is known for the concept of 'Ubermensch'?
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Marcus Aurelius was a prominent Stoic philosopher.
Marcus Aurelius was a prominent Stoic philosopher.
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Study Notes
Philosophy
- Derived from Greek philos (love) and sophia (wisdom) meaning "love of wisdom."
- Defined as the science studying ultimate causes through reason, including both tangible and intangible aspects like God, the soul, and free will.
- Aims to address cosmological questions beyond the scope of physical science.
- Employs natural cognition and moral reasoning to seek objective truth.
History of Philosophy
Pre-Socratic (600 - 500 BCE)
- Key figures include Thales, Anaximander, Heraclitus, and Pythagoras.
- Thales posited that water is the origin of man.
Classical Greek (400 - 300 BCE)
- Notable philosophers include Socrates (Socratic method, ethics), Plato (Theory of Forms, established the Academy), and Aristotle (logic, metaphysics, ethics).
- Greek civilization flourished, transitioning focus from cosmological to moral, cultural, and traditional inquiries.
- Hedonism emphasized bodily pleasure and promoted ethical discussions.
Hellenistic (300 BCE - 200 CE)
- Rise of Stoicism and Skepticism.
Roman (200 BCE - 500 CE)
- Cicero adapted Greek philosophy for a Roman audience.
- Seneca focused on stoic ethics, while Marcus Aurelius reflected on personal philosophy in "Meditations."
- Augustine of Hippo contributed Christian thought, shifting philosophical inquiry towards Christianity.
- Roman philosophy evolved Greek thought further.
Medieval (500 - 1500 CE)
- Key philosophers included Thomas Aquinas (synthesis of Christian and Aristotelian thought in Summa Theologica) and Anselm of Canterbury (ontological argument for God).
- Emphasized the central role of the Catholic Church and God-centered worldview.
- Earth was viewed as the center of the universe; science faced persecution during this era.
Renaissance (1700 - 1900 CE)
- Prominent figures included Niccolo Machiavelli (political philosophy), Francis Bacon (empiricism, scientific method), John Locke (empiricism, theories of knowledge), and Rene Descartes (rationalism, Cartesian dualism).
- Marked a rebirth of classical Greek and Roman thought and a debate between Rationalism (innate knowledge) and Empiricism (knowledge through experience).
- Human-centered philosophy emerged (Anthropocentrism).
Modern (1700 - 1900 CE)
- Philosophers such as Immanuel Kant (critical philosophy, Critique of Pure Reason), David Hume (skepticism), Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel (absolute idealism, dialectical method), and Karl Marx (historical materialism, critique of capitalism) were influential.
- Challenged conventional authority and promoted ideals of freedom and liberty, stirring revolutions against colonialism.
20th Century and Beyond
- Key thinkers included Michel Foucault (power and knowledge), Jacques Derrida (deconstruction, language), Bertrand Russell, Ludwig Wittgenstein, Martin Heidegger, Jean-Paul Sartre, and Simone de Beauvoir.
- Focus on the rationale behind human actions and existence with a critical lens on morality and rationality.
Socrates
- Regarded as the father of Western philosophy, emphasizing morality and critical reasoning.
- Critiqued hedonism, advocating for a life guided by reason and virtue instead of carnal pleasure.
- Utilized the technique of the "ignorant questioner" to engage in philosophical dialogue, opposing the Sophists.
Sophists
- Educators teaching grammar, rhetoric, and logic predominantly to the wealthy, creating societal tensions in Athens.
- Promoted relativistic views on justice and morality, claiming knowledge of good and evil is unattainable.
- Argued that truth was subjective, based on persuasion rather than absolutes.
Socratic Philosophy
- Asserted the existence of defined moral truths, advocating for justice based on equality and fairness.
- Emphasized actions that promote true happiness and held that reason is innate to humanity.
- Viewed the soul as essential to nurture, with wisdom as a salvatory force against ignorance.
Execution of Socrates
- Executed in 399 BCE, driven by social and moral critique against established norms.
- Charged with heresy and corrupting youth, leading to his death sentence.
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Description
Explore the foundational concepts of philosophy, diving into its etymology derived from the Greek words meaning 'love of wisdom'. This quiz investigates the ultimate causes of both tangible and intangible aspects of reality, such as God, free will, and societal nature.
