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Questions and Answers
Which philosopher advocated for Empiricism and believed that knowledge originates from sense experience?
The self, according to Gilbert Ryle, is separate from the body.
False
What are the three components of the psyche as developed by Sigmund Freud?
Id, Ego, Superego
Maurice Merleau-Ponty advocated for a materialistic view of the mind, which suggests that only __________ exists.
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Match the philosophers with their key ideas:
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Which philosopher is known for the Socratic Method?
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Plato believed the physical world is the ultimate reality.
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What does the phrase 'Cogito ergo sum' mean?
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According to Socrates, the care of the soul is the task of __________.
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Match the philosophers to their significant contributions:
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What did René Descartes emphasize as a principle tool of inquiry?
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John Locke's definition of self includes elements of sensory experiences.
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What are the three parts of the soul according to Plato?
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Study Notes
Socrates
- Shaped Western thought through his questioning method
- Known for the Socratic Method which tests an idea by asking a series of questions to determine underlying beliefs
- Accused of impiety and corrupting the youth, which resulted in his death sentence
- Never wrote anything, knowledge is through second-hand information
- Believed the care of the soul is the task of philosophy
- Considered self-knowledge important for improving your life
- "The unexamined life is not worth living"
Plato
- Student of Socrates
- Wrote the Socratic Dialogue
- Known for his Theory of Forms which asserts the physical world is not real
- Believed the soul is the divine aspect of the human being
- The soul consists of three parts: Appetitive (sensual), Rational (reasoning), and Spirited (feeling)
St. Augustine
- One of the most significant Christian thinkers
- Influenced by Plato’s ideas, including the "self" as an immaterial soul
- Believed that Forms exist as concepts within the perfect and eternal God
- Believed the soul is capable of scientific thinking, and holds the Truth
- The self is an inner, immaterial “I.”
- The soul is distinct from the body, but they are connected
- God is only clear to the mind if one tunes into his/her immaterial self
René Descartes
- Considered the father of modern Western philosophy
- Emphasized the use of reason to understand natural phenomena
- Proposed doubt as a principal tool of disciplined inquiry
- Hyperbolical/metaphysical doubt: a systematic process of being skeptical about truth
- "Cogito ergo sum" ("I think, therefore I am")—asserted the body cannot be the foundation for knowledge
- Believed the thinking entity (soul) could exist without the body
- The thinking entity is the source of our identity
John Locke
- Enlightenment thinker
- Expanded the definition of "self" to include memories
- Believed the "self" is identified with consciousness and memory
- Memories provide a continuity of experience that allows one to identify himself/herself as the same person over time
David Hume
- Fierce opponent of Descartes' Rationalism
- Advocate of Empiricism—believed that knowledge originates from sense experience
- Bundle Theory: The self is a collection of different perceptions
- Believed that the self does not have a permanent essence or identity
Immanuel Kant
- Central figure in modern philosophy
- Believed the human mind creates the structure of human experience
- Transcendental self: the self is not in the body
- Knowledge bridges the self and the material world
Sigmund Freud
- Influential thinker of the 20th century
- Developed psychoanalysis
- Believed the psyche is a complex structure with three components: Id (operates on pleasure principle), Ego (operates on reality principle), Superego (incorporates the morals of society)
Gilbert Ryle
- Critiqued Descartes' idea of the mind as distinct from the body
- Rejected the notion of a separate mental world
Paul Churchland
- Advocated for a materialistic view of the mind—believed that only matter exists
- Eliminative Materialism: the claim that folk psychology (common-sense understanding of the mind) is false
- The brain, and not an immaterial mind, gives us our sense of self
Maurice Merleau-Ponty
- Emphasized the body as a place of knowing
- Believed in an embodied subjectivity--the body is an essential part of the self
- Rejected the Cartesian mind-body dualism, believing the mind and body are intrinsically connected
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Description
Test your knowledge on the foundational figures of Western philosophy: Socrates, Plato, and St. Augustine. Explore their ideas, methods, and influence on the development of philosophical thought, including the Socratic Method and the Theory of Forms. This quiz covers their beliefs on the soul, knowledge, and the essence of existence.
