Philosophy Before Quiz 4 PDF

Aquinas was a teacher Aquinas life: adult life always connects with the university He writes with he purpose of teaching a class Aquinus died in 1224, and in 1223 he stopped writing. He says all that I have written feels like straw to him. He realizes that the middle ages has reached its peak. He is...

Aquinas was a teacher Aquinas life: adult life always connects with the university He writes with he purpose of teaching a class Aquinus died in 1224, and in 1223 he stopped writing. He says all that I have written feels like straw to him. He realizes that the middle ages has reached its peak. He is the last medieval philosopher. Write the summa theology Structure of summa theologica - Goal of readings is for a debate to happen in class - Parts 1 two and 3. God goes out (1) and comes back (2,3) - Part 1 divided in 2 - Human acts in general, human acts in particular - Each article is divided into questions. Each question is divided into articles, usually 8, first 3. All articles start with a yes or no question. The goal is to answer the question with a yes or no. In each article Aquinas creates a debate. He starts with an objection (“it seems that”) lists people with authority who seem to object to the question. Then he provides his own thesis (“on the contrary”). Based on his thesis he will respond to all the objections. - Be careful not to mix up the others' objections with aquinas’ actual views. The great chain of being and the labyrinth connects to the movie greatly. The great chain of being: an image that helps you understand what medieval philosophy is. A visual metaphor for a divinely inspired universal hierarchy ranking all forms of higher and lower life, humans are represented by the male alone Concept of being emphasized, we can organize the universe because we all are beings - Men, women, minerals, plants, angels and demons,possess being. - That's why everything can be interconnected to god, the great chain/labber of being that connects everything, inferior underworld, to god (the source of all being). God possesses and delivers being, has created the world which gave being to other entities. We can connect humans to God because we all possess being. Aquinas says what he says because he is completely convinced that god is the source of human beings and is the reason they exist. Need to take this understanding as fact, can prove the existence of god because of metaphysical, not methodological proof. Chartres labyrinth - Labyrinth is a journey, represents a beginning and an end that sometimes gets closer to the center (god) and sometimes closer to the outside (evil) - Purpose of the labyrinth is to substitute pilgrimage. Pilgrimage given when you do a crime, if you can't do it then they have you do a labyrinth - Connect labyrinth with medieval times - Everything is connected to god, and therefore you can mediate your life and god walking in the labyrinth Aquinas- Summa Theologiae IA.1,1. 11/11/24 For aquinas: everything in the world is interconnected - Go from most general questions to most specific Is the existence of god self-evident? - Defines self-evident: the predicate is included in the meaning of the subject. Ex, snow is white, man is animal. - You don’t need to, the subject includes the predicate 2 types of self evidence - In itself though not to us - In itself and to us (man is animal - Says the existence of god is evident in itself though not to us - We can say god is self-evident using ontological argument (logical argument based on the idea of god). The concept of god means by definition the greatest being we can imagine. Greatest being implies that it not only exists mentally but actually as well. God not only exists in my mind but in actuality. In reality the greatest being would be god. This is why God is self-evident to us. For anyone, god implies the greatest being imaginable How can we prove God's existence? It needs to be demonstrated through things that are more known to use since god is self evident not to us You will have to believe the effects of something to prove that it is real. CAn it be demonstrated that god exists - Objections - God is an article of faith, you cannot prove it - Negative theology, we can’t say what god is but we can say what he is not - Proportions, attributes of god are infinite and we are finite, we can only understand things from our finite perspective and we therefore cannot capture the whole picture of an infinite god - On the contrary - Every effect depends upon its cause, if the effect exists, the cause must pre-exist. (if 1000 planes go to paris every year, paris must exist even though i've never been there) - Two types of demonstrations - Propter quid: through the causes - Quia: through the effects - Quia, effects to cause used to prove existence of god - The existence of god not being evident to us, can be demonstrated through effects that are known to us Quinquae viae - First effect we all see: we move and movement happens (plants growing, people growing - The unmoved mover: if everything moves, something must be moving it all. Everything has a reason to be - God is the source of all movement, evident in itself but not to us. At the beginning of all this movement there is an unmoved mover that moves it, that is what we call god - Argument of the first cause  - Everything that is caused is caused by something else, there must be an uncaused cause of all that is caused. Something at the beginning generated the cause of everything else - Argument of contingency - Many things in the universe. If something is necessary it cannot not exist. Contingent meaning not necessary, relies on something else. It is impossible for everything in the universe to be contingent as something cant come from nothing, and if traced back eventually there must have been one thing from which all others have came from - Argument from degree - The pinnacle of perfection from which lesser degrees of perfection are derived. There are degrees of perfection, not everything has the same degree. A stone is less perfect than the flame which is less perfect than the plant, ect - Teleological argument - Everything acts towards an end. There exists an intelligent being that guides all beings towards their end. God is evident in itself but not to us because we have to prove its existence. Question 1: the ultimate end of man in general Actions of man, actions you do without deliberation Only human actions, when you act with reason, only things you do with a purpose, then is when you are acting for an end Does acting for an end belong exclusively to those beings in nature that have reason - Natural desires in which there is reason, natural inclination done without reason. - Animals do not have reason and do things with natural inclinations - No, nature also acts towards an end (there is an unmoved mover that moves everything Are human acts specified by their end - What makes a thing to be the kind of thing it is - Yes, if the end is blameworthy, the act will be blameworthy.if the end is praiseworthy, the act will be praiseworthy\ Is there an ultimate end for human life - Yes, there cannot be infinite ends - Do we act for an end, yes. If there one ultimate end, yes Can a person have several ultimate ends - No, an ultimate end must be self-sufficient - Nature tends to one end, according to augustine - Since the end specifies the act, there can only be one end it specifies Does manwill all that he wills for an ultimate end - Yes, if we assume that everything is interconnected. Assume everything you do affects your end like the butterfly effect. Drinking water fulfils your ultimate end because it keeps you alive Is there an ultimate end for all men  - Not everyone agrees, they think what they do is for fame or glory or wealth. However Aquinas says that if they could see a broader vision then they would know that they are doing all that for an ultimate end. - For that reason, look to the spudios. You need exemplary people to see that you are going in the same direction DO other creatures share in this ultimate end (animals plants - Yes, but not in the same way - We share the object for the ‘sake of which’. anything that has no reason (plants, animals) also share the ultimate end not as an object for the sake of which, but for the ‘use’, the end by which - The medieval society has no strangers which i s why everyone has to believe in the same society 11/15/24 Question II In What Man’s Happiness Lies Aquinas is aristotelian. Nothing brings happiness except God, unlike aristotle. The most aristotelian element Teleological ethics, philosophy defined by the end and finality (telos is end). Ethics marked by ‘end’ element 4 external ends: wealth honor, fame, power External to internal goods Aquinas says money and wealth does not bring happiness because it is not final (no matter how much you make you will want more). Billionaires are super stressed Honor: does honor produce happiness, no bc its not final. Glory and fame: does that produce happiness, no bc its not final, and its unstable Power is a principle, not an end, so it won't bring happiness. Power is related to good and evil, and happiness can only come from the good. Not always is it used for good The external goods are not happiness The body (health and good looks), does nor produce happiness. The soul is above the body. The good looks and health is not an end in itself and therefore happiness cannot reside on that Pleasure does not bring happiness. Pleasure is an accident and a consequence of happiness. Therefore it is not final and cannot be happiness. Pleasure is related to senses, and senses are related to matter, and happiness can only come from the intellect. The senses push you to enjoy in an animalistic way cause they are connected to matter, don;t let you act intellectually/rationally Does happiness consist in the good of the soul - The end for the sake of which and one by which  - Object use by the sake of which and by which is - No because the object of your happiness is God and outside the soul. Only that object can provide happiness. Happiness is not a good of the soul because god is outside the soul - The use of happiness is something that belongs to the soul. When you contemplate god while seeing so - You can use some of the happiness that comes from contemplating god. When you connect to the divinity in moments of solitude, then you perceive and use god, you participate in the essense of god imperfectly Does man’s happiness consist in any created good? No. You get no happiness from laptops or boyfriends or family. According to Aquinas nothing in this world provides happiness. Definition of happiness: the perfect good which wholly brings desire to rest. God brings your desire to rest. Only god can bring the will to rest Being dead, you reach the closest place you can to god, you are happy Question 3: what is happiness 11/18/24 Division between created and uncreated happiness, the use and the object is the distinction between the two. The implications of two kings of happiness - One is perfect because it is in the object of our contemplation Is happiness something uncreated: it's both created and uncreated depending on if we look at the object or the use. The object God is pure happiness (final and self-sufficient) - Humans have an imperfect created happiness Question 2: is happiness an activity - Yes, complete happiness is an everlasting activity with god. Movement going from the possibility to the actuality (a baby is a possibility of a young adult, ect). In God there is pure actuality, no possibility. God does not change. God is happiness essentially, his being is the activity itself. God is happy just in itself, since he is actuality and will not get happier - However in the case of angels and humans, happiness is an activity that comes from the exterior. Angels are happy because they are constantly in the presence of god (the source of happiness). Humans have many distractions and they don’t constantly contemplate god, meaning they are not in a constant activity with god (having happiness) Question 3: is happiness an activity of the senses or of the intellect? (intellect independent from senses) - It is an activity of pure intellect, God is not in the senses around you. - Happiness can be experienced as preparation for perfect happiness and or consequently when you die and your intellect and soul will go to heaven and contemplate god, be happier. You have to prepare and relax to get in connection with God intellectually. Question 4: given that happiness is an activity of the intellect, is it intellect or will  - Happiness is something that happens in the mind. However when you are happy some delight also happens in your body, your will is also affected because if your body is delighted it can affect your will(the actions you choose to take). Happiness is an act of the intellect that can trickle down to your will. - Question 5: is happiness an activity of the speculative or practical intellect - Speculative happiness happens specifically in the speculative intellect. God is something you have to speculate Question6: does happiness consist in scientific knowledge - Human perfect happiness has to be with something above the human intellect or senses. Medieval idea that sciences are secondary to theology. Sciences are not based on first principles, metaphysical principles. Senses are unreliable, science is unreliable because it's reliant on observation. - God who is unmovable and perfect, therefore everything can be drawn from god who doesn't changes - Does not consist in scientific knowledge Question 7 - Human perfect happiness cannot come from angels because the angels are not pure happiness. Not the same as contemplating god Question 8 Does the happiness of man consist in the vision of the divine essence? - Yes, perfect happiness consists in the union with god, and vision of the divine essence. - Human happiness can only consist in knowledge of god. What brings us happiness is to see God as he is. A happy life is someone who contemplates god as much as they can - According to this monks are the happiest lives, they work and pray. They are mindful intellectually that everything aims to the ultimate end. The most perfect way of life is the one of the monks since everything is manufactured in the direction of making possible the contemplation of the divine essence of god Aquinas says changing your view of the world will influence your actions Socrates says good things and doing good actions will change your view of the world 11/20/24 Question 4: what is required for happiness When you are happy on earth you feel different from happiness in heaven (soul vs body) Is the light connected with happiness? THE IMPORTANT THING ABOUT DYING IS THE VISION OF THE DIVINE ESSENCE OF GOD> THERE IS JOY IN THE VISION BUT IT IS NOT PERFECTING THE VISION _ DELIGHT IS HAPPENING AT THE SAME TIME BUT IT IS NOT PERFECTING THE FACT THAT YOU ARE SEEING GOD Vision is more important than light< vision is perfect knowledge of the intelligible end> you can capture the whole essence of god just by seeing> the will Is comprehension necessary for happiness? - Yes, vision is comprehension. The ultimate end is intelligible. Do you have to do good things to be happy - Yes, if you are not a good person, then you are acting wrong and you won’t go to heaven, if your will doesn’t act correctly. You need the will before going to heaven, being monks and nuns is even better cause your will will be attuned in the direction of god - In heaven will and intellect go together, which is why the rectitude of the will is necessary for happiness Is the body necessary for happiness? - Yes for imperfect, no for perfect happiness. For perfect happiness the soul can be happy without the body Do we need the perfection of the body for happiness? - Yes, you need the perfection of the body before going to heaven. aAuinas believes people will resurrect with our bodies later, since it is natural for the soul to be united with the body Are external goods needed for happiness? - Yes for imperfect happiness, no for perfect happiness Do you need friends to be happy - Yes for imperfect happiness, no for perfect happiness. Humans have in god all the To do: - Name of the rose: people are killed in the abbey. Everyone knows Aquinas and aristotle. The monks think scholastically (like aquinas) - Final exam: illustration, personal comments, direct quotations - Explain what have you learned during the semester - Explain in 10 minutes Doodle: what is your definition of philosophy? Philosophy is nuanced, depends how you look at the world - Plato and aristotle have opposing views of what is philosophy Pierre hadot chapter 1 What is the opinion of pierre hadot Puts in order chronologically the philosophers, most important western philosophers, difference between greek written philosophy period, vs latin Before socrates the first philosophers, there's natural philosophers Other schools of philosophy apart form plato and aristotle: skeptics, epicureans, synics The key element of philosophy, philosophy, its rupture with daily life. Something that stops/breaks your life (not wanting it, but it can happen). Or you can look for a break/retreat in your life Atopos: the rupture in your life makes you “without a place, unclassifiable”. People always are trying to define themselves, their identity Rupture pushed you to undefine yourself “To be in love with wisdom which is foreign to the world makes a philosopher a stranger in it” being a philosopher is not comfortable, makes you a stranger. Philosophers generate conflict (they have to live in the world without being in the world) How do the different philosophies try to manage this conflict? Platonists envision the world cut into two realms, and solve the conflict. They try to understand the conflict by applying and creating a philosophy to explain the uncomfortability, why they are not fit in the world Aristotle solves the conflict by creating a complete structure whose goal is to find the telos, in the world where it is difficult to find yourself, he tries to frame the uncomfortability by providing an ‘end’/telos, also depicts the best way to get to the end which is through virtue Cynics want to live in their own society Skeptics (hipsters) play with the system, they feel atopos and refuse the system while only taking elements they think are perfect (only will take the best to refuse the capitalistic system) Epicureans (hippies) want to recreate the world only emphasizing pleasure and Stoics feel atopos, solution is controlling themselves and the elements that can destabilize their lives. Philosophy is not theoretical knowledge but a form of life, and can't be learned in class/book. Philosophy is a way to face and behave in the world. All traditions of philosophy try to find self-control (practice) - All philosophies say philosophy is an exercise of self control, as well as meditation. To live your life fully you need to meditate, meditate to memorise and assimilate the dogmas of the school. Learn and use dogmas to see the world differently. Meditating about death is important, to think about your death and the end of your life, the biggest rupture of your life, when you become unclassifiable. The ultimate conflict of your life is to die. Important to meditate about what the purpose of your life is. The best way to think about your life is to think about your death. In any moment you can die, help - Also meditate on the present moment, live your life as you want to. Philosophy is to live your life. A good life meditates, takes control (self control) and has a perspective of the world The closest things to philosophy are yoga, meditation, and the gym.