Phil assignment 5

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PHILOSOPHY 1001 – PPT3

SEGMENT 2
METAPHYSICS
CLASSICAL AGES (500BC-400AD)
BEGINNING OF GREEK THOUGHT

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SEGMENT 2 – TIME FRAME
CLASSICAL AGES, 500BCE- 400CE
GRECO-ROMAN ERA

  • Pre-Socratics -600BCE to Socrates (c) 450BCE
  • 500BCE- 300BCE Golden Age of Greece
  • Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, 470-322 BCE
  • Hellenistic Era 300BCE-100BCE
  • Roman era 100BCE-400CE
  • Rise of Christianity 100CE- on

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TERMS TO KNOW

  • Pre-Socratic/ Natural Philosophers
  • Relativism
  • Materialism
  • Sophists
  • Metaphysics
  • Absolutism
  • Platonic Dialogue; Socratic: (1) method, (2) problem, (3) irony
  • Theory of the forms
  • Being World/ Becoming World
  • Forms
  • Idealism
  • Recollection
  • Allegory of the Cave
  • Dualism
  • Teleological
  • Four causes; Material, Formal, Efficient, Final
  • Eudemonia
  • Golden Mean

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Raphael of Urbino (1483-1520) School of Athens

BEGINNING OF GREEK THOUGHT

Through study of natural world/phenomena, Greeks begin to seek natural explanations to understand world instead of supernatural/mythical. Their natural world investigation leads back to philosophical questions.

Transitory/impermanent nature of life

What is meaning and purpose of life?

Is there one foundational substance/idea that makes everything else make sense?

Is there another world/reality behind the one seen?

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Miletus

Ephesus


(Not much of their writing to go on) all dates below are BCE

Thales (Miletus) 624-545 “first Philosopher” math/statesmen- water; the underlying substance

Pythagoras – (Samos) 570-490 Mathematics, music, soul/ reincarnation (influences Plato)

Xenophanes 570-475 “Can we know the truth of something we haven’t seen ourselves?”

Heraclitus- 540-480 “Can’t step in same river twice”

(Impasses like Heraclites/Parmenides produce skepticism but also new directions)

Parmenides- 540-515 - Change is illusion (all things illusion; appearance v reality)

Zeno (of Elea) 490-430 Paradoxes

Democritus- 460-370 – Father of Atomic science-(“A-tom” -that which can’t be divided)

Anaxagoras 500-428 - The point of being born? “To study the universe”

Empedocles- 4 Elements – earth, wind, fire, water- “5th element” – Quintessential

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Pre-Socratics or Natural Philosophers

Turning from mystical explanations or reliance on “authority” to “scientific” explanations. (Question of authority dealt with again in modern ages.) Natural = atheist, Socrates accused of this.

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Protagoras 490-420 – “Man in the measure of all things”

- Dialogue, “The Protagoras” debate/discussion between Socrates and Protagoras

Pre-Socratic era started with looking for the ultimate truth but ended with these conclusions

a. Pessimism – pessimistic that there was any truth

b. Skepticism- not possible to know anything, but also not willing to accept anything they couldn’t see for themselves

c. Relativism- (key concept) There is not universal or ultimate truth.

“Truth” is simply dependent on the perspective of the viewer.

d. Materialism (key concept) Physical matter -is all there is.

(There is only one kind of reality- physical matter.)

Question -

  • If man (humanity) is not the measure of all things, what is?

  • Absolutism – absolute/eternal truth does exist

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Relativism- if we see a boulder, we might say, “its big” but it is big only relative to what we think big is- ourselves. But is a 30’ high boulder big compared to the moon? So, is there one universal measuring stick to not only measure boulders but also justice and goodness etc.? If not, then Man is the measure of all things.

SOPHISTS

  • The pessimism, relativism, materialism of Pre-Socratics gives rise to the Sophists. (e.g. Protagoras ) who dominate Greek world of thinking as Socrates emerges. By the end of the Pre-Socratic era, Athens has become the center of Greek philosophical world. Sophists- public speakers and teachers
  • Thrasymachus- c. 427 “might makes right”
  • Antiphon- “Orator” Conventional law often conflicts with the way things are naturally and brings more pain-hedonist.
  • Callicles – Nature picks the strong- they should rule and benefit from their strength like a lion in nature- egoism. Sophist era – backdrop for Socrates to rise

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SOCRATES, PLATO, ARISTOTLE
THE GOLDEN AGE OF GREECE

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SOCRATES

I. Socrates (470-399 BC)

Enters stage against backdrop of skeptical sophism

  • Father of Western Philosophy
  • “The unexamined life is not worth living.”
  • Brings philosophy back to earth – how life is lived-

ethical philosophy

  • We know Socrates through Plato- Platonic dialogues
  • Socratic problem – Socratic Method- Socratic Irony
  • Influence on Plato

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Socrates is later accused of being a natural philosopher = atheist

SOCRATES’ DEATH

  • Accused of corrupting youth/dishonoring gods-
  • Dialogue, “The Apology” - Socrates long defense –
  • Defends self against atheism charge i.e. not a natural philosopher- says he is God’s messenger
  • Thinks he should be fed every night for service he renders to young
  • Dialogue, “Crito” - Crito tries to talk him out of dying - he says no because he is old and exile will be worse and his integrity is at stake
  • Dialogue, “Phaedo” - group gathered around Socrates in prison, discusses theory of forms – embraces death looking forward to next life
  • Death by drinking Hemlock

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PLATO

II. Plato (427-347 BC) (Miller Ch. 3)

  • Incredible contributions to learning and history
  • The “Academy” school – 1000years
  • Creative writer and thinker
  • First Philosopher with a system-
  • 2 worlds or realms of reality
  • the “idea” of forms
  • Allegory of the Cave

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METAPHYSICS

What is the true nature or essence of things?

How do things come to be and what causes them?

What is real?

Is there a reality above the physical?

Metaphysics- Meta= above Physics= physical world

Why is this important, or is it important?

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PLATO’S THEORY OF THE FORMS – IDEALISM

  • Why would Plato think there were two realms

of reality? Why might he need to?

  • Plato’s two tiered (realms) system of reality

  • Being World (above/transcendent)

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-Becoming World (below/physical visible world)

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  • Being World (above/transcendent world)

Unchanging

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Changing

Becoming World (below/ physical visible world)

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  • What is this?

  • It is a picture of a tree, not a “real” tree.
  • Plato: Trees we perceive in Becoming world are actually “pictures” of the true tree-the form of tree- that exists in the Being World.

  • “pictures” = inferior shadow of the true reality

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  • Being World (above/transcendent)

Unchanging

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Changing

  • Becoming World (below/ physical visible world)

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Form of tree

Essence of tree comes from Form

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FORMS – SO WHAT?

Being World (above/transcendent world)

Unchanging Justice!

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Changing

Justice!

Becoming World (below/ physical visible world)

  • (though we don’t see perfect justice in the changing world, the theory of forms helps understand why we long for it and justifies pursuing it. )

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PREEXISTENCE, RECOLLECTION AND ULTIMATE ENLIGHTENMENT

  • Being World (above/transcendent world)

Unchanging

Pre-existent Soul Ultimate Good

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Recollection

Changing

  • Becoming World (below/ physical visible world)
  • (souls know forms from pre-existence, recollect forms in changing world, drawn toward the ideal, ultimate good.)

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ALLEGORY OF THE CAVE

  • Human beings can’t see reality without the light of reason
  • Human existence is a limitation to enlightenment

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PLATO- FURTHER THOUGHTS

  • Theory of the ideas/forms/idealism
  • Becoming world progressing toward ultimate good
  • Material world is changing, souls are eternal
  • Plato’s system:
  • Protects absolute values i.e. Justice
  • Deals with Relativism of Sophists and Pre-Socratics
  • Political theory- Philosopher Kings
  • Places high importance on reasoning and education
  • Promoted education for women
  • Platonic relationship- not romantic since the sensual is inferior
  • Your human nature doesn’t change
  • Influenced St. Augustine (among many others)

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ARISTOTLE

Aristotle (384-322 BC)

  • From Macedonia- to Athens at age 17 to study with Plato
  • Returned home after Plato died to tutor Alexander
  • Started Lyceum-(335BCE) lasted 800 years
  • Fled Athens when Macedonians fell out of favor
  • Credited with enormous amount of study and writing
  • Many subjects – plant classifications still used
  • Compare and contrast study model
  • Public speaking- rhetoric – study of persuasion
  • Philosophy- Ethics
  • Great influence on Islam, Christianity, Judaism – Thomas Aquinas
  • Provides structure of learning that carries into the Modern ages. (Though don’t now agree with conclusions, his influence great like e.g. Freud. Francis Bacon marks a turning point in rejecting Aristotelian structure.)

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ARISTOTLE AND FORMS

  • Aristotle rejects Plato’s theory
  • How can you prove “Being” world?
  • How can you prove anything you

can’t perceive in physical realm?

  • The problem of Dualism
  • How do the two realms inter-act?
  • A perennial philosophy problem
  • For Aristotle- the form is in the thing – not in other realm
  • Is a pile of building materials a house?
  • Only when put together in a certain way.

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FOUR CAUSES

Four Causes- how things change/come into being (maybe change is an illusion?) (“Cause” not necessarily an event, more like a “why?” )

(Plato – two causes; matter and form)

Ex. A table

  • Material cause – physical substance- wood
  • Formal cause- table- the “form” – the blue print
  • Efficient cause- carpenter- moves or changes form of the table into a table
  • Final cause – purpose or function– Telos- (the table, in a sense, was in the material from the beginning. )

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FOUR CAUSES – PEOPLE

  • Material cause – physical substance- physical body
  • Formal cause- the form – your soul
  • Efficient cause- your parents
  • Final – purpose or function– Telos- to use reason to contemplate the greatness of life

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ARISTOTLE’S ETHICS- EUDEMONISTIC

Everything has a Telos- a good purpose or function it is moving toward- to thrive

Like Plato, Aristotle thinks there is an ultimate good – eudemonia, happiness, that we are heading toward

Virtue; seeking our purpose with excellence is how to find happiness. -developed by reason, habit and self discipline.

Since everything is moving toward thriving, it is simply “natural” to not hinder someone or something from prospering and it is natural to do that which promotes thriving. So, natural law (natural ethics) is doing that which promotes thriving and does not hinder it.

Golden mean – no moral absolutes – moral virtue is the means between extremes. Human appetites are good if controlled by reason- so be moderate in all things. (More about this in Virtue Ethics.)

(Moral education important to Plato and Aristotle)

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TERMS TO KNOW

  • Pre-Socratic/ Natural Philosophers
  • Relativism
  • Materialism – only one reality, physical matter
  • Sophists
  • Metaphysics – study of reality
  • Absolutism – objective truth exists
  • Platonic Dialogue; Socratic method, problem, irony
  • Theory of the forms
  • Being World/ Becoming World
  • Forms
  • Idealism
  • Recollection
  • Allegory of the Cave
  • Dualism – two realms of reality
  • Teleological – purpose or function
  • Four causes; Material, Formal, Efficient, Final
  • Eudemonia - happiness
  • Golden Mean

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THINGS TO KNOW

  • What does Pre-Socratic mean? Can you name the Pre-Socratic philosophers listed in this power-point and what they are known for?
  • Who were the Sophists and what did they think?
  • Can you describe the basic aspects of Plato’s theory of the forms?
  • Can you discuss what Aristotle thought about Plato’s theory of the forms?
  • What were the basic questions the early philosophers were trying to answer?
  • What are the Socratic method and the Socratic problem?
  • Can you describe Aristotle’s Ethics

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  • Socrates
  • The gadfly

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RAPHAEL

OF URBINO

(1483-1520)

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DIOGENES OF SINOPE

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  • Heraclitus
  • Can’t step in

same river twice

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Center Stage

Who are they?

How can you tell?

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