Greek Philosophy
What is Philosophy?
“love of wisdom” Study of the fundamental nature of knowledge, reality and existence Greeks invented philosophy as a formal, systemic way of thinking Before, all attributed to the gods Greeks didn’t turn to their dieties to explain the origin of everything. STILL HAD RELIGION
3 Big Questions What is the world made of? (now, natural science) How can we know? (epistemology) What should we do? How should we behave? (morals)
Wisdom vs. Knowledge Wisdom = a way of thinking (“wise person”) Knowledge = the accumulation of information
Greeks built into Western civilization a tradition of CRITIQUE
PreSocratic Greeks Materialists - explained all natural phenomena in terms of one or more of the earth’s elements (water, earth, air and fire) Thales – first Western philosopher Water alone, not the gods, responsible for all changes in nature First time attributed events to nature, not gods Thales started Greek free discussion of ideas in public areas such as the agora, no longer limited to an educated elite or the priests.
Pythagoras - Universe is harmonious - All things can be placed in sequence, ordered and counted. - Discovered musical scale’s numerical ratio of frequencies (octaves) - Pythagorean theorem in geometry: ratio of sides of a right triangle
Protagoras – Sophist who taught reasoning to wealthy families - “Man is the measure of all things.” - people see themselves as the standard of beauty, or judge other things in relation to themselves - “sophists” = skilled debaters can defeat rational arguments – PLATO DISAGREED, SAYING THERE IS OBJECTIVE REALITY
The Big Three Socrates, his pupil Plato and then Aristotle Socrates - wrote nothing - executed for corrupting the youth - “Socratic Dialogue” - way of questioning to show that he and others didn’t really know anything
Plato - dedicated his life to defending his master’s teachings - What is the nature of knowledge & what means do we have of obtaining it? - What is morality & the best way to live? - Used dialogues, like Socrates - Allegory or Myth of the Cave: we see only copies of reality
Philosopher outside Cave in Sunlight
“shoes” - What is a shoe? - “shoe-ness” What is love? - I love my children. - football, a juicy hamburger, studying Greek philosophy, justice - Are these all the same?
Aristotle - based his ideas on close observation and thought, not on pure thought - a rival school of philosophy to Plato - no “shoe-ness” for Aristotle, just concrete actual shoes that you could see and touch.
Happiness is ultimate goal of human life. Humans are political as well as rational beings. A political community is essential for a fully human life and happiness.
Legacy Aristotle is a philosophical basis for Christian theology. Thomas Aquinas based much of his doctrine on Aristotle – remains offiical philosophical poistion of Roman Catholic Church
Raphael “The School of Athens”
Plato points up, the mind Aristotle points down and out: reality is here, among us, not in the mind Basis of Western intellectual tradition Video