PHILOSOPHY: MIDTERM LECTUREPrepared by: Raizza P. Corpuz

ANCIENT EPOCH

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TRIUMVIRATE IN ANCIENT PHILOSOPHY

SOCRATES

PLATO

ARISTOTLE (FATHER OF PHILOSOPHY

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• SocratesThe Socratic Method

DIALECTIC: A method of seeking truththrough a series of questions and answers.

The Socratic method is a “dialectic” methodteaching.

To solve a problem, it is broken down into aseries of questions, the answers to whichgradually distill the answer a person wouldseek.

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Socrates

Ethics

Socrates' primary concern in philosophy was, “How should we live?”

3 Questions

What is good?

What is right?

What is just (justice)?

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SocratesEthicsSocrates' ethics

assumes that Education is the key to living an ethical life.

No one desires evil.No one errs or does wrong willingly or knowingly.Virtue—all virtue—is knowledge.

Virtue = positive moral behavior

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Plato

Socrates' Student

Founded the Academy –First institution for higher education

First Western philosopher whose writings have survived

Most of what we know about Socrates comes from Plato's writings

Agreed with Pythagoras that Mathematics were essential in understanding the world

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WILL

Plato

EthicsHumans are made of 3 conflicting elements:

Passions

Intellect

Will

Most people live life allowing the PASSIONS, INTELLECT and WILL to be in conflict with one another.

INTELLECT PASSIONS

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Plato

Ethics

Ideal living is when the INTELLECT controls the PASSIONS through the WILL

INTELLECT

WILL

PASSIONS

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Plato

Metaphysics

Reality can be divided into two realms:

The Visible World

Forms - Ideas

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PlatoMetaphysics

The Visible WorldLower - Imperfect

World experienced by our senses

Physical

Bound by Space and Time

Always changing

Always “becoming”

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PlatoMetaphysics

Realm of Forms-IdeasHigher - Perfect

ULTIMATE REALITY

Not accessible to our senses

Non-Physical

Not Bound by Space and Time

Never Changing

Always “is”

HORSE

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Plato's Cave

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CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF PLATO’S ALLEGORY OF THE CAVE (SW)

BASED ON THE VIDEO CLIP: Answer the ffg:

Answer it in BRIEF, CONCISE and SHORT manner.

1. What is your own perception of the Allegory of the Cave?

2. What symbol represents the said thought of Plato in his Allegory that you can relate to your daily existence?

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PlatoPolitics: The Ideal Republic

Philosophically Aware Rulers (Governing Class)

Police Class

(Protective Class)

General Population

(Worker Class)

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Aristotle (384-322 BCE)

RPCorpuxz 2013

Aristotle (384-322 BCE)• The “real” or “encyclopaedists” or “inspired

common sense” or “the prince of those who know”

• Studied under Plato at the Academy

• Son of a Macedonian doctor, returned home to become the teacher of Alexander of Macedon for three years, beginning in 343 BCE

• Later returned to Athens to open

school called the Lyceum in 335 BCE

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Aristotle

Logic

3 Areas of LearningTheoretical

Practical

Productive

Logic is a Tool underlying all learning

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AristotleLogic

CategoriesSets the boundary of terms

Essential in forming an argument

Dogs PugsAnimals

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Aristotle

The 4 Causes To really “know” something you need to know the causes of it.

Example:

What is a house?

Material CauseThe “materials” that make up the thing.

Bricks are the material cause of a Brick House

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Material CauseInsufficiency of the Material Cause

The materials that make up a thing are not the same as the thing itself.

A pile of Bricks is not a HouseSome things can be made of different

materials. Houses can be made of Bricks or Wood or Metal.

Formal CauseThe FORM of the thing. The pattern, shape, characteristics of a thing.Not the same as Plato's idea of Forms, i.e. no realm of forms.The Form does not have an existence apart from the thing as in Plato's concept of Forms

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Efficient CauseThe cause that changes the materials into the thing.

The Tools/Instruments used to create the thing.

Final CauseThe reason, purpose or goal of a thing. Ex. The purpose of a house is to shelter a people.

Final Cause is evidence of an Intelligent Designer who provides things with purposeTeleology – Nature Intelligent Design Prepared by RPC2014

Acquired by Habit

Not innate

Habit develops a disposition to act virtuously

The Golden Mean: Mid-point between 2 extremes

Courage

Cowardice RECKLESNESS

Ethics: Virtues

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Ethics: Virtuous LifeKnow what is Right

Do what is Right

Practical Wisdom - Make Right Decisions based on Good Reasons

Contemplation of the Best things NOT just Good things – Good is the enemy of the Best

Motivation for Doing Anything is Flourishing (Full -Meaningful)

A key theme in Aristotle's thought is

that happiness is the goal of life.

Eudaimoniaor Happiness

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“We are what we repeatedly do.

Excellence, then, is not an act,

but a habit. ... At his best,

man is the noblest of all

animals; separated from law

and justice he is the worst.”

(Aristotle, 384 - 322 B.C.)

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THANK YOU!Some excerpt:Slideshare.com

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