Term
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Definition
| the study of the origin of words and their evolution |
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Term
| What is the technical definition of ‘philosophy?’ |
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Definition
- the analysis of concepts
- the production and evaluation of arguments
- the application of 1 and 2 to fundamental questions such as what is knowledge?, what is ultimate reality?, what is justice?, etc. |
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Term
| What is the etymological definition of ‘philosophy?’ |
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Definition
| love of wisdom or "doing the truth" |
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Term
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Definition
| a series of propositions put forward |
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Term
| What is a deductive argument? |
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Definition
| an argument who's conclusion follows from necessity, must be true |
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Term
| What is an inductive argument? |
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Definition
| an argument who's conclusion follows by probability, might be true |
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Term
| What were the two major crimes Socrates was accused of at his trial? |
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Definition
- corrupting youth
- impiety- worshiping false gods |
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Term
| What specific reasons or arguments did Socrates give to defend himself against these accusations? |
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Definition
- he claims to not think himself an expert in anything
- he is not charging people to "teach" them, therefore he is not a teacher |
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Term
| What is Socrates’ philosophical method? Explain how it works and what it ultimately results in. |
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Definition
- Dialogue
- Refutation
- Puzzlement - by the end, no one knows what is right or wrong |
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Term
| In terms of Socrates’ religious experience, explain what an oracle is and what a daimonion or daemon is. How are they similar and how are they different? |
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Definition
- oracle- church w/ a priestess who talks to God on your behalf
- diamon- "demon", voices in Socrates' head
- both oracle and diamon considered to be good and knowledgeable by Socrates |
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Term
| What are the two maxims or inscriptions carved into the pillars at the Delphic oracle? How does Socrates embody or live out these maxims? |
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Definition
- "Know Thyself" -Socrates knows he knows nothing
- "Nothing in Excess" - Socrates is not proud |
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Term
| What reasons does Socrates give to not fear death? Can you point to a weakness in the argument? Are there any strengths? |
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Definition
- "to be afraid of death is to think one is wise"
- fear is an object - death itself
- death must have fearful characteristics (pain, fear of the unknown)
- it is either a neverending dreamless sleep (quiet release) or a migration of the soul |
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Term
| What is pride? Who are proud and what can be done for them? |
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Definition
- hubris- excessive self-confidence, overestimation of one's abilities
- politicians
- can be taught humility |
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Term
| What is pride? Who are proud and what can be done for them? |
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Definition
- hubris- excessive self-confidence, overestimation of one's abilities
- politicians
- can be taught humility |
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Term
| Explain the analogy of the “gadfly.” |
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Definition
| Socrates is a gadfly, pest to society. Society is a bunch of sleeping horses, unaware of what is happening around them. Socrates is there to bug them and wake them up and make them aware. |
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Term
| Explain the connection between knowledge and action for Socrates. If someone harms another, what are they guilty of? What should be done with the ‘guilty’ one? |
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Definition
| For Socrates, action follows upon knowledge necessarily. In other words, to know what is right means one will automatically do what is right. Thus, ignorance is the root cause of evil or wrongdoing. So, if someone harms another they are guilty of being ignorant and they need to be educated or taught, not confined or killed. |
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Term
| Who is Phaedo and why does he a have a dialogue named after him? |
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Definition
- one of Socrates' students
- present at his deathbed
- told the story to others not present at the scene |
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Term
| Give some concrete examples of possible ways or exercises in which a person could practice death on a daily basis. |
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Definition
| living a good life to ensure entrance to the Realm of Forms |
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Term
| In this Earthly plane of existence, what is the immediate goal of the art of practicing death? |
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Definition
| to train and habituate the soul to prepare to separate from the body |
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Term
| What is the ultimate goal of this practice of death and dying? |
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Definition
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Term
| Why would a person not be able to enter the realm of the Forms in the afterlife? |
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Definition
| not being able to let go of the body, living a hateful life |
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Term
| What would happen to a person who could not enter the realm of the Forms? |
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Definition
- reincarnation
- relearn all knowledge (no recollection from Realm) |
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Term
| When and where can a person attain wisdom? |
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Definition
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Term
| Give a brief sketch of Plato’s two-world ontology (theory or science of being or what is, reality)? |
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Definition
| Plato’s two-world ontology is a theory about what exists, about what constitutes reality. According to Plato, reality consists of two distinct realms or spheres of existence, the bodily or Earthly realm, characterized by imperfection and mutability, and the realm of the Forms. The Forms are intelligible (or spiritual), perfect, unchanging and eternal realities that cause the things of this physical universe to exist. Thus, the things of this world merely 'approximate' the original Forms, that is, they are derivative imperfect copies of perfect originals. |
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Term
| What is Plato’s theory of recollection? How does it help to explain the existence of the Forms? |
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Definition
| Plato’s theory of recollection is an answer to the “learner’s paradox,” which states that we cannot search for what we know or for what we do not know. As a solution to this paradox, Plato argues that we learn by remembering what we once know but have since forgotten. In other words, learning anything in this bodily existence here on Earth is actually just recollecting what we always already knew from our soul’s past life or pre-existence in the realm of the Forms which has since become obscured in the process of “falling” from that realm to this one. As evidence for this, Plato provides the example of ‘equality.’ As humans we are aware that any two equal things, be they sticks or stones, are only approximately equal. But to be able to make this judgment we must first have had an idea of perfect equality by which to measure how far the pair of equal sticks falls short of absolute perfection. Since there are no physical instances of perfect equality in this embodied existence, Plato infers that the idea must have been encountered in the non-physical realm of the Forms before our birth. |
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Term
| Examine the argument from opposites. What does it assume about the human soul? |
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Definition
- opposites come from opposites
- death from life and life from death
- the human soul is immortal and constantly moving |
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Term
| What is the “learners paradox”? |
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Definition
- how can something be learned if one does not know where to start?
- people are born with basic instincts which we use to learn |
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Term
| For Plato, could there be something like perfect or pure love in this Earthly life? Why or why not? (Here you must apply what you know about Plato's philosophy to a novel case). |
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Definition
- no, we do things to please the body
- love is succumbing to bodily desires |
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Term
| Can knowledge be attained in this life for Plato? Why or why not? |
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Definition
- no
- we learn in the Forms and recollect on Earth
- it will always be tainted and imperfect |
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Term
| What is the last thing Socrates does before he's executed? Why is this significant? |
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Definition
- tells everyone that they should offer an animal sacrifice to the God of Medicine
- he is cured of the disease of life |
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Term
| What can the cause of suffering be traced to? |
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Definition
| ignorance and selfish craving |
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Term
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Definition
the elimination of ignorance and selfishness
- ANATMAN
- MOKSHA
- SAMSARA |
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Term
| What is the bodhisattva and what does he/she do? |
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Definition
- a would-be Buddha
- teaches Buddhism |
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Term
| What are the three characteristic facts of being, i.e., reality? |
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Definition
- transitory
- misery
- lacking in ego |
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Term
| What are the four noble truths? |
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Definition
- all life is pain
- the cause of pain is desire
- cessation of pain
- that which leads to the cessation of pain is the eightfold path |
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Term
| What is the eightfold path? |
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Definition
- right views
- right intention
- right speech
- right action
- right livelihood
- right effort
- right mindfulness
- right concentration |
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Term
| What does one who is ‘fully awakened’ delight in? |
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Definition
- putting humanity before self-interest
- lacking ego |
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Term
| Briefly summarize the Buddhist view of happiness. |
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Definition
- hating no one, compassion
- embracing Dharma, no fear
- no disease
- basic necessities of life
- no competition
- committing good deeds
- avoid hatred and sorrow |
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Term
| True or False: The historical Buddha is viewed as a god. |
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Definition
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Term
| What does the Sanskrit word ‘Buddha’ mean? |
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Definition
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Term
| When was the Buddha born? |
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Definition
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Term
| What were the four ‘signs’ sent from the gods that motivated Siddhartha to begin his spiritual quest? |
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Definition
- an old man
- a sick person
- a corpse
- a monk |
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Term
| Briefly describe the ‘middle way.’ |
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Definition
| choosing to live neither too selfless or selfishly, living to survive |
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Term
| Briefly explain the ‘three jewels of Buddhism.' |
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Definition
- Buddha, Dharma, Sangha
- the teacher, the teachings, and the followers |
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Term
| Provide an interpretation / explanation of the Zen story about ‘Heaven and Hell.’ |
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Definition
| The monk taught the samurai about Heaven and Hell by teaching him how you attain both, good and evil. |
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Term
| What is “virtue” for Aristotle? Provide an example that illustrates his definition. |
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Definition
- arriving at the mean b/w extremes according to reason
- acts which we are naturally born to do and are formed through habit
- a builder building
- stone cannot fall up, it's habit is to fall down |
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Term
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Definition
- telos- goal, end
- logon- essence, rational, intellect
- spirit, appetite, temperance |
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Term
| According to Aristotle, what is the “telos” of a human being? Why does he think this? |
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Definition
- telos- goal
- telos of people is catharsis - performing one's function or fulfilling their purpose
- everything has a purpose/function |
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Term
| List and explain the four cardinal virtues. |
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Definition
- prudence (wisdom)
- temperance (moderation)
- fortitude (courage)
- justice (harmony of 3 virtues) |
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Term
| What is “character” and how does a person attain it according to Book II of the Ethics? |
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Definition
- becoming who you are
- being just with a knowledge of just and doing it justly |
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Term
| What would a happy human life require for Aristotle? |
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Definition
virtue
- leisure, basic necessities of life, luck, *contemplation* in isolation |
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Term
| How are we “akin to the gods” according to Aristotle? How should we act because of this kinship with the divine? |
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Definition
- reason, intellect
- we must make ourselves immortal and strain every nerve to live in accordance w/ what is best in us |
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Term
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Definition
| no self, no ego, one with everything |
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Term
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Definition
| liberation, freedom from samsara |
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Definition
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