Philosophy is a Greek word, meaning “love of wisdom”. It is the study of existence, morality, and truth. Philosophy was a way of trying to make sense of the world without guidance through religion. Instead of myths and legends, logic and reason were used to find answers. Through the writings of ancient Greek philosophers and…
According to Plato, the notion of justice is a person fulfilling his or her appropriate role in society and consequently giving back to society what is owed by them. On the other hand, Thrasymachus’ notion of justice is the survival of the fittest. Those who are stronger will overpower those less able to overcome them.…
The social status of women in ancient Greece was a very limited one, to say the least. In an era where women were little better than domestic slaves, there were few supporters of any kind of equality for them. One of these rare supporters, surprisingly, was none other than the great philosopher Plato. His great…
The Republic written by Plato examines many things. It mainly is about the Good Life. Plato seems to believe that the perfect life is led only under perfect conditions which is the perfect society. Within the perfect society, there would have to be justice. In the Republic, it seems that justice is defined in many…
The question is raised within the dialogue between Socrates and Crito concerning civil disobedience. Crito has the desire, the means, and many compelling reasons with which he tries to convince the condemned to acquiesce in the plan to avoid his imminent death. Though Crito’s temptation is imposing, it is in accord with reason and fidelity…
Metaphysics asks the question – ‘What is Reality?’ It examines the nature of existence; god; and whether we have free will The meaning of life What is the definition of a mind, a person, a soul What is the nature/relationship of substance – the physical form essence – the fundamental nature of the thing Rationalism…
What is the essential difference between belief, knowledge or true understanding? How can it be defined, what are its origins, and how is it attained? These questions are addressed in the subject of epistemology, the theory of knowledge. Much of the framework for developments in epistemology comes from the classical Greek thinkers, primarily Plato. Plato…
Substance can be most directly defined as what something is. Man is a substance, a horse is a substance and a rock is a substance. Going in-depth of the substance one is introduced to a secondary substance which is when something is in essence. For example, man has certain attributes to accentuate a man’s individuality.…
“Why does Plato compare ordinary human existence to that of chained prisoners in a cave?” The Allegory of the Cave is an allegory to evaluate a journey from darkness to light as the mind moves toward the Forms. The “cave” is considered the world of the five senses meaning we acquire our opinions through the…
Plato’s famous piece of literature, The Symposium, is striking with its speeches of love, or eros, which translates to desire. While eros will refer to love in this paper, Eros is also the name of the Greek god of love. A Symposium is a semi-formal banquet consisting of only men, followed by ceremonial toasts and…
Background Info – Plato Citizen of Athens (5th c.b.c.e) Rich, baking family Name means “broad shoulder one” Subject to the rule of the 30 tyrants Political life was corrupt To lead people back to eudaimonia → happiness or human flourishing Logon didonai – give account to what you say and do Dialogues – have a…
If good is to be rewarded and evil is to be punished, how do we define good and evil? Should we be obeying the law no matter what the content? What if the law itself is evil? The philosophers we will be looking at are a few of the influential thinkers of their day. Ancient,…
Ideas laid out in The Republic (380 BCE) Individual human beings are not self-sufficient- can’t acquire all necessities of life working alone Thus, form communities in which we work for common goals Goals better achieved if each person specializes in a specific role (farmer, carpenter, merchant etc.)- Each person should ONLY perform task for which…
Justice as Retribution Retributive justice is based on belief those who break the law should be punished severely Many who believe in this also believe that the punishment should fit the crime- long standing biblical principle: And he that killeth any man shall surely be put to death… And if a man cause a blemish…
Socrates 470-399 B.C,- NEVER wrote anything Gave philosophy its preeminent method- Socratic method or questioning (form of inquiry and debate between individuals with opposing viewpoints based on asking and answering questions to stimulate rational thinking and to illuminate ideas) Believed knowledge does not come from memorizing facts & repeating them True wisdom comes from being…
Introduction, Purposes and Approaches Social and political philosophers are concerned with defining and interpreting concepts like justice, freedom, authority and democracy in a modern context as well as in the past. These two branches of philosophy overlap so much they are usually treated as one area of philosophy. If there is an actual difference it…