Philosophy

Greek thinkers intensely curious

What is the nature of the world? What is the meaning of life? What is justice? What is truth? What is beauty? What is wisdom? How should people be governed?

A Greek word From “philo”

meaning love of And “sophy”

meaning wisdom So a philosopher is

a lover of wisdom

Another word using “philo”

Philadelphia: City of Brotherly Love

First Greek philosoper

Thales of Miletus(600BC)

Rejected the belief that gods controlled the universe

Observed that the universe was governed by natural laws

People could use their reason to understand these laws

The Sophists Not interested in physical

world Professional teachers Prized public speaking

and ability to argue clearly

Main concern was how to achieve political success

Pythagoras Greek philosophers

studied all areas of human knowledge

Students of geometry know his famous theorem

Believed that the entire world could be explained by numbers

Socrates Lived in Athens (469 to

399 BC) Championed the use of

reason alone in search for truth and knowledge

Left no writing Spent his days in street

of Athens teaching anyone who would listen

Accepted no pay “Know thyself”

More on Socrates

Taught his students to know themselves and examine their deepest beliefs

Developed the SOCRATIC METHOD of teaching helping students to learn by asking questionsthat lead them to draw their own conclusions about information

Taught his students to question everything and tothink for themselves

Sentenced to death in 399 BC for “teaching false religion and corrupting the youth of Athens.”

Plato Wrote down everything

Socrates said Left Athens after

Socrates’ death Set up a school called

the Academy, a school of mathematics and philosophy

Written works in the form of dialogues

Wrote one of first works of political science called “The Republic”

Political Philosophy

Asks a fundamental question:

What kind of government SHOULD we have?

Democracy…also a Greek word

Demos….majorityCracy…to rule

Plato

Put the BEST people in charge Test people when they are 3-4 to

find out how smart they are Educate them When they are in their 50s find

them and put them in charge These will be the “philosopher

kings” These 9 or 10 men are in charge Do not follow the will of the

majority because the majority of people are stupid…let smart people decide

427-347 BC in Greece Had a school called The Academy

Aristotle Was the most brilliant

student of Plato at the Academy

An excellent example of what the Greeks considered a well educated man, he studied many different subjects(mathematics, political science, medicine biology)

Believed that reason was the highest good

Aristotle Aristotle is famous for his many sayings, many of which

are still quoted today. Here are just a few of them.   "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then is a

habit "I count him braver who overcomes his desires than him

who conquers his enemies; for the hardest victory is over self”

"We must reduce everything to the simplest form possible, but no simpler.”

"We think in pictures. If you wish to change what you think, change the picture."

Aristotle Was the first to classify

things into genus and species

Praised the virtues of self control and self reliance

Opened a school in Athens called The Lyceum

Was the teacher of Alexander the Great

Aristotle and political philosophy Look to history and

ask: What actually has worked?

Compare and contrast what actually exists

Consider other political experiments and pick and choose “the best”

384-322 BC in Greece Had a star pupil himself:

Alexander the Great