Philosophy #1 Exam Study Guide

Define the fallacy of an appeal to pity.

A false way of reasoning where you believe or do something based on the emotion of pity.

Distinguish between the premises and the conclusions of an argument.

A premise is the fact, reason, and evidence that you use to support your conclusion. A conclusion is the statement that you say is true.

Fully define myth.

A story or image that is not necessarily factually true, but conveys a deeper truth.

Fully explain what characterizes sophism.

A style argument that is found in the basis of using fallacies and rhetoric that is meant to persuade someone into believing anything the speaker wishes.

Define democracy.

A system of government that is run by the deciding vote of the people. Every adult citizen has one vote, and majority rules.

Fully explain the comparison Socrates makes between his situation and Achilles. Go into what this means for ethics.

Achilles thinks that he has an obligation to avenge his friends death, but his mother could see into the future and said not to do that because he will die shortly after, and the afterlife is bad. Achilles says that it does not matter, I have a duty to do what is right, and I'm going to do it. Socrates says that this is the way to look at life, that we should do what is right, regardless of the consequences, which is also the deontological view. The deontological view says that what is important in ethics is to do what is right, because determined by reason, regardless of the circumstances. Socrates situation is that he will not agree to stop philosophizing, even if it gets him off of the charges, because he says that this is a duty that we all have to lead the examined life.

Third counterexample

Contract killer or hitman is brought up often as they harm others and that in no sense it cannot be considered not evil. Socrates, however, would argue that the act would not be evil as being a contracted killer provided them a source of income to provide for themselves and their family. The killing that the hitmen did were requests of other people and were simply just a job and highly transactional similar to the same way you buy butchered meat at the grocery store. The hitman performs this act for money and money is not inherently evil. In those cases what mattered is that the people committing the action thought the end justify the means no matter if another did not believe it. Through Socrates' belief, we can understand if someone were to think something is wrong through their own self-reflection they would stop doing the harmful action.

Fully give the reasons why Crito gives Socrates for why Socrates should escape from prison.

Crito states his reputation would be ruined if he did not help Socrates. Secondly, Socrates would be turning his back on his children if he stayed and died. Lastly, he claims that they did Socrates a wrong, and he did not have to obey their verdict.

Define counter-example.

Examples that raise problems in an argument.

Explain Socrates' argument that he is not a sophist.

He believes in a universal truth. He identifies himself as a dialectic which is the opposite of a sophist. He does not claim to be a teacher and does not charge tuition. He is also not a moral relativist but instead an objectivist.

Explain the Socrates' basic argument that suicide is never justified.

He believes that God will not be happy. He says that when you kill yourself, you are like a soldier who abandons his post during battle. This is an insult to God as God can see everything and He will only send death He sees fit. Killing yourself means you are going over God's will. Suicide takes this knowledge personally, you act in a way as if you know God's plan.

Explain what Socrates means by comparing true teaching to midwifery.

He does not claim to be a teacher and does not charge tuition. he only ever claims to be a teacher and the way of a midwife. He does not believe that knowledge equals teacher and it does not equal to the student. He helps one to acknowledge their capacity for knowledge. Like a midwife in birth, he guides one to unlock the knowledge (get the baby) that they have. He helps them to draw out what is already there by advanced questioning. That is not a perfect example as labour must take place but knowledge can remain locked forever.

Explain whether Socrates is a moral relativist or a moral realist/objectivist.

He was a moral realist/objectivist. He believed he could prove this through reasoning. He believed that some things were objectively right while others were objectively wrong.

Explain why Socrates calls philosophy the practice of death.

In this life, the philosopher puts the soul first, and keeps the body on a short leash. The philosopher tries to separate the soul from the body to the extent that is possible in this life. You do not try to kill off the body, but you try to make sure that the desires don't grow, that they are linked to only what is reasonable.

Explain the main transaction of edios. Then explain why Dr. Flynn prefers the translation as Forms.

It Is Greek for ideas, ideals, and form. Dr. Flynn prefers the translation as form because the first two are very subjective. For Plato, eidos are not in our mind, we have a memory of them in our mind, but they actually exist external to our mind.

Explain the difference between a paraphrase and a quotation. Explain the citation rule about paraphrases.

Paraphrase is putting someone else's argument into your own words, while quotation is directly stating what another person said. All paraphrases should be cited using the authors name and page number of where it can be found.

Explain the meaning of the two Greek words that define philosophy.

Philos= A lover, Sophia= Wisdom ; Therefore, philosophy is the love of wisdom.

Explain the scholarly division of Plato's late dialogue.

Plato is 60-81. The writings are much more complicated, they critically looks at the theory of the Forms, and some do not talk about Socrates.

Explain the scholarly division of Plato's middle dialogue.

Plato was 40-50. The writings are much longer and better written. Socrates generally gives an answer, and it generally revolved around the theory of the forms. The Phaedo and the Republic are written in this scholarly division.

Second counterexample

Self-harm or mutilation argued that it was not evil because the individuals that committed the actions saw it as good. Socrates would argue that they never wished to harm themselves but do it for the greater good because many self-harmers often feel numb to the world and dehumanized. They self-harm to help them feel something even if it is just pain and agony.

Explain why Socrates says the philosopher welcomes death.

Separation of the soul from the body, the soul is better off on its own.

Fully explain the reasoning behind the argument that no one does evil knowingly. Explain the counter-examples we talked of in class and Socrates' probable response.

Socrates believed that evil is ultimately harmful however he believes that no one wishes to harm themselves knowingly. Thus, Socrates followed the belief that no one does evil knowingly, on purpose, or voluntarily. (Cahn, p.g. 31) He thought people to be incapable of willingly harming themselves as humans are always looking for their best interests.

Explain what Socrates would say is the ideal relationship between the soul and the body.

Socrates believes that the soul and body do not belong together. The souls purpose is to guide in the right direction regarding reasonable decisions. He gives the example that the soul is like a soldier drafted for war, it is there to serve the body and protect. The body wants to enjoy pleasure and avoid pain at all costs.

Explain what Socrates does claim to know in the Apology and its significance for moral realism.

Socrates claims to know what is right and wrong. He says that it is always wrong to do what you think is immoral. Socrates believes that we cannot have knowledge when it comes to morality. But, Socrates thinks that he knows something about the idea of morality.

Fully explain what Socrates says in reply to the consequentialist arguments about if he doesn't escape from prison he is abandoning the education ad care he should give to his family.

Socrates does not believe in consequentialism but instead believes in the deontological view. He thinks that the consequences do not matter. It is always wrong to go against the law.

Explain the phases' various senses: "no one is wiser than Socrates.

Socrates has special wisdom that no one else has. Everyone has the same level of knowledge.

Explain why Socrates is not concerned with being acquitted at trial. What is the most concerned about?

Socrates is concerned about telling the jury the truth about his life. He recognizes that this may make the jury angry and find him guilty, but this is not as important to Socrates. Socrates was not concerned about being acquitted at all. Getting the jury to agree with you would mean that you would have to compromise yourself and Socrates did not want to do this. Socrates is worried about disobeying the gods. He says that it is worse to disobey the gods than it is to disobey people. Therefore, death must be a blessing, in his perspective.

Fully explain why Socrates personifies the Laws in the Crito discussion. What is the main argument that the Laws make about why it would be immoral for Socrates to escape from jail?

Socrates personifies the law se we understand why he does not run away from sanctioned death. He says that he has made a contract/agreement with the city by deciding to stay there (he got marries, had children, worked, etc.). By laws of the city, its citizens must pay taxes, serve in the army, jury, et.c, and in return, it provides protection to its citizens and they must abide by the city's laws, etc. By breaking an agreement that Socrates was never forced in he would be reputing his defense he made in the Apology. The laws point out that he constantly evaluated Athens and it conducted its business under and often remarked about his dislike for the democratic system Athens used and that he preferred Sparta.

Explain the main reason why Socrates' is not afraid of death in the Apology?

Socrates says that no one knows what death is, so why should we fear it?

Explain the main reasoning behind why Socrates thinks democracy isn't a good form of government.

Socrates thinks that democracies are unreasonable because you should not give every citizen the same vote because not every citizen is equally prepared to vote.

Fully define dialectic.

Socrates' method of seeking the truth through discussion and questioning.

Fully define anamnesis

Socrates' view that learning is recollection and recollection is looking within to the soul.

Define Plato's notion of Form.

Spiritual, unchanging essences which exist outside of the mind.

First counterexample

Suicide Socrates is quoted in the Phaedo that he believes suicide is always wrong. However, it can be inferred that those that commit suicide do not see it as wrong because they rather have death over any other thing in life. Those that commit suicide view death as a good thing and living as evil.

Fully define metaphysics.

The area of philosophy that deals with reality.

Fully define epistemology

The area of philosophy that deals with the questions of knowledge.

Define theodicy.

The area of philosophy which deals with the existence of God and the existence of evil, pain, and suffering.

Fully define eristic.

The art of asking tricky questions in order to gain power over your opponent.

Define rhetoric.

The art of persuasive speaking.

Explain what the epistemological tension is in terms of the soul's relationship to the body for Socrates.

The body is going in one direction from the knowledge and from the soul. The body thinks knowledge is based on sensation and sensation is based on objectivity.

Fully describe what Socrates is looking for in any true definition.

The common quality that all things of a kind have.

Explain the reasoning behind the equality proof in the Phaedo. Then discuss what this shows about Socrates' view of knowledge.

The equality proof in the Phaedo is an argument for anamnesis and the theory of the forms. It starts off by asking us to consider what is the definition of absolute equality. The answer would be: things that exactly the same. Where does this concept come from: if it does not come from sensation of the physical world, then it must come from the knowledge that we are born with (this supports anamnesis). If we all agree on the definition of pure equality, then we all must be recollecting the same reality, a reality that is non-physical (this supports the theory of the forms).

Explain what is meant by a fallacy of an appeal to authority.

The false way in reasoning where you are asked to believe something because someone who is an authority in some subject says that something is true.

Define the fallacy of ad hominem.

The false way of reasoning where you attack something about the person rather than evaluating their argument.

Define the fallacy of equivocation.

The false way of reasoning where you change the meaning of a key word or phrase in the argument.

Explain the epistemological and moral tensions that confront the human person in the Phaedo.

The moral tension consists of the body not caring about the soul which avoids pain and gets pleasure, so the soul is confused trying to do what is right but the body pulled it in a different direction. The epistemological tension is that the body is attracted to the view that knowledge comes from sensation.

Explain the moral tensions that arise because of the soul's relationship to the body of Socrates.

The moral tension is that the body's actions are concerned with either pain or pleasure. The soul is driven by doing what is right, which comes from the form of justice. However, the body does not care about what is right or wrong and that is what creates a conflict between the body and soul.

Define temperance.

The moral virtue of having reasonable control over physical desires.

Distinguish between the old and new accusers of the trial.

The old accusers at the trial are the people who stated that Socrates is a sophist. The new accusers at the trial are the three men who bring legal charges against Socrates to court.

Explain why philosophy is not mainly concerned with whether the dialogues describe historical conversations.

The only thing that matters in philosophy is the argument, and whether it is true.

Fully define deontological.

The position is that what is right is determined by the reason and should be done regardless of the consequences.

Fully define moral relativism.

The rule that morality is a matter of opinion, when you cannot prove that something is right or that something is wrong.

Explain how Socrates defines death in the Phaedo.

The separation of the soul from the body.

Explain why Socrates thinks the soul is in the body to begin with.

The soul is in the body because the body benefited by the relationship. God views the material world as chaotic. The soul is meant to bring reasonableness to the body.

Explain Socrates thinking on how the desires of the body can enslave the human person.

The soul is in the body to create order. The body corrupts the soul because it is attracted to pleasure and repelled by pain. It is very easy for the human person to give into their desires. Desires become stronger because of pleasure. The more you give into desires, the stronger they become.

Explain the meaning of "liberal arts".

The studies that free up human mind from bias, superstition, prejudice, and thinking that we know things when we really don't.

Fully define empiricism.

The view that all knowledge gets its start from sensation.

Fully define Consequentialism in ethics.

The view that in ethics, the rightness and wrongness of an action are determined by the consequences of the action.

Fully define skepticism.

The view that knowledge is impossible.

Fully define moral reasoning/objectivism.

The view that you can prove through reasoning that some things are objectively right and that other things are objectively wrong.

Explain what the reason that Socrates is not executed for a few weeks is.

There was a religious festival going on, and until the festival ends, no one can be executed.

Explain how the true philosopher's attitude towards the body will lead to a different lifestyle.

They believe that it is important to always put the soul first. They do this by living a life of temperance. As they believe that eating, drinking, sexuality, etc. are meant to be dealt with rationally.

Explain the scholarly division of Plato's early dialogue.

They were believed to be written by Plato when he was 20-30. It is primitively written. The Crito is written. Generally it is just to show that Socrates is having a conversation where someone claims something, but is shown not to know.

Explain what Socrates means by saying the human person can become his own prisoner.

We're in the body imprisoned to begin with, but it is our own actions that we make it harder to escape the prison. We're giving in to the pleasure and eventually we become more strongly out.

Explain what is meant by saying that Socrates is using the word "knowledge" in the Apology in a very specific sense.

What he thinks knowledge envows is to answer every possible question, but he does not have the ability to do so.

Fully define irony.

When you say something and you intend its opposite meaning.

Fully define dualism.

When you take some reality and you divide it up into two parts, and the two parts are in conflict with one another.

Fully explain the two tensions that result from the dualistic view of human nature.

With the moral conflict, the body does not care about morality; the body is motivated by avoiding pain and experiencing pleasure. The soul is confused by this, they vaguely remember the forms, so they are drawn toward the right thing, while the body pulls the opposite. With the epistemological conflict, the body is natural drawn to sensations of physical objects. The body is natural attracted to the view that knowledge comes from sensations, the soul is confused, but it does have a faint recollection that knowledge is actually spiritual matter, and it connects to the forms.