final exam for philosophy
7 dominant philosophies
1. aristotle 2. the peripatetics 3. cynicism 4.epicureanism 5. stoicism 6.skepticism 7.neo-platonism
roman stocis
CICERO and Seneca, Epictetus, marcus aurelius
early stoics
ZENO and Chrysippus
epeicurus statement
as a result epicurus was suspicious of any metaphysical speculation unless it undergirded the practical pursuit of the goal of happiness empty is the argument of the philosopher by which no human disease is healed, for just as there is no benefit in medicine if it does not drive out bodily diseases , so there is no benefit in philosophy if it does not drive out the disease of the soul
pleasure and pain epicurus
based on his metaphysics (modified atomism after the style of democritus) he determined that pleasure and pain are the driving factors behind human happiness
stoics virtues
believed that virtues (particualry self discipline and the fulfillment of duty) are ends in themselves and not merely instruments of pleasure acquisition
similarities of stoicism with epicureanism
both emphasized the primary of ethics over metaphysics both were materialistic in their metaphysics and thus empiricist in their epistermology both advised living life according to nature though they meants distinctly different things by that
hellenistic period ended
ended when the romans conquered the hellenistic states in the second and first centuries
ataraxia
epicurus believed that happiness could be achieved through this (repose, tranquility) which was freedom from care (contentment) for this reason is that he stressed not only the pursuit of happiness but also the avoidance of pain
epicurus
established "the garden" which was situated on the edge of athens and open to all including women, slaves, children and prominent citizens alike.
the romans absorbed much of hellenic/ hellenistic thought and passed it on to western civilization
even though the roman empire was superior military greek culture in terms of philosophy, literature and art was superior to Roman culture as a result
logos
for stoics this "god" is ..... which is an all permeating cosmic fire
zeno of citium
founder of Stoicism who shouldnt be confused with the student and defender of parmenides
antisthenes
founder of the movement of cynicism
apatheia
freeing oneself from one's passions
lasting pleasures for epicurus
friendship freedome an examined life
good and the sun
good is to the sun as truth is to the light
epicurus three kinds of desires
groundless desires (what we might refer to as luxuries) natrual but unnecessary for happiness natural and necessary happiness
hapinnes for stoicism
happiness is tied to what one can control must welcome every occurrence as an expression of divine reason and strive to see how those events, even if unpleasant serve the reasonableness of the whole
unconventional behavior of cynics
in order to demonstrate their desire to live outside of conventional society, the cynics intentionally behaved in such a way as to provoke outrage by those who lived within conventional society for EX: lawhead tells us that some cynics carried out their sexual and biological functions in public known for their squalid appearance because of their characteristics tattered poncho and leather pouch
stoic idea of god
it is important to note that this god is not a "free personality" in the same sense as the judeo- christian god is free. rather in stoicism it is determined reality where things could not be other than they are
323/322 BCE
marks the end of the "Hellenic period" these dates are the deaths of Alexander the great and Aristotle
philosophy given these factors
people were looking for philosophy that answered pragmatic concerns about the vest life that they could achieve given dismal and sometimes fatalistic outlook in general philosophes of this period were less concerned with metaphysics and more preoccupied with ethics and practical concerns theoretical concerns were only useful insofar as they supplied the support for a life lived more happily
the cynics
saw possessions as obstacles to a happy life and adhered to the idea that true freedom only occurs when one can disentangle oneself from fleeting desires. this idea will later be a model for stoicism and christianity (mono vs poly)
stoics universe
saw the universe as imbued with purpose and guided by a benevolent divine plan
epicurus universe
saw the universe in a mechanistic manner where the comsos was ruled by blind chance
injustice
socrates says appeptive is
true
socrates says city is absurd and needs to be rejected
just and self happiness
socrates says if you let reason overrule the appetite you are
imprudent hedonism
sole pursuit of the first part you end up with
three aspects of soul
spirited, appetite, reason
stoics philosophy
taught that one should subordinate his self interest to greater social interests and emphazied the community of humanity and the concern for its well being
nature vs. convention
the cynics believed that people should aim for what is "natural" and avoid that which is conventional since, they argues, that which is conventional is both artificial and tyrannical
for epicurus cure of the soul
the eudaimonian idea is at the very center of philosophical life. the cure of the soul of all its ill and the search for happiness are identifying features of his philosophy
Epicurus
the founder of Epicureanism, was born 7 years after death of plato and by mid thirties he garnered a tremendous reputation because of the way of life he promoted
roman philosophy 1
the greek city states had provided a means for citizens to engage in societal structure in such a way that they were able to be fulfilled on a local and personal level. whereas, previously they were parts of "small, comfortable, democratic communities" now they found themselves alienated from a distant and powerful government and forced into grudging compliance with laws of the empire
diogenes of sinope
the most famous cynics who reportedly lived in a large jar or barrel on the streets. there is also a story of his encounter with alexander the great who he asked to get out of his sun
hellenistic period
the period that follows after alexander and aristotle's death where greek civilization merged with other cultures such as the egyptians and other near eastern civilization. this fact gives greek culture of this time a (quasi-greek) character
pneuma
the stoics put forward the notion of this to describe the more subtile material which things are composed
epicurean philosophy
their social philosophy was built on self interested hedoism and therefore disained involvement in larger social concersn as theyn withdrew from everyday concerns rather than engaging society
roman philosophy 2
there was a popular feeling that the gods of the city states were powerless. as a result popular religion was in decline and people feared that they were the helpless victims of blind fate
monotheism vs polytheism
they also taught that there was only one god who best served by the pursuit of virtue and the organized religion of greek polytheism with all of its rituals was a human invention to be avoided
pleasure and virtue
they taught that happiness is to be gained by embracing virtue and that virtue could be achieved by freeing oneself from both possessions and bodily pleasure
telos of stoics
though the world is given a material explanation for the stoics that does not mean that the universe is ruled by blind chance but rather it has a purpose (telos) and infused with the divine. the stoics names this prinicple Zeus, god, nature, order, universal reason and other terms
epicureans virtue
viewed humans as essentailly "pleasure seeking organsisms" whoses highest good was to pursue that pleasure and thus virtue is a means to pleasure rather than an end in itself
atisthenes rival to plato
was originally a student of the sophist gorgias but later became a disciple of Socrates and since he considered himself to be the true heir of socrates was therefore
stoic materialistic monism
wheres it is easy to explain the material out of which a rock or a tree is made, the stoics still gave a material explanation to things that are not typically thought to be material
stoa
zeno commonly lectured from a porch or colonnade which greeks would call