Ancient Greek

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Ancient Greek
Philosophy

• By Adam Koropatkin

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ok, ok, chances are youre probably not an
Ancient Greek Philosopher, but if youre one of
those people always wondering Why? then youve
got something in common with them already.
In fact, I bet you didnt know that a lot of what
we think today, how we think it and why, are in
part because of the Ancient Greek Philosophers.
Do you ever wonder Who you are? and Why you
exist? While walking around in sandals
How to know if you might be an Ancient Greek
Philosopher
then you might be an Ancient Greek Philosopher
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Heres A Quick Timeline of the MVPs of Ancient
Greek Philosophy

• OR just remember S.P.A
• Socrates, Plato, Aristotle,

FOR MORE INFO
http//www.wadsworth.com/philosophy_d/special_feat
ures/timeline/timeline.html
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The MVPs (Most Valuable Philosophers) of
Ancient Greek Philosophy

• 384-322 B.C.
• Is often credited as being the Founding Father of
  Logic, Rhetoric, and Biology.
• Most famous for teaching Alexanfer the Great and
  greatly influencing all of Western civilization.

• 480 B.C.
• Developed what is now referred to as The
  Socratic Method
• Most famous for being sentenced to death by
  poison hemlock for corrupting the youth, and
  being Platos mentor.

Most Famous Quote Nothing is in the mind, which
hasnt first gone through the senses.
Most Famous Quote Cogito Ergo Sum
translation Know thy Self

• 427-347 B.E.
• Established and ran his own school known as The
  Academy, which was unrivaled until Aristotle
  established his school The Lyceum.
• Most famous for teaching Aristotle and writing
  some of the finest and most influential
  literature treasured throughout history and all
  of Western civilization.

Most Famous Quote Wise men talk because they
have something to say fools, because they have
to say something.
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What they thought
I never wrote anything down instead I spent most
of my time discussing virtue, justice, and piety
with anyone who would listen. Through discourse
he sought wisdom about right conduct so that he
could morally and intellectually improve Athens. 
I criticized the Sophists, the Athenian political
and religious institutions of his day, which made
me many enemies. In 399 B.C. I was tried for
corrupting the morals of Athenian youth and for
religious heresies. I was convicted and,
resisting all efforts to save my life, willingly
drank the cup of poison hemlock given to me.
Most of my surviving works will cover a variety
of topics, including politics, physics, ethics,
economics, a historical analysis of the Athenian
Constitution, and much more. I am best known for
my argument in favor of the validity of sense
perception and scientific observations against my
teacher, Plato. I argued against his view of
ideal forms being only dimly perceived through
corrupted matter. I argued on behalf of what I
call the four Causes. After I thought of the
four Causes I came to the notion of an
Unmoved-Mover, which basically argues that if all
things are caused, in one way or another, by
something else setting it in motion, then there
had to be one thing that set itself into motion
to cause all other things to be in motion. Its
kind of tricky to explain quickly, but Im sure
if you think about it logically as I did youll
figure it out.
I discussed in my writings the probable order of
composition. Some of the major ideas I explored
were the unity of virtue and knowledge and of
virtue and happiness the rational relationship
between the soul, the state, and the cosmos, as
well as, treatises on law, mathematics, technical
philosophic problems, and natural science. I
believed that the rational soul is immortal, in
the existence of a world soul and an Ultimate
Creator of the physical world. I argued that
Virtue consists in the harmony of the human soul
with the universe of Ideas, which assures order,
intelligence, and pattern to a world thats
constantly changing. I believed that it is only
the philosopher, who understands the harmony of
all parts of the universe with the Idea of the
Good
FOR MORE INFO GO TO...
http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SocratesPhilosophica
l_beliefs
http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PlatoMetaphysics
http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AristotleAristotle.2
7s_metaphysics
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Piety

• piety (pº¹-t) n., pl. pieties. 1. The
  state or quality of being pious, especially

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Ideas (in relation to Plato)

• idea (º-d) n. Philosophy. a. In the
  philosophy of Plato, an archetype of which a
  corresponding being in phenomenal reality is an
  imperfect replica.
• Archetype archetype (ärk¹-tºp) n. 1. An
  original model or type after which other similar
  things are patterned a prototype. 2. An ideal
  example of a type quintessence an archetype of
  the successful entrepreneur. --archetypal
  (-tºpl) or archetypic (-t¹p¹k) or
  archetypical adj. --archetypically adv.

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Heresy

• heresy (hµr¹-s) n., pl. heresies. 1.a. An
  opinion or a doctrine at variance with
  established religious beliefs, especially
  dissension from or denial of Roman Catholic dogma
  by a professed believer or baptized church
  member. b. Adherence to such dissenting opinion
  or doctrine. 2.a. A controversial or unorthodox
  opinion or doctrine, as in politics, philosophy,
  or science. b. Adherence to such controversial or
  unorthodox opinion.

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Discourse

• discourse (d¹skôrs, -k½rs) n. 1. Verbal
  expression in speech or writing. 2. Verbal
  exchange conversation. 3. A formal, lengthy
  discussion of a subject, either written or
  spoken. 4. Archaic. The process or power of
  reasoning. --discourse v. discoursed,
  discoursing, discourses (d¹-skôrs, -sk½rs).
  --intr. 1. To speak or write formally and at
  length. See Synonyms at speak. 2. To engage in
  conversation or discussion converse. --tr.
  Archaic. To narrate or discuss. Middle English
  discours, process of reasoning, from Medieval
  Latin discursus, from Latin, a running about,
  from past participle of discurrere, to run about
  dis-, apart see DIS- currere, to run see
  kers- below. --discourser n.

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Sophist

• sophist (s¼f¹st) n. 1.a. One skilled in
  elaborate and devious argumentation. b. A scholar
  or thinker. 2. Sophist.a. A Greek philosopher of
  pre-Socratic times who inquired about and
  speculated on theology, metaphysics, mathematics,
  and the natural and biological sciences. b. A
  professional philosopher and teacher, especially
  one belonging to a group of fifth-century B.C.
  Greek philosophers who specialized in dialectic,
  argumentation, and rhetoric and who were often
  known for their elaborate and specious arguments.

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What they wrote

• Foundation Phaedrus, Lysis, Protagoras,
  Laches, Charmides, Euthyphro, Parmenides
• Transition Gorgias, Theaetetus, Meno,
  Euthydemus, Cratylus, Sophist, Statesman,
  Symposium, Phaedo, Philebus
• Culmination The Republic, (Critias, Timaeus,
  The Laws)
• (This order was composed by Friedrich
  Schleiermacher) (Wikipedia.com)
• His teachings have been among the most
  influential in the history of Western
  civilization, and his works are held in high
  esteem among the world's finest literature.

• Socrates, as we all now know wrote nothing. He
  did not believe in it, much like the Buddha.
  However thats a story for another time.
• Instead, Socrates would roam Athens talking
  with the youth hanging-out on the streets and
  everyone else who would give him the time of day.

• Aesthetic writings
• (1354a) Rhetoric (or Ars Rhetorica, or The Art of
  Rhetoric or Treatise on Rhetoric)
• (1447a) Poetics (or Ars Poetica)

Metaphysical writings (980a) Metaphysics (or
Metaphysica)
A work outside the Corpus Aristotelicum The
Constitution of the Athenians (or Athenaion
Politeia, or The Athenian Constitution)

• Aristotle wrote
• (To name only a few)

Physical and scientific writings (184a) Physics
(or Physica) (338a) Meteorology (or
Meteorologica) (402a) On the Soul (or De Anima)
(436a) Little Physical Treatises (or Parva
Naturalia) On Dreams (or De Insomniis)
(486a) History of Animals (or Historia
Animalium, or On the History of Animals, or
Description of Animals) (639a) On the Parts of
Animals (or De Partibus Animalium) (791a) On
Colours (or De Coloribus) (847a) Mechanical
Problems (or Mechanica)
Logical writings Organon (collected works on
logic) (1a) Categories (or Categoriae)
Ethical writings (1094a) Nicomachean Ethics (or
Ethica Nicomachea, or The Ethics) (1252a)
Politics (or Politica)
(all text cited from Wikipedia)
Though we know that Aristotle wrote many elegant
treatises (Cicero described his literary style as
"a river of gold"), the originals have been lost
in time. All that we have now are the literary
notes of his pupils, which are often difficult to
read (the Nicomachean Ethics is a good example).
It is now believed that we have about one fifth
of his original works. (Wikipedia.com) Note A
big reason why Aristotles writings had such a
big influence over the Western world was due to
Alexander the Great who, had conquered the
Persian Empire, and was Aristotles pupil.
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Map of Alexander the Greats Empire
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Where philosophy can be seen in the world today

• in the movies we watch

in the art we create
in the literature we read and write
it comes from our day to day lives...
FOR MORE INFO...
http//teach.valdosta.edu/phi/jobsphilosophyprint.
htm
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Here is one of the Best Introductions to
Philosophy I have ever READ!
More Books For Young Philosophers

• One day Sophie comes home from school to find
  two questions in her mail

Who is Hilde? And Why does her mail keep turning
up in Sophies world?
So, if youre like Socrates, Plato and
Aristotle, and always are searching for the
answers to the question Why? Heres a few
suggestions for further reading that any young
philosopher would LOVE to READ!
Who are you? and Where does the world come from?
To unravel this riddle, Sophie must make use of
the philosophy she is learning. But the truth is
far more complicated than she could have
imagined (Back cover)
Before she knows it, she is enrolled in a
correspondence course, covering Socrates to
Sartre and beyond, with a mysterious philosopher.
But Sophie is receiving a separate batch of
equally unusual letters.
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try the Interactive Software!
Once youve read the book

• Thought you had a grip on reality? Let
  your PC play games with your mind with
  Sophie's World. Lose yourself, but find your
  mind, in this challenging voyage of discovery
  spanning centuries of philosophical
  thought. If you don't give up in the face of
  the challenging philosophical puzzles you'll
  encounter at each step of your journey, then you
  may reach the point of no return and solve the
  very mysteries of your existence. Based on the
  bestselling book--over twelve million copies
  sold.

Explore over 20 virtual
environments full of interactive
philosophical challenges and puzzles.
Communicate on- screen with the
characters you meet. Access the
reference band and philosophy map for
enlightening information to help you on your way.
An in-depth reference band offers background on
every major period in philosophy over 3,000
years. Learn about the meaning of life and
participate in a mystery about the sects of human
existence--all will be revealed as you progress
through the adventure. (Amazon.com,
Manufactures Description)