Ancient Greek Philosophers: A Comprehensive Guide, Study notes of Classical Philology

Download Ancient Greek Philosophers: A Comprehensive Guide and more Study notes Classical Philology in PDF only on Docsity! Greek Philosophers and Sophists— Some Names, Dates, Main Locations, and Major Ideas 1. Materialists: Thales 636-546 BC Miletos Geometry (calculated height of pyramids from their shadows); all is full of gods; water originates everything. Anaximander 611-547 BC Miletos The infinite (apeiron) governs all. (Anaximander is the first known prose author.) Anaximenes died 502 BC Miletos The basic element is air (aër). 2. Eleatics: Xenophanes 570-480 BC Colophon Honorary ‘Eleatic’—the basic elements are earth and water; gods are perfect; one supreme god. Parmenides 515-445 BC Elea Anything conceivable is real. Zeno1 490-430 BC Elea Paradoxes of motion, including Achilles and the Tortoise. 3. Other Major Archaic and Classical Philosophers: Pythagoras 580-520 BC Samos Reincarnation; sacred numbers. Empedocles c.490-430BC Acragas Doctrine of the four elements (fire, air, water, earth). Socrates 469-399 BC Athens All assumptions should be challenged; most people only think that they know things. Democritus born 460 BC Abdera Everything is made of atoms—including colors, sounds, light, the gods, and the soul. Plato 437-347 BC Athens Wrote dialogues involving Socrates, portraying views we call ‘Platonism’: we live among weak reflections of a higher realm of Forms. 1 Not to be confused with Zeno of Citium (335-263 BC), the founder of Stoicism—see below. 1 4. Sophists: Gorgias c.485-c.380 BC Leontini ‘Antithetical’ style of argument; the power of words and moral responsibility. Protagoras c.490-420 BC Abdera Agnosticism; “man is the measure of all things”; all beliefs are true for the believer. Prodicus 4??-3?? BC Ceos Definitions of words; naturalistic explanations of myths; the Choice of Heracles. Hippias c.485-415 BC Elis Mathematics; empiricism. Thrasymachus fl. c.430-300 BC Chalcedon Might is right; how to appeal to the emotions in speeches through expression and delivery. 5. Hellenistic Philosophers: Aristotle 384-322 BC Athens (then Pella) Founder of “Peripatetic” school. Invented logic. Wrote on various scientific, ethical, political and artistic subjects. Zeno c.335-263 BC Citium Founder of “Stoic” school. Virtue is the highest good. A single God, the force of reason, controls the world. Epicurus 341-270 BC Athens Founder of “Epicurean” school. The gods are perpetual, blissful, and barely interfere with the world at all. Diogenes 412/403-c.324/321 BC Athens and Corinth Founder of “Cynic” school. Much admired and hated. Ascetic. Attacked all conventions: marriage, family, politics, distinctions between people (social, sexual and racial), reputation, wealth, power, literature, music, and intellectual inquiry. Big Questions in Ancient Greek Philosophy:  What is the world made of and how did it get here? (Physics)  What is the ‘good life’? How should we behave? (Ethics)  How do we know anything? (Epistemology)  What counts as reality? What is existence? (Ontology) And above all…  If traditional religion is not the whole answer—what is? Areas of renewed interest: architecture and mathematics, astrology and astronomy, music and poetry, biology and medicine, law and justice. 2