Greek Philosophy

Philosophy:

•love of wisdom —

•a search for underlying causes and principles of reality —•

•a quest for truth through logical reasoning rather than factual observation —

•a study of the principles of human nature and conduct

Greek Philosophy

Greek Philosophy

Greek PhilosophyPlato AristotleEuclid

Diogenes

Ptolemy

Socrates

Pythagoras

Epicurus

HeraclitusXenophonEmpedocles

Zeno

Greek Philosophy

Philosophy:

mathematicsphysical sciencemedicinebiologyhistory

Greek Philosophy

Philosophy:

Zeno and StocismEpicurus and EpicureanismSophistsSocratesPlatoAristotle

Greek Philosophy

Herodotus:

“Father of History”

Greek Philosophy

Herodotus:

The Histories:1.Divided into 9 books2.Rise of Persia, conflict between Greece and Persia and battles of Marathon, Thermopylae and Salamis3.War was epic struggle between East and West

Greek Philosophy

Herodotus:

The Histories:4.Blend of history and myth5.Zeus gave victory to the Greeks against a mighty host of barbarians6.Travels around Mediterranean (Egypt, Persia, Italy, Greece)

Greek Philosophy

Greek Philosophy

Thucydides:

“Father of Scientific History”

Greek Philosophy

Thucydides:

•lived during the Peloponnesian War between Sparta and Athens•evidence•rejected legends and rumors•causes for the war•accurate account of war that could be studied by generals and statesmen

Greek Philosophy

Greek Philosophy

From where does everything come?

From what is everything created?

How do we explain the plurality of things found in nature?

How might we describe nature mathematically?

Greek Philosophy

Influence of Babylonian math and science

Growing prosperity and freedom of expression in Greek city-states by

600 BC

Influence of Egyptian math and science

Greeks the first people to give non-myth explanations of the universe

Greek Philosophy

Milesian philosophers debate what is the element at the root of change:

Thales: Water since it exists in all 3 states of matter

Anaximander: a vague element he

calls the “boundless”

Anaximenes: Air or vapor since rain is pressed from air

Greek Philosophy

Debate on the nature of change and if we can trust our senses:

Parmenides: •matter cannot come from nothing•matter is eternal and unchangeable•change is an illusion•we cannot trust our senses

Heraclitus:•universe consists of opposites•opposites interact•change in constant•we can trust our senses

Greek Philosophy

Theories of unchangeable elements which combine with each other to produce change:

Empedocles:•4 elements•earth, water, air, fire•combine in fixed ratios to form all substances

Democritus:•unlimited variety of tiny indivisible atoms•combine to form all substances

Greek Philosophy

Golden Age Athens:

•rise in power of all citizens •growth of individual potential•not interested in study of the universe, atoms, etc.•interested in things related to them

Greek Philosophy

Sophists:

•“those who are wise”•traveling teachers•taught practical subjects: speech, grammar, mathematics, music•“man is the measure of all things”•shift focus from natural world to moral, ethics, politics•claimed there was no absolute right and wrong•situation determined what was right or wrong

Greek Philosophy

Socrates:

•believed in a universally valid knowledge•universal knowledge could be gained by the “right method:

1. exchange and analysis of opinions2. setting up and testing of definitions would lead to truths3. truths lead to an unfailing guide to living

•can determine absolute right from wrong•Socratic method: questioning style of teaching

Greek Philosophy

Debate on which is more trustworthy: our senses or reason

Plato:•have innate power to reason•our imperfect world flows from and is based on a higher world of unchanging and eternal ideas•need abstract thinking, especially mathematics to find truth

Aristotle:•have innate power to reason•no innate ideas exist in our minds which do not first exist in the sensory world•must rely on our senses to find the truth

Greek Philosophy

Essential part of the scientific method that would emerge in Western Europe in the 1600’s

)

Define the question define question Define the question Define the question

Define the question Define the question Define the question

gather information and resources

form hypothesis

experiment/ collect data analyze data

interpret data/ draw conclusion

Define the question new

hypothesis

Greek Philosophy

Thales of Miletus: first philosopher of the West

Greek PhilosophyThat:

1.from which everything exists2.from which it first became 3.into which it returns at last 4.its substance remaining in it, but transforming in qualities

that they say is the element and principle of things that are

discovered the origin of all things: water

Greek Philosophy

Significance:

•not in reducing all things to water but in reducing all things to one•attempt to explain nature:1.simplification of phenomena 2.search for causes within nature 3.denies the whims of the gods

Greek Philosophy

Significance:

Results:

1.bridge between myth and reason2.turned from mythology to reason3.answers sought within nature, not outside

Greek Philosophy

Pythagoreans:

•led by Pythagoras•changed focus from study of nature to:1.nature of man2.meaning of truth3.position of the divine in the order of things

Greek Philosophy

Pythagoreans:

•shared all possessions•no meat or fish-vegetarians•never ate beans•never touched white roosters•reincarnation

Greek Philosophy

Pythagoreans:

•sound:1.vibration in string2.varied with string’s length3.musical ratios•numbers:1.building blocks for everything2.discovered square root of 23.irrational numbers

Greek Philosophy

Pythagoreans:

Pythagorean theorem for right triangle:

Greek Philosophy

Pythagoreans:

Pythagorean theorem for right triangle:

Greek Philosophy

a = 3b = 4c = 5

9 + 16 =

C = 9 + 16

34

25

5

Greek Philosophy

Greek PhilosophyDemocritus:

Theory of Atoms:

•atom – uncuttable•small, hard invisible particles of the same substance•different: sizes, shapes, arrangements, positions•group together to form mass

Greek Philosophy

Euclid:

•“Father of Geometry”•perhaps a collector of ideas rather than his own•Elements:1.plane geometry2.proportion in general3.properties of numbers4.solid geometry

Greek Philosophy

Eratosthenes:

•nickname: “beta”•system of latitude and longitude•calculated the circumference of the earth•map of the known world•Father of scientific chronology

Greek Philosophy

Aristarchus:

•heliocentric theory of planetary orbit•On the Sizes and Distances of the Sun and Moon:1.calculated the distance to and size of the sun and the moon

Greek Philosophy

Greek Philosophy

Hippocrates —

"Father of Medicine”

Greek Philosophy

Hippocrates — "Father of Medicine”

•Hippocratic Oath: I swear by Apollo, …to keep according to my ability and my judgement, the following Oath.

•I will prescribe regimen for the good of my patients according to my ability and my judgment and never do harm to anyone•To please no one will I prescribe a deadly drug nor give advice which may cause his death•Nor will I give a woman a pessary to procure abortion

Greek Philosophy

Hippocrates — "Father of Medicine”

Hippocratic Collection-70 works, collection probably from the medical library of the school of medicine

1.Airs, Waters, and Places: instead of ascribing diseases to divine origin, discusses their environmental causes—weather, drinking water2.Pronostic, Coan, Prognosis, and Aphorisms: advanced idea that a physician can predict the course of a disease3.Regiman and Regimen in Acute Diseases: first idea of preventive medicine

Greek Philosophy

Hippocrates — "Father of Medicine”

•Hippocratic Collection-

4.Sacred Disease: an analysis on epilepsy5. Joints: treatment of dislocations6. Wounds in the Head7. Women’s Diseases8. Dismembering of the Fetus in the Womb

Greek PhilosophyArchimedes:

•beginnings of integral calculus•principles of the lever-”Give me a place to stand on, and I will move the earth!”•discovered the principle of specific gravity-ship displacement•Archimedian screw•war machines- Archimedes claw

Greek Philosophy

Greek Philosophy

Greek Philosophy

Zeno: Stocism

•What is proper living (the good life)?1.Everything was part of the perfection of Nature2.Man’s duty: accept cheerfully whatever came3.Whatever came was all for the best•Stoic: strong, calm, unmoved by good or bad fortune

Greek Philosophy

Zeno: Stocism

•Was a life event in his own power to influence?1.Yes- shape it as wished2.No- accept it as the will of god•Understanding and accepting god’s will made a man:1.free and wise2.beyond fear and hope

Greek PhilosophyEpicurus: Epicureanism

•“live unobtrusively” (not demanding attention)•guide people in their search for happiness1.understanding was greatest virtue and happiness2.controls human appetites

Greek PhilosophyEpicurus: Epicureanism

3.lives without falseness4.puts aside all fears5.rewarded with the greatest of all goods = peace•absence of pain = happiness

Greek Philosophy

Socrates:

•believed in a universally valid knowledge•universal knowledge could be gained by the “right method:

1. exchange and analysis of opinions

2. setting up and testing of definitions would lead to truths

Greek Philosophy

Socrates:

3. truths lead to an unfailing guide to living

•can determine absolute right from wrong•Socratic method: questioning style of teaching

Greek PhilosophyPlato:

•best of Socrates’ students•universe is spiritual and has purpose•refutes ideas of the Sophists

Doctrine of Ideas:1.relativity and change not complete universe2.higher spiritual world with eternal ideas that only the mind could understand

Greek PhilosophyPlato:

3.Spiritual things not mind inventions4.Most important is the Idea of Good5.Active, guiding purpose of the universe

Greek PhilosophyPlato:

•True virtue:1.rational understanding of ideas of goodness and justice2.rational man is noble and good3.appetites and emotions should be controlled by reason

Greek Philosophy

Greek Philosophy

Greek Philosophy

World inside the cave = the physical world

Fire = the sunObjects that cast the shadows = specific objectsShadows on the wall = images

World outside the cave = the intelligible world

Sun = form of the GoodObjects in the outside world (trees, ducks, etc.) = the formsShadows and reflections in the outside world = concepts

Greek PhilosophyThere are four steps described:

1 Prisoners who think that shadows are reality

2 Prisoners who are freed and forced to look at the things that are used to cast shadows on the wall and do not recognized these as sources for shadows.

Greek PhilosophyThere are four steps described:3 Prisoners who are freed and dragged along to the outside of the cave:

•Shadows•Things that cast shadows•Heavenly bodies•Sun as the source and guarantee of all the things outside the cave

4 Free men returning to the cave to former fellow prisoners

Greek Philosophy

Greek Philosophy

Greek Philosophy

Greek PhilosophyPlato: Political philosophy

•Ideal government:Free from strife and self seeking

The Republic:•3 classes of citizens1.lowest-”appetite”: farmers, artisans, merchants

•function: production/distribution of goods to whole community

Greek PhilosophyPlato: Political philosophy

2.second-”spirited will”: soldiers•function: defense of whole community

3.highest-”reason”: intellectual nobility•function: political power, wise, unselfish philosopher kings with years of education and experience

•disliked democracy why?

Greek Philosophy

Aristotle:

•Plato’s most brilliant student•Alexander the Great’s tutor•Father of modern biology•different from Socrates and Plato:1.scientist interested in biology, physics, astronomy2.less spiritual outlook•form and matter equal importance:1.eternal2.cannot exist without the other

Greek Philosophy

Aristotle:

3.change exists because of the interaction between matter and form•First Cause = source of forms and matter•highest good was golden mean = balance between indulgence and denial

Greek Philosophy

Aristotle:

•Political philosophy:1.government = promotion of good life2.man = political animal with instincts3.best government:

•commonwealth between oligarchy and democracy•controlled by the middle class•prevention of the concentration of wealth

Greek Philosophy

Greek Philosophy