Download Jacob Bunce PHIL 2200 Final 1) What is hermeneutics? How does it

Jacob Bunce
PHIL 2200
Final
1) What is hermeneutics? How does it relate to Ancient Philosophy?
Hermeneutics means to interpret text to extract experience and meaning. When reading
ancient philosophy, we use hermeneutics to understand what the Greeks were writing
about. We depend on our interpretations when reading ancient philosophy because the
ancient Greeks are dead so we can’t ask them what they meant.
2) How would you characterize the “Greek University” before Plato’s academy?
Before Plato’s academy, the “Greek University” was the theater. Greeks would watch
plays performed in the theater, and from the plays they would learn their morals and
values through the stories told by the plays. And so Greek education was communicated
through story telling.
3) What does “cosmos” mean in Ancient thought, contrast with the modern concept
of “universe”?
The cosmos refers to a “universe” in which the Earth is at the center. The cosmos is
surrounded by a ring of fire. Between the fire and the space around the Earth is a sort of
“cover sheet” that is the sky. There are small holes in the sheet through which the light
from the ring of fire shines through… these are the stars. This differs from the modern
concept of the universe in that the Earth is not at the center, and stars are planetary bodies
instead of holes in a sheet, and there is no ring of fire.
4) What does “philo-sophia” literally mean? How would this be different from
geometry? How is it similar?
It literally means “love of wisdom.” Philosophy is the pursuit of wisdom, not the
possession of wisdom. There are no hard facts in philosophy, only questions and the
desire to find those facts which you cannot have. This differs from geometry in that
geometry is an exacting science that has deals in many hard facts. However, it is similar
to geometry in that both disciplines attempt to explain things in the world, it’s just that
philosophy uses questions whereas geometry uses math.
5) Relate your previous answer to Heraclitus’ fragment “being loves to hide.”
The fragment, “being loves to hide,” ties in with the definition of philosophy. The
fragment refers to the fact that knowledge is not so easily had. The “being” of things is
not so easily seen, just like philosophy is the pursuit of wisdom but you cannot even
possess wisdom.
6) What is the difference between religious and philosophical knowledge?
Religious knowledge is accepted on faith and is accepted as true. Philosophical
knowledge is not so easily had. If you base your knowledge on faith, the philosopher
would question your faith. The philosopher would not proclaim to know anything as
absolutely true, unlike the religious person.
7) What is the place of human beings in the cosmos?
Humans are part of the never-ending cycles in the cosmos. Humans are born and die, and
then returned to earth which spawns the plants which feed the animals, etc. Greek culture
is replete with circular cycles. The entire cosmos is a cycle of which humans are a part.
8) How do human beings relate to the workings “in measure” of the cosmos?
The motion of humans is a driving force in the cosmos. Motion is existence. If we do
not move or interact or think, then we are nothing in the cosmos. It is by a measure of
activity that humans relate to the cosmos.
9) Differentiate “perception,” “opinion,” and “knowledge” as discussed in class.
In Theaetetus, knowledge is related to perception and opinion. It is argued that to
perceive something is to know it. However, knowing something is not necessarily
knowing the truth about that thing… your knowledge might be false. And so knowledge
is related to opinion because opinions are not necessarily true.
10) Define “logos.”
Logos means “counting.” It refers to something like the “science” of a thing… the
factual nature of that thing. The logos are the principles governing the cosmos. It refers
to human reasoning about the cosmos.
11) Who was Parmenides? What are the limits of the logos according to Parmenides
(refer to specific fragment)?
Parmenides was a Greek philosopher and poet. He teaches that you cannot think about
something which does not exist. To think about something is to interpret and form
opinions about that thing, which is the limit of our understanding. And therefore the
logos are limited by human opinion (1.27):
There is need for you to learn all things - both the unshaken heart of wellpersuasive Truth and the opinions of mortals, in which there is no true reliance.
12) Give two basic differences between Socrates and Plato? Also, how are they
releated?
Socrates was Plato’s teacher. Socrates was vocal in the community, but he was executed
for it. And so Plato was more passive in his teachings. Plato wrote dialogues that teach
philosophy through stories instead of through more direct and vocal methods like
Socrates. In this way Plato was able to protect himself from persecution by the state
because he wasn’t directly doing the teaching so much as were the characters in his
dialogues.
13) What is the Theatetus about? Give two answers and relate them.
Theaetetus is a dialogue in which Socrates and Theaetetus engage in a philosophical
discussion about the question, what is knowledge. It is also about the philosophical
process of questioning that which we accept as true. In the beginning, Theaetetus thought
he knew what knowledge was; he thought he knew about certain things like geometry. In
the end, through the philosophical process of questioning, Theaetetus is made to realize
that he doesn’t know.
14) Who is Thales in the Theatetus? What is the point of his story?
Thales’ story in Theaetetus was a story about a philosopher who fell in a well because he
was so absorbed in philosophical thought. The point of the story was to convey to
Theaetetus the hazards of this line of thinking. A philosophical person can become so
absorbed in thought that he will wander aimlessly and look the fool.
15) Identify three specific characteristics of Aristotle’s works. Also explain how
these make his works different from Plato’s.
Aristotle seems much more direct in his teachings. Plato writes dialogues which teach
vicariously through the words of the characters while Aristotle is more, “this is how it is.”
Aristotle is also good at illustrating his points with example, while Plato is more subtle
with applications. Along those same lines, Plato tends to deal with high level questions
whereas Aristotle deals more with lower level questions… this makes Aristotle’s works
more applicable than Plato.
16) What does “logos” mean for Aristotle?
This was somewhat unclear, but Aristotle seems to tend towards a definition of “logic
that is limited by human expression.” He talks about the substance of things and other
fundamentals.
17) How would you explain to a friend the difference between ancient philosophy
and the modern world? Give one specific example.
In the modern world we are concerned with material goods and other superficial things.
Ancient philosophy deals with the meaning behind things, driving forces, and other
fundamentals. Moderns use science to derive facts about the world, whereas ancient
philosophers use questions to pursue facts which they can never reach. For example, a
mathematician might claim that a triangle has 3 sides, while the philosopher would ask
how we can know that.