Download Greek Philosophers

Greek Philosophy
Socrates, Plato, & Aristotle
Philosophy
Philosophy  love of wisdom
 Early Greek philosophers were concerned
with the development of logic and
reasoning, and how divine forces worked

Socrates (469-399 B.C.)

“The unexamined life is not worth living.”

Beliefs

We contain all the knowledge of the world in our
souls
 Reincarnation
 We lose touch with that knowledge after every
rebirth

We DO NOT learn new things, but are reminded of
what we already know
Socrates (469-399 B.C.)

Beliefs


Good is not good because the gods say so
Good is measured by practical usefulness
 Don’t need religious texts to tell us right from wrong

Monotheistic
 Did not believe in the multitude of Greek gods &
goddesses

Anti-authority
 Wanted students to question society
Socrates (469-399 B.C.)

Legacy

The Socratic Method




Teaching by using question-and-answer format to
lead pupils to understanding concepts through
reasoning
Let students learn for themselves
Leads to modern school system
Death

Put on trial & convicted by an Athenian jury of
corrupting the youth of Athens
 Forced to drink hemlock and commit suicide
Plato (437?-347 BC)


“Dictatorship naturally arises out of democracy, and the
most aggravated form of tyranny and slavery out of the
most extreme liberty.”
Socrates’ student


Wrote down all of Socrates beliefs
Considered the greatest philosopher in
Western Civilization
Plato (437?-347 BC)

Beliefs

How do we know what’s real?
 Earth is not real
 Must live in a rational state
 The higher world of eternity is real

The Republic
 Does not trust democracy
 Offers his ideal state
 Philosopher kings – driven by wisdom
 Warriors – provide courage
 Peasants – driven by desire, but would produce
 Argued against materialism
Plato (437?-347 BC)

Beliefs



Men and women should be educated
They should have equal access to all positions
Three Levels of Pleasure
 Physical  i.e. sex
 Sensual  i.e. admiring beauty or enjoying relationship
in marriage
 Ideal  intellectual love; connecting with another mind
 No physicality to soil the relationship
 Platonic love
Plato (437?-347 BC)

Beliefs

God is perfect
 We must strive to resemble God
 We move closer to God via reincarnation


He created the world out of raw materials
Sin is people being ignorant
 Do not punish, but reform sinners via education
Aristotle (384-322 B.C.)
“The worst form of inequality is to try to
make unequal things equal.”
 Prized student of Plato
 Teacher of Alexander the Great
 Lyceum




Built school of philosophy
Beautiful grounds with covered walkways
Traditional college campuses based on the
Lyceum
Aristotle (384-322 B.C.)

Beliefs

Three Souls
 Plant Soul  essence of nutrition
 Animal Soul  essence of pleasure, pain, & desire
 Human Soul  essence of reasoning
 People learn through reasoning

Three forms of government
 Monarchy
 Negative  could turn into tyranny
 Aristocracy
 Negative  could turn into an oligarchy
 Constitutional Monarchy
 Negative  could turn into anarchy
Aristotle (384-322 B.C.)

Legacy

System of Classification



Inventor of modern logic


The ologies: biology, zoology, etc.
Governments: democracies, oligarchies, tyrannies
pvq
Wrote the first book on psychology