PHL200Y1 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Peripatetic School, Epicureanism, Epicurus
Document Summary
Philosophy: attempting to reason about questions abstractly. Lots of trade in greece (occupied a large territory) 6th c. bce (turkey): the practice of using currency begins to develop: coins typically backed by a ruler. Coin = abstract notion, not their weight in precious metals. Greeks realized they could alter their social structure: different than the dynasties, monarchies, oligarchies, etc. Sparta = commune of men united by their loyalty to the military. You must convince others of your will. Philosophy begins with the presocratic cloud: mainly theorists about nature (6th-7th: bce) Parmenides: writes an extended poem about the nature of being. Middle 5th c. bce: socratics: the sophistic movement. Athens becomes very wealthy and sophists offer to teach others about how to win arguments, thus imposing their will. Con ict between traditionalists and those who desired money and power (fuels ethics and births socrates) Aristotle (student of plato): founded the peripatetics. Epicurus: founded the school of the epicureans.