PHIL 203 Study Guide - Fall 2018, Comprehensive Midterm Notes - Ancient Philosophy, Soul, Plato
12 Oct 2018
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PHIL 203
MIDTERM EXAM
STUDY GUIDE
Fall 2018
Ancient Philosophy 8.29.17 Lecture Notes
- What is philosophy?
o Philosophy is the study of various types of knowledge. It involves observation,
critical thinking, and argumentation. The goal of philosophy is both epistemic
and functional. It serves to uncover an otherwise hidden layer of insight that
accompanies all disciplines, whether it be physics, business, or psychology, and
this process of critical thinking can be applied to important decision-making and
hopefully engender good outcomes in the world.
- Normative questions
o About particular issues like abortion and the death penalty
o About broader issues, like what value is and what makes life good
- Metaphysics
o Question about the nature of reality
- Empirical questions
- Naturalists believe that there are no normative qualities in anything
find more resources at oneclass.com
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HAP 8.31.17 Lecture Notes
Hesiod and the Genesis
- Mythography/mythology
- Oral, magical, tendency to moralize and be didactic
- Explains natural phenomenon
- Command belief and specific to a certain culture
- Invocations of gods and goddesses of memory – the poet has to remember the whole
myth as well
Hesiod
- 750-650 BC
- Rough contemporary of Homer
- Theogony and Works and Days – two main works
- Other passages of his work often include details of his life – usually embellished
Theogony
- Theo – God, divine; Gon – becoming = account of how the gods came to be
- He’s also gie us a osogo
o Kosos: order – something that has some sort of logic to it
o There is order to the universe and that we, as humans, can know about it
o Sentiment that are shared by most of the pre-Socratic philosophers
- (104-234) Muses – establish epistemological grounding on which Hesiod can justify his
story
- Alternative sources (alternative to invoking the muses) of knowledge?
o Witness
o Passed down
- Earlier in the poem – he talks about the Muses appearing to him and tell him that the
Muses can make falsities seem true but can also tell the truth
o Introduces a sense of doubt
o God-ispired oie i e
- Story – how Earth and the gods came to be – a origi stor
o Chasm (aka Chaos) – first god
▪ Could be a chasm between the earth and Tartaros
▪ Chasm already exists – aoids the prole of reatio out of othig
o Stories of natural phenomenon
▪ Night and stars
▪ Sea
▪ Account of origin of gods simultaneous with explanation of natural
phenomenon
o 154-160: Ouranos stuffs his children back into the earth to maintain his rule
▪ Gaia devises a plan
▪ Kronos castrates Ouranos and the drops of blood give birth
▪ Gods have some sort of life-granting force
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
What is philosophy: philosophy is the study of various types of knowledge. The goal of philosophy is both epistemic and functional. Normative questions: about particular issues like abortion and the death penalty, about broader issues, like what value is and what makes life good. Metaphysics: question about the nature of reality. Naturalists believe that there are no normative qualities in anything. Oral, magical, tendency to moralize and be didactic. Command belief and specific to a certain culture. Invocations of gods and goddesses of memory the poet has to remember the whole myth as well. Theogony and works and days two main works. Other passages of his work often include details of his life usually embellished. Theo god, divine; gon becoming = account of how the gods came to be. Alternative sources (alternative to invoking the muses) of knowledge: witness, passed down. Earlier in the poem he talks about the muses appearing to him and tell him that the.
