chuleta 1

Non-wacko Philosophers are (Pick 7):



Lovers of wisdom

Selfish

Seekers of truth

Closed-minded

Reasonable

Pessimistic

Reckless individuals

Critically minded

Questioning

Curious

Objective

Uninterested




Wisdom is the ability to use knowledge and intelligence for practical purposes.




Fields of Philosophy


The study of ultimate reality: metaphysics


The limit of human knowledge: epistemology


The science of reasoning: logic


The study of morals: ethics


The study of society: social/political


The study of values: axiology


-The study of beauty and art: aesthetics




Philosophy is derived from:


Philos “love”+ Sophia “wisdom





Stoicism



Founder of stoicism/ taught in Athens: Zeno


Created the system of stoicism: Posidonius of Apamea


Freed slave/ Nero’s bodyguard: Epictetus


Last of the great stoics/ Roman emperor: Marcus Aurelius



Stoics live in an ordered universe that is rational, structured, and designed.


The stoic universe is not random or serendipitous.



“Events arrive by divine appointment.”

–Epictetus



The divine spark in humans is derived from the ultimate divine source.


God is immanent in everything.


The universe is guided by the logos.


When human will is out of harmony with right reason (natural law), stoics consider this a moral evil.


We can only live in accordance with nature.


We must live with the psychological attitude of courageous acceptance.


Stoic method: emotional detachment


* Results in spiritual peace and well being also known as eudaimonia. *


Key moral insight of the stoics is “Know Thyself


“When thou risest unwillingly, let this thought be present – I am rising to the work of a human being.”

— Marcus Aurelius




Existentialism


Condemned to be free!


Existentialism is a revolt against rationality and philosophical systems.



Developed existentialism into a coherent body of thought: Jean Paul Sartre


-Was concerned with the ‘philosophy of decision.’


Simone de Beauvoir questioned male dominated philosophy and she critiqued Sartre’s work.


Existentialism is a way to seek one’s own meaning in life.


Loss of meaning: noogenic neurosis


Two types of existential investigation-


Dialogues: a way of sharing differing perspectives

Aphorisms: short pithy statements


Types of determinism that Existentialism rejects!


Events that occur in accordance with fixed and inevitable destiny, one that the individual neither controls nor effects: fatalism


Machine like: scientific causal determinism


Freedom is an illusion: psychological determinism


Socio-economic laws determine social/political change: economic determinism


Religious existentialist: essence precedes existence.


Atheistic existentialists: existence precedes essence.










Hedonism


Psychological hedonism explains why we do something.


-Decrease pain and increase pleasure.


Ethical hedonism says one should pursue pleasure because it is valuable.


Cyrenaic hedonism states that pleasure is the principle motive for living and the only criteria is intensity.


Actual pleasure is better than potential pleasure.


Epicurean hedonism states that not all pleasure should be chosen, based on the standard of momentary and enduring pleasure.


Pleasure experienced through action: kinetic


Pleasure experienced by being in a ‘state’, where all impediments are removed: static


Unnatural and empty beliefs are vain.


Natural desires have limits and contribute to ataraxia.


Ataraxia is literally that state of having no trouble, and it says that the goal of human life is ‘static’ pleasure.


-Impediments: society and religion.


Freedom from bodily pain: aponia



The Garden


Epicurus began this community as a retreat from the sociopolitical and philosophical turmoil of Athens.


It was an egalitarian community, which meant that all were welcome and people were not distinguished based on social status, race, or gender.







Buddhism


“Suffering I teach and the way to end it.”

—Buddha 


The Four visions of Siddhartha


Encounter with old man.

Encounter with sick man.

Encounter with corpse being cremated.

Encounter with monk in serene state amongst suffering around him.



The problem of life—suffering is called dukkha.



Siddhartha concludes that there must be a “middle path”between sensual self-indulgence and severe self-denial.


The three kinds of suffering:


ordinary suffering 

suffering produced by change

suffering as a conditioned state


Self is an “illusion


The Cause of suffering is desire or craving.


The state of being where greed and delusion are extinct: nirvana



The Noble Eightfold Path


-Wisdom-


Able to grasp the four noble truths: right understanding


Moving towards non-attachment: right thought


-Morality-


Free from malice, gossip, lies, etc: right speech


Cultivate goodness/virtue toward all living things: right action


Avoid work that harms others: right livelihood 


-Concentration-


Action that produces good: right effort


Aware of one’s actions: right mindfulness


Scheme of meditation leading to samadhi: right concentration



*By following the dharma (Buddha’s teaching) one gains restraint and an end of suffering.*


*Release from the cycle of rebirth caused by karma—the law of moral causation—is called samadhi.*