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.*