Greek Philosophers

1. Greek Philosophers

2. Philosophy • Philosophy  love of wisdom • Early Greek philosophers were concerned with the development of logic and reasoning, and how divine forces worked

3. Thales of Miletus636-546 B.C. • Earliest known philosopher • Studied Egyptian and Babylonian astronomy and mathematics • Believed that the universe was controlled by fixed laws • Basic element – water. • Got rich with olive presses!

4. Pythagoras582-500 B.C. • The universe could only be understood thru numbers. • Sun, moon, and earth revolved around a central fire. • Each planet produces a tone! • Famous for the Pythagorean Theorem: a2 + b2 = c2

5. Pythagoras582-500 B.C. c2 • Pythagorean Theorem: a2 + b2 = c2 a2 b2

6. Protagoras485 - 410 B.C. • Most famous of the Sophists • Believed that reason and knowledge should be used to achieve a comfortable, safe, and happy life. • Teachings to equip citizens for life in the polis: • Public speaking – oratory and rhetoric • Politics • Grammar – language • The art of being respectable • Plato named one of his dialogues after him.

7. Hippocrates460-377 B.C. • Founded a school of medicine • Rejected that sickness comes from the gods • Careful observations of symptoms • Acute • Chronic • “Holistic” healing • Hygiene • Diet • Curative powers of nature • The Hippocratic Oath

8. Democritus460? - 360 B.C. • Developed the atomic theory. • Taught that the universe was formed out of chaos through the joining of atoms of like shape and size. • Atoma = indivisible particles. • “the laughing philosopher”

9. Euclidc.300 B.C. • One of the most prominent mathematicians • Wrote The Elements • Widely used till about 1903. • 2nd only to the Bible in numbers of translations, publications, and study • Greek – Arabic – Latin • Said to Ptolemy: “There is No Royal Road to geometry!”

10. Archimedes287 - 212 B.C. • Greek mathematician – Geometry • War machines and other devices • Theory of buoyancy - “Eureka!” • Law of the lever • Archimedean screw

11. The Three Most Famous Philosophers Socrates Plato Aristotle

12. 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

13. 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

14. 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

15. 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

16. 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

17. 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

18. 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

19. 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

20. 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

21. Aristotle (384-322 B.C.) • Legacy • System of Classification • The ologies: biology, zoology, etc. • Governments: democracies, oligarchies, tyrannies • Inventor of modern logic • p v q • Wrote the first book on psychology