Transcript Greek Philosophers

Greek Philosophers
Chapter 5-2
What does the Greek word Philosophy
mean and what studies did it lead too?
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Philosophy: comes from the Greek word
for “love of wisdom.” Greek philosophy led
to the study of history, political science,
science, and mathematics.
What is the definition of Philosophers?
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Philosophers: Greek thinkers who believe
the human mind could understand
everything.
What did Pythagoras teach his pupils?
What did he believe in?
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A Greek philosopher named Pythagoras
taught his pupils that the universe followed
the same laws that governed music and
numbers.
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He believed that all relationships in the
world could be expressed in numbers and
developed many ideas about mathematics.
What theory did Pythagoras come up
with?
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Pythagoras developed the Pythagorean
theory used in geometry.
What are Sophists? What did they
teach?
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Sophists were professional teachers in ancient
Greece. They traveled from city to city teaching
others. They taught how to win an argument and
make good political speeches.
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Sophists did not believe in gods and goddesses
and rejected the idea of absolute right and wrong.
They also believed what is right for one could be
wrong for another.
Who was Socrates and what did he
believe in?
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Socrates was an Athenian sculptor whose true
love was philosophy. He was a critic of the
Sophists. Socrates left no writings behind.
Everything we know about Socrates was learned
from his students
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Socrates believed that absolute truth existed and
that all real knowledge was within each person.
What is the Socratic Method?
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Socratic Method: Asking pointed
questions to force his pupils to used their
reason and to see things for themselves.
What did Athenian leaders accuse
Socrates of doing?
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Athenian leaders considered Socratic method a
threat to their power. At one time there was open
debate in Athens, but the Athenian leaders did not
trust open debate after their defeat in the
Peloponnesian War.
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In 399 B.C., leaders accused Socrates of teaching
young Athenians to rebel against the state. A jury
found him guilty and sentenced him to death.
What was his punishment and how did
Socrates do to carry out his sentence?
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Socrates could have fled the city but
instead argued that he had to obey the
city’s law and drank poison to carry out the
jury’s sentence.
Who was Plato?
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Plato: was one of Socrates’ students.
Historians were able to learn a great deal
from the writings of Plato.
What did Plato’s book the Republic
explain?
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Republic: a work written by Plato. It
explained his ideas about government.
Why did Plato think democracy was
not a good form of government
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He stated that democracy was not a good
system of government and did not think
that rule of the people produced fair or
sensible policies.
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Plato believed that people could not live
good lives unless they had a just and
reasonable government.
What are the three groups of Plato’s
ideal government and describe them?
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1. Philosopher-kings who ruled with logic and
wisdom
2. Warriors—they defended the state from attack
3. Everyone else—driven by desire, not by
wisdom.
They produced the states food,
clothing, and shelter. Plato also believed men
and women should have the same education and
an equal chance to have the same job.
What school did Plato establish?
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Plato established a school in Athens known
as the Academy. The best student in the
Academy was named Aristotle
Describe Aristotle and the “golden
mean”.
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Aristotle: wrote more than 200 books on topics
ranging from government to the planets and stars.
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In 335 B.C., Aristotle opened his own school
called Lyceum. He taught his pupils the “golden
mean.” This idea holds that a person should do
nothing in excess. For example, a person should
not eat too little or too much but just enough to
stay well.
What was Aristotle the first to do in
grouping?
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Aristotle advanced in science and urged
people to use their senses to make
observations, just as scientist do today.
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Aristotle was the first person to group
observations according to similarities and
differences and then made generalizations
based on the facts.
In the book Politics, describe the three
types of governments mentioned. Who
used the Aristotle’s ideas on government?
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Aristotle studied 158 forms of government to come up with the
best form in the book Politics. Divided government into three
types:
1. Government by one person: king or queen or tyrant
2. Government by few people: aristocracy or oligarchy
3. Government by many people: Democracy
Aristotle’s ideas shaped the way Europeans and Americans
thought about government. The founders of the United States
Constitution tried to create a mixed government based on
Aristotle’s ideas.
What book did Herodotus write and in
what year?
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In 435 B.C., Herodotus wrote the History of
the Persian Wars.
How did Herodotus explain events and what is
his nickname by Western Historians?
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Herodotus tried to separate fact from fiction. He
asked questions, recorded answers, and checked
the truthfulness of his sources. He uses gods and
goddesses to explain events.
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Western historians consider him the “father of
history.”
Describe Thucydides. What book did he write?
What did historians consider him?
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Thucydides fought in the Peloponnesian
War. After he lost a battle, he was sent into
exile. He then wrote History of the
Peloponnesian War.
How does Thucydides differ Herodotus when explain
the events in his book History of the Peloponnesian
War?
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Herodotus wrote the History of the Persian Wars.
Herodotus tried to separate fact from fiction. He
asked questions, recorded answers, and checked
the truthfulness of his sources. He uses gods and
goddesses to explain events.
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Thucydides saw war and politics as the activities
of human beings, not gods. He also stressed the
importance of having accurate facts.