Ancient Greeks

Question 1

Who was the first moral philosopher in Ancient Greece?

Answer 1

Socrates

Question 2

What did Socrates believe to be the “one supreme good” and how did we attain this?

Answer 2

Virtue is the one supreme good and we attain this through knowledge. Knowledge=Virtue=Happiness

Question 3

What did Socrates believe about good and evil?

Answer 3

Socrates believed that all evil acts are involuntary as evil doers are ignorant of the fact that virtue alone brings true happiness,

Question 4

According to Socrates, our true self is our…

Answer 4

Soul

Question 5

Who believed it is better to suffer an injustice rather than commit one because when we commit an injustice we are harming our soul?

Answer 5

Socrates

Question 6

Who was founder of dialectics( discourse between two or more people holding opposing views in order to establish the truth through reasoning) ?

Answer 6

Socrates

Question 7

What is a common name used to describe philosophers: Thales of Miletus, Anaximander of Miletus, Anaximenes, Parmenides, Heraclitus and Democritus?

Answer 7

Pre-Socratic philosophers

Question 8

Which philosopher aimed to find naturalistic explanations of the world instead of the popular belief that the Gods caused changes in the earth?

Answer 8

Thales of Miletus

Question 9

Thales of Miletus believed that the universe was rational and orderly therefore there had to be a unifying principle. What was the unifying principle called?

Answer 9

Phusis/ Arche which Thales said was water.

Question 10

Why is Thales of Miletus commonly said to be the first true scientist?

Answer 10

Thales’ naturalistic explanations of the universe which eschews any supernatural claims are similar to modern day Physics.

Question 11

What is mind-body dualism?

Answer 11

The division of the mind and body; the view that they are distinct and separable.

Question 12

Which Pre-Socratic philosopher believed that all existing things came from and would dissolve back into the “Apeiron” from which they came?

Answer 12

Anaximander of Miletus

Question 13

Which Pre-Socratic philosopher stated that the only reality in the universe is change thus making him a sceptic?

Answer 13

Heraclitus

Question 14

Who was the founder of Atomism?

Answer 14

Democritus

Question 15

What were the fundamental beliefs of Atomists?

Answer 15

Material determinism; there is no free will as there is no will to direct the atoms. Nothing happens at random, it occurs out of reason and necessity.

Question 16

Define epistemology…

Answer 16

the branch of philosophy concerned with the theory of knowledge

Question 17

The Sophists were humanists, what were their fundamental beliefs?

Answer 17

Sophists believed that truth is subjective to the perceiver, truth is that which we experience. No hidden reality is required in order to experience the truth like Democritus believed.

Question 18

Unlike Socrates, what did Plato believe caused bad behaviour or wrongdoing?

Answer 18

Plato believed that bad behaviour was caused by a failure of the rational soul to master the desiring soul.

Question 19

Plato believed two things about true knowledge, what were they?

Answer 19

True knowledge is knowledge of the Forms and true knowledge is innate.

Question 20

Plato’s Theory of the Forms explains the existence of a physical realm and a spiritual realm. What exists in each of these realms?

Answer 20

The physical realm is what we perceive as our reality and all things in this realm are imperfect and changing. In the spiritual realm(Realm of Forms), the forms are abstract, perfect and unchanging concepts and ideals .

Question 21

Which post Socratic philosopher was often called the first true scientist because he believed that the best way to gain knowledge was through natural philosophy?

Answer 21

Aristotle

Question 22

Aristotle believed that the soul and the body aren’t separate. What are the 3 forms of souls according to him?

Answer 22

Nutritive soul, Sensitive soul and Rational soul.

Question 23

What is the difference between Forms and matter according to Aristotle?

Answer 23

Forms are what something is, how it became to be and the purpose for which it exists. Matter is simply the material something is made of.

Question 24

Democritus stated that only through reason can we obtain legitimate knowledge. Which philosopher would disagree with this and why?

Answer 24

Aristotle believed that reason is separate from truthfulness. Through reasoning we can arrive at a true conclusion and thus a logical argument despite the premises being false. This he termed, the Principle of non-contradiction.