Flashcards
Hellenistic Philosophy and and Ideas
Cards in this deck (12)
- 1Traditional vs new view of the Hellenistic period intellectuallyTraditionally thought of to be a stagnant period of intellectual philosophy - post Aristotle
Actually not true - really dynamic philosophic environment - growth of different philosophies - Greeks thinking about morals, religion, life etc. New areas of speculation and engagement in debates and discussions both passionate and profound
Many schools of philosophy. - 2What were some influential philosophic movements?Stoic
Epicurean
Cynic
Sceptic
Peripatetic
Academic - 3Where did followers of Aristotle and Plato go?Aristotle - Peripatetic
Plato - Academic, and some also became advocates of the school of Scepticism - 4Why have some of these words for schools of philosophy entered our language?Hellenistic philosophers tried to give a complete guide to life - lend themselves (broad themes of these schools) to being used in a metaphorical sense for modern everyday life.
- 5What are the problems with the evidence?Not many sources survive - hundreds of philosophers wrote but only fragments survive
Fragments of the sources we do have
Later sources talking about them - Roman writers take ideas from Hellenistic period and apply them eg. Cicero, Lucretius, Seneca, but we don't have the originals often - 6Centre of this intellectual hub?Athens remains centre, still has glamour of being the true home of philosophical enlightenment - but there is a big break in the philosophical world
Very diverse - many schools of thought offered - Aristotle wouldn't recognise it
Mecca to non-Greek from eastern Med wanting to learn Greek culture
Social links in movement
Academy of Plato, Epicurean gardens, Stoa of Socrates, Lyceum of Aristotle - intellectual, diverse, dynamic places - even Romans came to these places - 7What impact did Alexander the Great have?His Hellenisation of the eastern Mediterranean had excited non-Greeks to know more about Greek culture - Athens was the Mecca due to schools of Aristotle and Plato
Many new philosophers hailed from the eastern Med - 8The CynicsFounded by Diogenes of Sinope - exile in Athens
Living according to nature
All parts of life - clothing, politics, etc. - human inventions and should reject social conventions
These get away from happiness and the true meaning of life - need to live a frugal, ascetic life to be happy and forgo material pleasures - happiness comes from nature - 9The StoicsLeading Stoics - Zeno, Cleanthes, Chrysippus, Panaetius, Posidonius
Same idea as cynics of virtuous life
Very serious, rational, not giving into "disruptive emotions"
Unified main parts of philosophy; logic, physics and ethos.
Idea of order - universe is governed by reason (logos) which permeates all of reality and orders everything
To be a good human this underlying purpose should be recognised - indestructible purpose - reason
All humans have a part of this within their souls and need to use it to live in accordance to the guiding powers of reason
Great interest in logic - advances to Aristotlelian logic - 10The EpicureansFounded late fourth century by Epicurus in Samos, found it's way to Athens - Epicurean gardens
Developed alongside stoicism - polar opposite
No logic to the universe - all just matter of atoms and void - swerve of atoms allows for human free will
Shouldn't be afraid of the gods or afterlife - atoms will disperse
Humans should thus pursue pleasure whilst alive - static pleasures - satisfaction, contemplation, enjoyment
Freedom from mental and physical distress (ataraxia and aponia)
Virtues are a means to obtain pleasure and happiness - not good in themselves (differs to Stoicism) - 11Peripatetics and AcademicsPeripatetics stay conservative
Academics frequently go over to Scepticism, choosing elements of doubt over elements of dogmatism (Plato's approach) - eg. Carneades went over from being a full Academic to refute all dogmatic doctrines, particularly Stoicism, and even Epicureanism
Pyrrho lead the first school of Scepticism - 12Did Hellenistic philosophy become disconnected from society and politics?Approaches of the main schools differed to poleis centred thinking of Classical philosophers such as Aristotle and Plato
Political and social concerns less central
Found new ways to think about the relationship between the individual and society - Cynics and Stoics invent new idea of cosmopolitanism - human race is the poleis, one community, all borders are artificial, there is only one humanity
Epicuran social contract - stay out of debate but don't ignore politics - some social engagement is necessary or desirable
Philosophy was a "way of life" not just arcane thinking and so had direct social impact
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- Greek World 1B Flashcards on Hellenistic Philosophy and and Ideas, created by rebecca.clarence on 27/04/2015.
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- rebecca.clarence · Apr 2015
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- Feb 19, 2016
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