Thinking about Things:
Greek
& Chinese Philosophies
Themes:
Religion vs.
Philosophy
The Ideal World
vs. The Empirical World
Different
Words & the Difference of Things:
Theology
(literally the study of god)
Philosophy
(literally love of wisdom)
Religion as the
inspiration for philosophy
The Rise of
Philosophy in Ancient Greece
- Historical Context: The Polis
- Greek Myths, but the truth is this...
Thales of Miletus
(c. 625-540 B.C.E.)
- The search for the arché & the logos
Pythagoras (c.
530-510 B.C.E.)
Social
Lessons:
- Oedipus & the riddle of the
sphinx
- Oracle at Delphi: “Know thy self”
Socrates
(469-399 B.C.E.)
- “The wisest man because he
knows nothing.”
- The TRUTH vs. the Sophist: areté
- The Dialectical method (the Socratic
method)
Plato (c.
429-322 B.C.E.)
- “The unexamined life is not
worth living.”
- The Story of the
Cave & The Philosopher King
- The Theory of Recollection & the
Pure Forms
Aristotle
(384-322 B.C.E.)
- Happiness as the Highest Good
- Teleology & Self-Realization
- The Golden Mean
Hellenistic Philosophers
China in the
Warring States Period (403-221 B.C.E.)
Confucianism
- Confucius (551-479 B.C.E.)
- The Analects
- Teacher
- Humanistic Teachings
- junzi - gentlemen
- Jen – a sense of humanity/compassion
- Centralized State
- The Five Cardinal Relations
- Ruler/Subject
- Father/son
- Husband/Wife
- Older Brother/Younger Brother
- Friend/Friend
- Li – a sense of propriety
& ceremony
- Scholar-Bureacracy
- Family as the center of society
o
Xiao – filial piety
o
Patriarchal
- Mencius (372-289 B.C.E.)
- Believed humans are innately good
- Integrated the Mandate of Heaven
- Hsun-tzu/Xunzi (298-B.C.E.)
1. Believed humans are innately bad
2. Need for order
Taoism/Daoism
- Lao-Tzu/Laozi
- Tao-Te Ching
- Tao/Dao – The Way
- Te/De – Virtue/Integrity
- Wuwei – Non-action
Legalism
- Shan Yang & Han Feizi
- Qin Empire
Conclusion
Comparison of
Greek & Chinese philosophies
Deleuze: Expressions of Being