Skip to main content

Humanity

During the centuries covered by the four chapters you have read so far (2, 3, 4 and 5), some of the most well-known and influential figures of western philosophy rose to prominence: Plato, Aristotle, Lucretius, Marcus Aurelius and Augustine, to name but a few. Philosophy in the early days was something discussed in person, and on rare occasions formed later into poetry or dialogues (Socrates, in particular, never wrote at all), but increased literacy meant that the works of these thinkers were more widely disseminated and many were immensely influential in forming the political structure of new democratic governments (Plato was famous for having attempted to put his philosophical theory into practice in Sicily, an attempt which failed disastrously).

Throughout the rest of the textbook we will be encountering many other philosophical and religious writers, but in these three crucial periods many of the leading principles were laid down on which many of our own societies have been founded.

What we are going to do this week is to analyze some of the products of this philosophical thought, and to consider what it says about the societies of the time.

Review the following sections in your textbook:

  • Early Greek Philosophy (pp.43-44) [51-2];
  • Classical Greek Philosophy (pp.59-62) [66-69];
  • Roman Philosophy (pp.89-93) [97-100];
  • Classical and Christian Philosophy (pp.107-109) [114-117].

 

Now consider the following questions.

1.     What relationship do you perceive in the principal ideas formulated during these major periods of philosophical thinking?

2.     Did society develop or progress (either in a good or a bad way) as a result of pursuing any of these ideas?

3.     Can you see any similarities to other philosophies, such as those of Confucius (p.61) [68]or Buddha (pp.90-91) [98]?

4.     Did the spread of literacy have any influence, in your view, on the success of any particular philosophical theory?

 

You should aim to include:

  • What similarities you can perceive;
  • What developments or differences you can identify;
  • What effect the works of these philosophers had on their own society and on other contemporary societies.
  • Examples to illustrate your arguments, referenced according to the Citation guidelines.

 

 

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Bishop, Philip E. Adventures in the Human Spirit.6th [7th] Edn.  Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall. 2011 [2014]. Print.

 

 



Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Apply duty-based ethical theories to contemporary moral issues

Instructions In this research-based assessment, you will be applying a Kantian perspective to a contemporary moral issue. Current contemporary moral issues range from genetic engineering to issues related to the use of torture in wartime. For this assessment you will need to research contemporary moral issues and select one that will be the focus of your paper as you apply the Kantian perspective. Once you select your moral issue, you will need to address the following in a properly formatted research paper. · Explain what duty is according to Kant and how this view differs from other senses of duty. · Describe the relationship between a good will and duty for Kant. · Differentiate the two formulations of the Categorical Imperative. · How do these formulations apply to your selected contemporary moral issue? · Using the foundation of Kant’s moral theory explain how there is a moral duty for your selected contemporary moral issues. · Express your view as a maxim. · How feasible is it to...

1. Good time management for project managers includes initiating contact with key stakeholders only when there is a valid issue to deal with. -True -False

1. Good time management for project managers includes initiating contact with key stakeholders only when there is a valid issue to deal with. -True -False Click here for more on this paper ……. Click here to have a similar A+ quality paper done for you by one of our writers within the set deadline at a discounted 2. A project manager should identify a problem in terms of its alternate solutions so that team members can more easily reach a decision on how to solve the problem. -True -False 3. Networks are mutually beneficial alliances that are generally Click here for more on this paper ……. Click here to have a similar A+ quality paper done for you by one of our writers within the set deadline at a discounted governed by the law of: a Supply-demand b Brooks’s law c Reciprocity d A squeaky wheel e Risk-reward Click here for more on this paper ……. Click here to have a similar A+ quality paper done for you by one of our writers within the set deadline at a discounted 4...

How did life in the British colonies contribute to creating a unique American identity?

How did life in the British colonies contribute to creating a unique American identity? How do you see that identity manifested in modern American society? 200 to 300 words Click here for more on this paper ……. Click here to have a similar A+ quality paper done for you by one of our writers within the set deadline at a discounted Assignment status :  Solved by our Writing Team at EssayCabinet.com. MAKE YOUR ORDER