Ancient Philosophical Influences PT.1
Keywords
Forms
a name Plato gave to ideal concepts
Reason
using logical steps and thought processes in order to reach conclusions
Rationalist
Someone who thinks that the primary source of knowledge is reason
Empiricist
someone who thinks that the primary source of knowledge is experience gained through the five senses
Prime Mover
Aristotle's concept of the ultimate cause of movement and change in the universe
Socratic method
the method of philosophical of reasoning which involved critical questioning
Analogy
a comparison between one thing and another in an attempt to clarify meaning.
Transcedent
being beyond this world and outside the realms of ordinary experience
Dualism
the belief that reality can be divided into two distinct parts, such as good and evil, or physical and non-physical
Aetion
an explanatory factor, a reason or cause of something
Telos
the end, or purpose, of something
Theist
someone who believes in a God or gods
introduction
Aristotle and Plato had a profound effect on Christianity
Plato believed the world was an imitation of another, much greater reality - rationalist
Aristotle believed that the physical world around us can give us a great deal of information - empiricist
How have ancient Greek ideas become influential for the Christian philosophy of religion?
Ideas from Greek philosophy greatly influenced the writers of the New Testament
Alexander the Great caused the Greek culture to be highly influenced Jerusalem
People trying to figure out the main principles of Christian beliefs in the earliest days of religion has to try and answer some difficult questions.
Socrates
Founder of present philosophy
First to encourage a critical questioning of commonly held assumptions
Key features of Socrates' teachings was his habit of using questions to help find the answer to a problem
He was called a 'gadfly' by some: an insect which although small can cause immense irritation to a horse