Ancient philosophy

Many things have changed since man was first made out of the dust of the earth, but the passage of time finds humanity today continuing to struggle with reality (and themselves) just as their predecessors did many years ago. Worldview (that is, one’s perception of reality) is critical to how an individual comes to terms with such things, as it both shapes and is shaped by the person who holds it. Plato, the ancient Greek philosopher, is no exception, but is noteworthy as much of Western thought stems from the contemplations of his enigmatic mind. The worldview held by this philosopher is based upon a moral framework of absolutely defined good and evil, a separation between a true self called “soul” and the physical body (just as archetypes…

There are three Chinese Philosophies in the ancient civilisation. Confucianism, Daoism, and legalism. I will tell you all about all three philosophies and how they work. The first one is Confucianism. It started in 551 to 479 B.C.E. The founder’s name was Confucius and he was born in Lu in eastern China. He deeply respected the Chinese traditions. Confucianism is the golden rule; respect others above you like father and son. Older sibling and younger sibling, friend and friend. It made the…

There are many different philosophies of government in China. This paper will be focused on the philosophies of earlier governments in China’s history, specifically the Qin and Han dynasties. This will also focus on the structure of their governments as well. Many questions will be answered about their structure and ideas, such as what do these philosophies address? How do these philosophies apply to governing a nation? What are the strengths and weaknesses of each? Other questions will be…

Incentive: Government Philosophies of Ancient China Throughout China’s expansive history, the nation has used a variety of foundations to justify their positions on political power. Though the claims change throughout the years, they tend to fall into one of two classifications: either the philosophy has a sacred, often religious basis, or it has a secular justification. Some methods of governance focus on severe punishments for breaking laws, and others expect a government to lead through…

I really enjoy writing about the philosophical thought that is at the root of this lifestyle we call minimalism. I especially like to write about the ideas of the ancient greek and roman thinkers like Epicurus, Epictetus, and Marcus Aurelius. At the same time, I 've been trying to cover a variety of topics over this first year-and-a-half of blogging, so I haven 't been writing about that particular subject lately. It 's also been a while since I 've read any philosophical works and I have…

Although St. Augustine was born about six hundred years before Plato and Aristotle, he nevertheless encountered the great thinkers through their works. Consequently, a plenitude of themes seen throughout the Ancient Greek philosophers’ books are scattered across saint’s letters and sermons. Because Augustine was a Catholic, however, there exist stark differences between the men’s ideas. Therefore, after naming and briefly describing several of St. Augustine’s writings, I argue that the Christian…

Just by embracing one philosophical teaching it could change and better your life. In the second half of the book, Philosophy For Life And Other Dangerous Situations by Jules Evans, Heraclitus, the Skeptics, Diogenes, Plato, Aristotle, and Socrates are all discussed. Each one of them provides a different philosophical teaching. Heraclitus taught us about the cosmic perspective, the Skeptics taught us to have our own opinion, Diogenes taught us to live simply, Plato taught us justice, Aristotle…

The ancient Polis of Athens was the fount head of philosophy and democratic ideals in the ancient world. Since it’s very beginning the Hellenistic world saw the development of a radical and unconventional art and way of thinking and appreciation of wisdom. This art of thinking and achieving wisdom is Philosophy. Philosophy comes from the Greek word of Philosophia which literally translates to the love of wisdom. In the ancient Hellenistic world especially in mainland Greece on the Attica…

In Chapter 2, “The Greek World”, I learned that in ancient Greece, they believed in the balance of philosophy. Their two traditions of “philosophia,” were Pre-Socratic which focusses on the natural world and Sophist which focusses on the human mind (power point 2). Hippocrates was known as the father of medicine and he focused on natural philosophy. According to the power point, he would have patients undergo physical and spiritual cleansing. Hippocrates was also famous for his healing,…

although the Church seemed almost as powerful as God Himself, it had its weaknesses. The Church could not explain how reality works through the Bible alone; it relied on Ancient Greek philosophy for those answers. The Church often used Aristotle, a famous Ancient Greek philosopher, as a source for answers about the world. In the movie The Name of the Rose, a monastery shows the weaknesses found in the Church’s reliance on Aristotle and how this seemingly unyielding power slowly crumbled.…