A Full summary from lecture slides, Lecture notes and the whole Textbook: From Faith to Reason, By: William F. Lawhead.
All the Chapters for the May Exam 2017. Chapters 1 - 7
Chapter 1 - Ancient Greece
28 May 585 BCE - Thales predicts solar eclipse
Before: Homer and the Poets
• Myths
• Poets were seen as historians, scientists, theologians, educators and astronomers
• Shaped Greek worldview
• Explained events and origin of the universe
• Followed moral guidelines relating to honour and status
• Served religious function
• Inspired by Muses (goddesses of art and literature)
Myths
• " attempt to explain the unfamiliar and the mysterious in terms of what is familiar and
observable"
• Primary model for the Greeks - human beings' motivations and actions
• Greek gods are human
• Events were attributed to the anger or goodwill of the gods
World according to Homer
1. Events in the world are caused by Gods ( they are fickle and impulsive) - also element of
randomness in world, which means that there are some occurrences that we can never
explain (fate)
2. Humans and gods subject to fate - unyielding; amoral order which we cannot escape
3. Virtue = values of warrior heroes (and the gods) = "excellence" was the ultimate virtue and
entailed success, honour, power, wealth and moderation and security
4. Unclear about an objective moral order/justice (gods were usually only interested in their
own best interest, except for Zeus on occasion)
• The gods did not demand moral goodness, rather reverence - they could also be flattered
and bribed and people obeyed them out of fear
• Only exception is Zeus who sometimes got angry when people behaved immorally
• This exception will eventually be developed into the idea of an impersonal, universal and
moral order
Conflicts within Homer's worldview
1. Some events are caused by purposeful, but capricious gods ( and sometimes even humans)
2. Both humans and the gods are subject to fate/ but sometimes the gods denounce humans
for not acting morally (Zeus)
• Leads to the start of Greek philosophy and science
• The idea of "fate" later led to the idea of natural laws that are independent of the will of
any agent (divine or human)
New way of thinking
• From mythology, philosophy grows (6th century BCE)
• E.g Thales realises solar eclipse = regular, natural process - predictable and generalizable
• Hence, he is seen as the founder of the school of natural philosophy and Greek Astronomy
• He was probably influenced by the mathematics of the Egyptians and the astronomy of
Babylonians
• Birth of science and philosophy a we know it today - conclusions stand or fall on their
merits
Philosophy 122 Page 1
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through EFT, credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying this summary from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller jadeywolf. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy this summary for R80,00. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
