Flashcards on Western Philosophy: History and Key Concepts
Western Philosophy: History and Key Concepts - Student Guide
Tap to flip · Swipe to navigate
Ancient Greek Philosophy
45 cards
Card 1
Question: What is Heraclitus' basic ontological view of the universe?
Answer: Universe is in constant change (flux); change is the fundamental nature of the cosmos (panta rhei).
Card 2
Question: What does Heraclitus mean by Logos?
Answer: Logos is the law of change that controls creation and extinction, keeps things in balance, and is the only stable thing.
Card 3
Question: Give Heraclitus' famous metaphor about change.
Answer: "You can never step in the same river twice."
Card 4
Question: What epistemological stance did Heraclitus take about the senses?
Answer: He held that the senses are a reliable source of knowledge.
Card 5
Question: How did Cratylus, a follower of Heraclitus, extend his views?
Answer: He argued everything changes, even change itself, and that words change meaning so quickly it's impossible to describe anything consistently.
Card 6
Question: What is Parmenides' basic ontological claim?
Answer: The universe is stable and unchanging; change and movement are illusions of the senses—only Being exists.
Card 7
Question: How does Parmenides define 'Being' versus 'Non-being'?
Answer: 'Being is, non-being isn't'—only Being exists; non-being does not exist, so change requiring non-being is impossible.
Card 8
Question: What did Parmenides claim about the reliability of the senses?
Answer: Senses are not reliable; pure reason is the better path to knowledge.
Card 9
Question: How did Zeno use paradoxes to support Parmenides?
Answer: Zeno's paradoxes (e.g., Achilles and the tortoise) argued that assuming motion leads to logical contradictions, supporting the view that true reality
Card 10
Question: What central problem do Heraclitus and Parmenides address together?
Answer: They address how to reconcile the obvious change in the world with the idea that reality has stability.