Description
These are not singular questions. They are comprehensive, multi-layered questions that require an approach from multiple angles of thought and require substantial description and explanation to answer adequately. That said, please take your time with them and give them the consideration they need. You will need to draw from the lecture slides, the text, and the videos as sources of information.
Your written-responses should be…
- Typed out in your own words
- Clear and articulate
- Thoughtful
- Show a clear grasp of the material we’ve covered
- A bare minimum of 250 words FOR EACH QUESTION is required
1, We’ve looked at the metaphysics of Plato and Aristotle, and you should be able to compare and contrast the two explaining both their similarities and differences. For Plato, you will need to go back and look at the analogy of the sun, the divided line, and the allegory of the cave. For Aristotle, we looked at the BBC documentary which mentions his metaphysics, which we also covered in more detail in the lecture slides about the four causes. You should also look to the book (see table of contents for page numbers. Basically what I’m looking for you to explain how the term eidos (form) is central to their metaphysical systems, and how they conceptualize the term differently.
2,We’ve looked at ethical theory of Aristotle, and two schools of thought that followed in his wake, the Stoics and the Epicureans. First, you should give a general overview of Aristotle’s ethics … specifically, why it is called “virtue ethics”, and what is the role and meaning of the term, eudaimonia. Then, compare the Stoic and Epicurean uses of eudaimonia and their respective additions to the idea. Finally, contrast their metaphysical systems in order to explain how they reach different paths to eudaimonia.
3.With the rise of Christianity in the Greco-Roman world, we see a convergence of two cultures with two different conceptions of history. This is cover in both the book and the lecture slides. We also see a fusion of Christian doctrine and Greek philosophy most poignantly in the works of Augustine. How does Augustine interpret the Stoic concept of Logos with the Christian narrative? How does he reconcile Platonism with Christianity … specifically regarding the notion of time?
4, The re-introduction of Aristotle to Western Europe corresponded with a prolific growth in the establishment of universities throughout the Roman Catholic world. How did Aristotle’s writings make their way back to the West? What impact did it have on medieval scholasticism? And more specifically, how did Thomas Aquinas reconcile Aristotle’s metaphysics with Christian doctrine? Specifically, I am referring to his five a posteriori arguments for the existence of God.