Ancient Greek-Roman philosophy

Key findings

V theory of philosophy

V history of philosophy

Functions of philosophy

Four basic functions of philosophy:

1. Outlook functionof philosophy is the ability to give a united picture of the world in general, to combine data of sciences, arts, practices.

2. Methodological functionis to identify ways to achieve some goal, such as scientific knowledge, aesthetic creativity, social practice.

3. Humanistic functionis implemented in a very careful attention to the man, this function is referring to man as the active phenomenon.

4. The practical function of philosophy is, above all, the aspiration to moral, ethical virtue of the people.

 

Philosophy course consists of…

and

Periods of evolution of philosophy:

§ The ancient oriental philosophy

§ The philosophy of ancient Greece and Rome

§ Medieval philosophy

§ The philosophy of Renaissance

§ The New Age Philosophy

§ German classical philosophy

§ Philosophy of the 19th century

§ Philosophy of the 20th century

§ Present-day Philosophy

Philosophy is the subjective search for answers to the fundamental issues of existance.

Philosophy is ethical man’s attitude to the world.

Appointment of philosophy is an understanding the world and human security of the universal conditions of improvement.

 

 

Ancient Greek and then Roman Mythology and Philosophy covers the period of 11-12 centuries BC. till 5-6 centuries AD.

It originated in ancient Greek city states of democratic orientation. Its methods of philosophy distinguished from the ancient Oriental ways of philosophizing with mythological explanation of the world, in the beginning in the works of Homer and Hesiod’s writings.

Of course, the early Greek philosophy is closely linked with the mythology, with sensuous imagery and metaphorical language. However, it immediately search to consider relation of sensual images of the world and world as the infinite cosmos.

 

For myth as non-reflexive forms of consciousness the image of the world and the real world are indistinguishable and therefore are not com’patible (несовместимы).

Being associated with a variety of elements that are in continuous change, and consciousness associated with a limited number of concepts, denied these elements in a stationary constant form.

Investigation for first principles of fixity (тұрақтылық) in the changing cycle of events of the i’mmense (шексіз) space was the main object for the first thinkers. Philosophy, therefore, appears as the doctrine of “first principles and causes” (Aristotle).

 

Development of ancient philosophy can be divided into three main periods:

1. Pre-Socraticcovers the period from 7th till 5th BC.

2. Classical(Hellenistic) covers the period from 5th till 2th BC.

3. Post-Socratic (Roman- Hellenistic)covers the period from 1th till 5-6th AD.

Criterion of such division is the basic problems, which were put in the certain period.

The basic problem of before Socratic was an outlook issue on essence of the world. A very first question was “What is beginning of all things”?

 

The first school, which tried to answer this question, was the Milesian school. The founder was Thales. He considered that there is water in the basis of the world. It meant life is there, where water is.

His follower Anaximenes of Miletus considered, that firstprimary (негізгі) cause is air, because all exists in the space of air.

His other follower Anaximander considered as a basis a certain substation, which he named apeiron.

 

Next school was Pythagoras’ school. He taught, that all consists of numbers, because anything develops through another one.

 

The following doctrine was the doctrine of Heraclitus, who put in the basis of universe the concept of movement. “It’s impossible to enter the same river”. Image of movement is fire.

All things come into being by conflict of opposites, and the sum of things (ta hola, “the whole”) flows like a stream.

“The idea that all things come to pass in accordance with Logos

 

Heraclitus’ philosophy developed in ideological struggle with theEley School doctrine. The most famous representatives of this school are Parmenides and Zeno of Elea.

They considered that there is no such phenomenon, as fundamental movement. Movement it only aggregate of fragments. Basis is emptiness

Zeno's paradoxes (aporia) are a set of problems generally thought to have been doctrine that “all is one”.