Western-Philosophy

WesternPhilosophyOriginsofWesternThinkingHistoryofWesternPhilosophy•Ancientphilosophy•TransitiontoMedievalEra•Renaissancephilosophy•Earlymodernera(17th&18thCenturies)•ModernphilosophyAncientPhilosophy600BCE–500CE•WhyDoestheWestThinktheWayItDoes?ItgoesbacktotheancientClassicalGreeks.Theycreatedasystemofthinking:Philosophy.TheGreeksprizedorderandperfectioninshapesandnature.Theywonderedaboutnumbers,orders,andlogic.ThiswaspasseddowntotheRomans,andbeyond.•Westernphilosophyandthinkingallbeginswithdoubtanduncertaintyregardingtheworld.•Nothingiscertain,soacertainwondermustbepresenttoknowanythingforsure.•Thefirstistoformulateaquestionorproblemtobesolved.•ChristianityandreligiousdoctrinewaspopularintheWestbecauseittookawaythatuncertaintyintheMiddleAges.EightSchoolsofAncientPhilosophy1.Cynicism:thepurposeoflifewastolivealifeofVirtueinagreementwithNature,rejectingallconventionaldesiresforwealth,power,health,fame;livingasimplelife(Diogenes)第欧根尼(约公元前404-323)2.Epicureanism:Epicurusbelievedthatwhathecalledpleasureisthegreatestgood,butthewaytoattainsuchpleasureistolivemodestlyandtogainknowledgeoftheworkingsoftheworldandthelimitsofone'sdesires.伊壁鸠鲁（公元前341~前270年）3.Hedonism:bodilypleasure“戏得你生”--享乐主义4.Eclecticism:multipletypes折衷主义5.Neo-Platonism:focusedonthespiritualandcosmologicalaspectsofPlatonicthought,synthesizingPlatonismwithEgyptianandJewishtheology.6.Skepticism:absolutetruthisuncertain7.Stoicism:斯多葛学派TheStoicstaughtthatdestructiveemotionsresultedfromerrorsinjudgment,andthatasage,orpersonofmoralandintellectualperfection,wouldnotsuffersuchemotions.ZenoofCitium8.Sophism:InancientGreece,sophistswereacategoryofteacherswhospecializedinusingthetoolsofphilosophyandrhetoricforthepurposeofteachingexcellenceorvirtue—predominantlytoyoungstatesmenandnobility.Philosophers•Socrates-Math•Plato-Philosophy•Aristotle-ScienceTheircollectiveinfluenceextendedintotheRenaissance,Enlightenment,andScientificRevolution.TransitiontoMedievalEra500-1350•DuringtheMedievaltimes,ChristianityruledallofEurope.So,Goddominatedthelandscape.•GodistheSource:InmedievalphilosophyGodisthefoundationofeverything.•TheinfluenceofmedievalphilosophyisstillwidelyapparentintheWesternworldtoday.•ThefoundersoftheUnitedStatesallincludedGodasthesupremeauthorityintheirwritings.•…itwouldbepeculiarlyimpropertoomitinthisfirstofficialactmyferventsupplicationstothatAlmightyBeingwhorulesovertheuniverse,whopresidesinthecouncilsofnations,andwhoseprovidentialaidssupplyeveryhumandefect,thatHisbenedictionmayconsecratetothelibertiesandhappinessofthepeopleoftheUnitedStatesaGovernmentinstitutedbythemselvesfortheseessentialpurposes,…(美国总统乔治华盛顿第一次就职演讲)•“onenationunderGod,indivisible,withlibertyandjusticeforall.”(fromtheReportoftheUnitedStatesCommissiononCivilRights)•ManywesternphilosophersagreethatbecauseGodistrue,thereforeallelseistrueCosmologicalArgument(宇宙论)CosmologicalArgument•Everythingthatexistshasacause•But,whatcausedthefirstcause?•ThecausethatcausedallothercausesisknownasGod•Thatfirstcausehasnocause•Thus,Godhasalwaysexisted来源网站|查看原图MedievalPhilosophy•BasicallyreliedonPlato’smysticalteachingsratherthanAristotle’sscientificthinking•But,Charlemagne,theFrenchconquerorintheMiddleAges,attractedBritishscholarstoestablishschools,andstartedtheScholasticismmovement来源网站|查看原图Scholasticism经院主义•MixedChristianitywithancientphilosophy•LogicandperfectionofgeometryusedtoexplaintheexistenceofGod•Soarelationshipwascreatedbetweenfaithandreason•St.Thomas-Aquinaswhowasimportantforconnectingtrueknowledgewithreligion托马斯·阿奎纳MedievalScholasticSchoolsInfluenceToday•IntheUSA,someuniversitiesareveryreligious•InWesterncountries,scienceandGodoftengotogetherTheUniversityofNotreDameGeorgetownUniversityRenaissancePhilosophy1350-1600•PhilosophicalchangesduringthistimewaswhatstartedtheModernworld•Therewerefivemaincategoriesofphilosophicaldevelopment:1.Heliocentrism2.Hermeticism3.Humanism4.Neoplatonism5.SecularismHeliocentricism(日心说)•ancientGreeceandRom:geocentrism地心说•IntheRenaissance,Galileo’sobservations,Kepler’smathematics,andCopernicus’theoryofheliocentrismprovedthemechanicsHumanism•Moreemphasiswasplacedontheindividual,insteadofonthecountryasawhole•ArtistsandphilosophersstudiedhumanbeingsandtheirstrugglewithinlifeHumanismTheHumanistmovementiswhatstartedthedemocracymovementsintheUnitedStatesandFranceTheHumanistsbelievedinthepowerofpeopletosolveproblemsandunderstandtheworldSecularism世俗主义;政教分离论•SocietyshouldbefreefromreligionandGod•EventhoughAmericawasfoundedonChristianreligiousbeliefs,themakersofthecountrybelievedinaseparationofgovernmentandtheChurchEarlyModernEra17th&18thCenturies•Rationalism(理性主义)•Empiricism（经验主义）•PoliticalPhilosophyRationalism•ReneDescartes–Frenchmathematician•“IthinkthereforeIam”•Hefoundthathecouldquestioneverythingintheworld:whetherGodwasreal,whetheranythingwasreal,buthecouldnotdoubtthatheexisted.Empiricism•Reasonaccompaniedsensualknowledge•Sensualknowledgeisanyinformationgainedfromseeing,hearing,feeling,tasting,andsmelling•JohnLockeandFrancisBaconwerekeymembersofthismovementPoliticalPhilosophy•T