Phil 104A S17: Exam 2 Study Guide

Part I: Fill in the Blank. You should know the definitions of the following words for fill in the blank questions. A word bank will be provided:
  • Syllogism
  • Deductive
  • Valid
  • Invalid
  • Term
  • Necessary Truth
  • Good
  • Highest Good
  • Vedas
  • Moksha
  • Samsara
  • Karma
  • Atman
  • Brahman
  • Hedonism
  • Materialism
  • Proposition
  • Pantheism
  • Skepticism
Part II: Short Answer. You should be able to explain the following concepts:
  • An Aristotelian Syllogism.
  • Aristotle's Model of Knowledge.
  • Aristotle's account of a function and the related concepts of virtue and vice. You should be able to illustrate this with an example.
  • Aristotle's conception of the function of a human being.
  • Aristotle's account of a virtue. You should be able to illustrate this with an example. 
  • The four sorts of writings that make up the Vedas.
  • The implications of the Hindu concept of Karma.
  • The four paths to god in Hinduism.
  • The four schools of Hinduism we discussed in class.
  • The defining feature or aim of Hellenistic philosophy.
  • You should be able to give a brief explanation of what characterizes the four schools of Hellenistic Philosophy. In particular, you should be able to explain how each school thinks we can achieve ataraxia or apatheia:
    1. The Cynics
    2. The Epicureans
    3. The Stoics
    4. The Pyrrhonic Skeptics 
  • The story of Alexander and Diogenes and its significance.
  • The source of the name "Cynic" and its significance.
  • Epicurus' account of happiness. 
  • Epicurean epistemology and metaphysics.
  • The Epicurean account of the best sort of life for humans.
  • The appeal of Stoicism
  • The difference between Stoic and Aristotelian logic, and the significance of this difference.
  • The Stoic account of metaphsyics.
  • The Stoic conception of God.
  • Be able to articulate at least two Pyrrhonic modes and explain the significance of these modes generally for Pyrrhonic Skepticism. 
  • The classic objection to Skepticism and the Pyrrhonic response.
Part III: Essay. You should be prepared to write an essay in which you compare two of the Hellenistic schools to the earlier traditions of Greek philosophy that we studied. In particular, you should explain some of the core doctrines of each school and explain where those ideas come from in the earlier Greek tradition. 
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