|
Golden Mean (philosophy)
The golden mean or golden middle way is the desirable middle between two extremes, one of excess and the other of deficiency. It appeared in Greek at least as early as the Delphic maxim "nothing in excess", which was discussed in Plato's '' Philebus''. Aristotle analyzed the golden mean in the Nicomachean Ethics Book II: That virtues of character can be described as means. It was subsequently emphasized in Aristotelian virtue ethics. For example, in the Aristotelian view, courage is a virtue, but if taken to excess would manifest as recklessness, and, in deficiency, cowardice. The middle way form of government for Aristotle was a blend between monarchy, democracy and aristocracy. History Western philosophy Crete The earliest representation of this idea in culture is probably in the mythological Cretan tale of Daedalus and Icarus. Daedalus, a famous artist of his time, built feathered wings for himself and his son so that they might escape the clutches of King Minos. D ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Delphic Maxims
The Delphic maxims are a set of moral precepts that were inscribed on the Temple of Apollo in the ancient Greek precinct of Delphi. The three best known maxims – "Know thyself", "Nothing in excess", and "Give a pledge and trouble is at hand" – were prominently located at the entrance to the temple, and were traditionally said to have been authored by the legendary Seven Sages of Greece, or even by Apollo. In fact, they are more likely to have simply been popular proverbs. Each maxim has a long history of interpretation, although the third of the set has received comparatively little attention. A further 147 maxims, documented by Stobaeus in the 5th century AD, were also located somewhere in the vicinity of the temple. The antiquity and authenticity of these maxims was once in doubt, but recent archaeological discoveries have confirmed that some of the sayings quoted by Stobaeus were current as early as the 3rd century BC. Entrance maxims Three maxims are known to have been ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cleobulus
Cleobulus (; , ''Kleoboulos ho Lindios''; fl. 6th century BC) was a Greek poet and a native of Lindos. He is one of the Seven Sages of Greece. Life Cleobulus was the son of Evagoras and a citizen of Lindus in Rhodes. Clement of Alexandria called Cleobulus king of the Lindians, and Plutarch spoke of him as the tyrant. The letter quoted by Diogenes Laërtius, in which Cleobulus invites Solon to Lindus as a democratic place of refuge from the tyrant Peisistratus in Athens, is undoubtedly a later forgery. Cleobulus is also said to have studied philosophy in Egypt.Diogenes Laërtius, i. 89 He had a daughter, Cleobulina, who found fame as a poet, composing riddles in hexameter verse. Cleobulus is said to have lived to the age of seventy, and to have been greatly distinguished for strength and beauty of person. Extant fragments Cleobulus apparently wrote lyric poems, as well as riddles in verse. Diogenes Laërtius also ascribes to him the inscription on the tomb of Midas, of whic ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Magnificence (history Of Ideas)
The word magnificence comes from the Latin “”, which means to do something great. The Latin word draws on the Greek “”. This noun conveys the meaning of doing something great which is fitting or seemly to the circumstance. Magnificence is a philosophical, aesthetic, and socio-economic notion deeply rooted in Western culture since classical antiquity. Magnificence in Classical Antiquity Plato Plato offered the first philosophical interpretation of the concept of magnificence. He separated (magnanimity) from (magnificence), which had been synonymous in archaic Greek. Magnificence (μεγαλοπρεπεια) is one of the virtues listed by Meno in Plato's dialogue of that name. Magnificence is the special quality in Plato's conception of the philosopher-king, as presented in the fifth and sixth books of ''The Republic''. Only those with a philosophical and educational temperament understand the difference between good and evil. The philosopher is magnificent, gracious ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Liberality
Generosity (also called largesse) is the virtue of being liberal in giving, often as gifts. Generosity is regarded as a virtue by various world religions and philosophies and is often celebrated in cultural and religious ceremonies. Scientific investigation into generosity has examined the effect of a number of scenarios and games on individuals' generosity, potential links with neurochemicals such as oxytocin, and generosity's relationship with similar feelings such as empathy. Other uses Generosity often encompasses acts of charity, in which people give without expecting anything in return. This can involve offering time, assets, or talents to assist those in need, such as during natural disasters, where people voluntarily contribute resources, goods, and money. The impact of generosity is most profound when it arises spontaneously rather than being directed by an organization. People can experience joy and satisfaction when they positively affect someone's life through acts ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Temperance (virtue)
Temperance in its modern use is defined as moderation or voluntary self-restraint. It is typically described in terms of what a person voluntarily refrains from doing. This includes restraint from revenge by practicing mercy and forgiveness, restraint from arrogance by practicing humility and modesty, restraint from excesses such as extravagant luxury or splurging, restraint from overindulgence in food and drink, and restraint from rage or craving by practicing calmness and equanimity. The distinction between temperance and self-control is subtle. A person who exhibits self-control wisely refrains from giving in to unwise desires. A person who exhibits temperance does not have unwise desires in the first place because they have wisely shaped their character in such a way that their desires are proper ones. Aristotle suggested this analogy: An intemperate person is like a city with bad laws; a person who lacks self control is like a city that has good laws on the books but doesn’ ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Courage
Courage (also called bravery, valour ( British and Commonwealth English), or valor (American English)) is the choice and willingness to confront agony, pain, danger, uncertainty, or intimidation. Valor is courage or bravery, especially in battle. Physical courage is bravery in the face of physical pain, hardship, even death, or threat of death; while moral courage is the ability to act rightly in the face of popular opposition, shame, scandal, discouragement, or personal loss. The classical virtue of fortitude (, ) is also translated as "courage", but includes the aspects of perseverance and patience. In the Western tradition, notable thoughts on courage have come from philosophers Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Aquinas, and Kierkegaard; as well as Christian beliefs and texts. In the Hindu tradition, mythology has given many examples of courage; with examples of both physical and moral courage exemplified. In the Eastern tradition, the Chinese text '' Tao Te Ching'' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Aristotelian Ethics
Aristotle first used the term ''ethics'' to name a field of study developed by his predecessors Socrates and Plato which is devoted to the attempt to provide a rational response to the question of how humans should best live. Aristotle regarded ethics and politics as two related but separate fields of study, since ethics examines the good of the individual, while politics examines the good of the city-state, which he considered to be the best type of community. Aristotle's writings have been read more or less continuously since ancient times, and his ethical treatises in particular continue to influence philosophers working today. Aristotle emphasized the practical importance of developing excellence (virtue) of character (Greek ''ēthikē aretē''), as the way to achieve what is finally more important, excellent conduct (Greek '' praxis''). As Aristotle argues in Book II of the '' Nicomachean Ethics'', the man who possesses character excellence will tend to do the right thing, a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Politics (Aristotle)
''Politics'' (, ') is a work of political philosophy by Aristotle, a 4th-century BC Greek philosopher. At the end of the ''Nicomachean Ethics'', Aristotle declared that the inquiry into ethics leads into a discussion of politics. The two works are frequently considered to be parts of a larger treatiseor perhaps connected lecturesdealing with the "philosophy of human affairs". In Aristotle's hierarchical system of philosophy he considers politics, the study of communities, to be of higher priority than ethics, which concerns individuals. The title of ''Politics'' literally means "the things concerning the ()", and is the origin of the modern English word politics. As Aristotle explains, this is understood by him to be a study of how people should best live together in communitiesthe being seen by him as the best and most natural community for humans. The history of Greek city-states, their wars and intrigues and political churning, was well-documented. In addition to such ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Aristotle
Aristotle (; 384–322 BC) was an Ancient Greek philosophy, Ancient Greek philosopher and polymath. His writings cover a broad range of subjects spanning the natural sciences, philosophy, linguistics, economics, politics, psychology, and the arts. As the founder of the Peripatetic school of philosophy in the Lyceum (classical), Lyceum in Athens, he began the wider Aristotelianism, Aristotelian tradition that followed, which set the groundwork for the development of modern science. Little is known about Aristotle's life. He was born in the city of Stagira (ancient city), Stagira in northern Greece during the Classical Greece, Classical period. His father, Nicomachus (father of Aristotle), Nicomachus, died when Aristotle was a child, and he was brought up by a guardian. At around eighteen years old, he joined Plato's Platonic Academy, Academy in Athens and remained there until the age of thirty seven (). Shortly after Plato died, Aristotle left Athens and, at the request ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Eudemian Ethics
The ''Eudemian Ethics'' (; or ''De moribus ad Eudemum'') is a work of philosophy by Aristotle. Its primary focus is on ethics, making it one of the primary sources available for study of Aristotelian ethics. It is named for Eudemus of Rhodes, a pupil of Aristotle who may also have had a hand in editing the final work. It is commonly believed to have been written before the ''Nicomachean Ethics'', although this is controversial. Overview The ''Eudemian Ethics'' is less well known than Aristotle's ''Nicomachean Ethics'', and, when scholars refer simply to the ''Ethics'' of Aristotle, the latter is generally intended. The ''Eudemian Ethics'' is shorter than the ''Nicomachean Ethics'', eight books as opposed to ten, and some of its most interesting passages are mirrored in the latter. Books IV, V, and VI of the ''Eudemian Ethics'', for example, are identical to Books V, VI, and VII of the ''Nicomachean Ethics'', and as a result some critical editions of the former include only Bo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Laws (dialogue)
The ''Laws'' () is Plato's last and longest dialogue. The conversation depicted in the work's twelve books begins with the question of who is given the credit for establishing a civilization's laws. Its musings on the ethics of government and law have frequently been compared to Plato's more widely read ''Republic''. Some scholars see this as the work of Plato as an older man having failed in his effort to guide the rule of the tyrant Dionysius II of Syracuse. These events are alluded to in the '' Seventh Letter''. The text is noteworthy as the only Platonic dialogue not to feature Socrates. Setting Characters Unlike most of Plato's dialogues, Socrates does not appear in the ''Laws''. The conversation is instead led by an Athenian Stranger * An Athenian "Stranger" () * Cleinias of Knossos * Megillus of Sparta Summary The Athenian Stranger joins the other two on their religious pilgrimage from Knossos, on Crete to the cave of Zeus on Mount Ida. The entire dialogue takes p ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Plato
Plato ( ; Greek language, Greek: , ; born BC, died 348/347 BC) was an ancient Greek philosopher of the Classical Greece, Classical period who is considered a foundational thinker in Western philosophy and an innovator of the written dialogue and dialectic forms. He influenced all the major areas of theoretical philosophy and practical philosophy, and was the founder of the Platonic Academy, a philosophical school in History of Athens, Athens where Plato taught the doctrines that would later become known as Platonism. Plato's most famous contribution is the theory of forms, theory of forms (or ideas), which aims to solve what is now known as the problem of universals. He was influenced by the pre-Socratic thinkers Pythagoras, Heraclitus, and Parmenides, although much of what is known about them is derived from Plato himself. Along with his teacher Socrates, and his student Aristotle, Plato is a central figure in the history of Western philosophy. Plato's complete ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
