PHI 210 FINAL EXAM QUESTIONS
WITH 100% CORRECT ANSWERS
Describe the Greek to Arabic to Latin translation movement - Answer- Arabic scholars
found Greek philosophy and translated it into Arabic, then Christian scholars found the
Arabic translations and translated them into Latin
Describe Roger Bacon's experimental science - Answer- - Used experimental science
(experiences as evidence) to describe knowledge of the world that is gained from
senses
- used in three ways: to investigate conclusions of other more speculative sciences, to
construct new instruments and gather new data, and to supply predictions about what
will happen
Explain Aquinas' "Summa" and "The Five Ways" - Answer- - Summa is the
accumulation of his ideas on combining reason and faith
- Five Ways = Five Proofs for God's existence
- Second "way" is that every effect has a cause, and you can't trace causes back
infinitely, so there must be an initial, first, "uncaused" cause, and this is God.
What was Aristotle's importance in the medieval period? - Answer- - widely translated
(all his works ended up being translated during this time) and thus widely available and
widely read
- Arabic writing and translations had a huge influence over the way the Latin West
understood Aristotle
- The MOST important philosophical figure to medieval thinkers
What did Aquinas say about place? - Answer- - disagreed with Aristotle
- said an object's place and the object itself are two different things but exist together
- place is a measure of a mobile object according to truth
Describe accidental versus essential properties. - Answer- - "accidental" property = one
that isn't part of the nature or essence of something
- "essential" or "natural" property = one that is part of the nature or essence of a thing
Describe the reasons for the demise of Greek philosophical schools at the end of
antiquity - Answer- Emperor Justinian closing Plato's school in Athens, growth of
Christianity, etc.
, Describe what is meant by the "medieval period" and "dark ages" - Answer- (500s-
1500s), time of great development in philosophy and science, foundational ideas
(precursors to the Renaissance) emerge, university is created, called the dark ages
because it was so lame compared to the Renaissance (but it really wasn't lame)!
What are the divisions (and locations) of medieval thought and culture? - Answer- 1.
Latin West (what we Americans think of as Europe)
2. Islamic world (Arabian Peninsula)
3. Byzantine World (Greece, Macedonia, etc.)
4. Jewish World (Eastern side of Mediterranean, parts of what we understand as
Europe)
Describe the features of philosophy and science in the Latin West (esp Christianity) -
Answer- - Christianity is the most important feature
- explanations for existence
- lots of grappling with the relationship between religion and science, whether or not you
should use science to explain religion/religious thought
Describe Augustine and the influences on him - Answer- - transitional figure from
antiquity to Medieval thought
- first to connect neoplatonism to Christianity
- first to harmonize religious and scientific ideas
- says we can't let non-Christians surpass them scientifically and show them that
Christian belief is scientifically respectable
- wants to fix incorrect interpretations of Genesis (HATES the firmament), uses science
to explain things that seem impossible in the Bible
Describe the Carolingian renaissance (origins, motivations, and results) - Answer- -
(780-900) inspired by Charlemagne, movement to reform the catholic church
- clerical corruption, new standards of Latin, standardizing text of the Bible and liturgy
- done by forming intellectual circles throughout Europe, leading to creation of libraries
Describe marginal glosses & their role in philosophical transmission (how did they
further the spread of philosophy) - Answer- - comments and ideas scribbled in margins
of philosophical texts
- sometimes actual original philosophy was happening in the glosses
Describe negative theology - Answer- - Eriugena
- negative statements are essential/primary in expressing knowledge of God
- negative statements better express knowledge of God compared to affirmation
- "God is NOT x"
- you're supposed to look at the physical world/reality you experience and understand
that God is NOT that
WITH 100% CORRECT ANSWERS
Describe the Greek to Arabic to Latin translation movement - Answer- Arabic scholars
found Greek philosophy and translated it into Arabic, then Christian scholars found the
Arabic translations and translated them into Latin
Describe Roger Bacon's experimental science - Answer- - Used experimental science
(experiences as evidence) to describe knowledge of the world that is gained from
senses
- used in three ways: to investigate conclusions of other more speculative sciences, to
construct new instruments and gather new data, and to supply predictions about what
will happen
Explain Aquinas' "Summa" and "The Five Ways" - Answer- - Summa is the
accumulation of his ideas on combining reason and faith
- Five Ways = Five Proofs for God's existence
- Second "way" is that every effect has a cause, and you can't trace causes back
infinitely, so there must be an initial, first, "uncaused" cause, and this is God.
What was Aristotle's importance in the medieval period? - Answer- - widely translated
(all his works ended up being translated during this time) and thus widely available and
widely read
- Arabic writing and translations had a huge influence over the way the Latin West
understood Aristotle
- The MOST important philosophical figure to medieval thinkers
What did Aquinas say about place? - Answer- - disagreed with Aristotle
- said an object's place and the object itself are two different things but exist together
- place is a measure of a mobile object according to truth
Describe accidental versus essential properties. - Answer- - "accidental" property = one
that isn't part of the nature or essence of something
- "essential" or "natural" property = one that is part of the nature or essence of a thing
Describe the reasons for the demise of Greek philosophical schools at the end of
antiquity - Answer- Emperor Justinian closing Plato's school in Athens, growth of
Christianity, etc.
, Describe what is meant by the "medieval period" and "dark ages" - Answer- (500s-
1500s), time of great development in philosophy and science, foundational ideas
(precursors to the Renaissance) emerge, university is created, called the dark ages
because it was so lame compared to the Renaissance (but it really wasn't lame)!
What are the divisions (and locations) of medieval thought and culture? - Answer- 1.
Latin West (what we Americans think of as Europe)
2. Islamic world (Arabian Peninsula)
3. Byzantine World (Greece, Macedonia, etc.)
4. Jewish World (Eastern side of Mediterranean, parts of what we understand as
Europe)
Describe the features of philosophy and science in the Latin West (esp Christianity) -
Answer- - Christianity is the most important feature
- explanations for existence
- lots of grappling with the relationship between religion and science, whether or not you
should use science to explain religion/religious thought
Describe Augustine and the influences on him - Answer- - transitional figure from
antiquity to Medieval thought
- first to connect neoplatonism to Christianity
- first to harmonize religious and scientific ideas
- says we can't let non-Christians surpass them scientifically and show them that
Christian belief is scientifically respectable
- wants to fix incorrect interpretations of Genesis (HATES the firmament), uses science
to explain things that seem impossible in the Bible
Describe the Carolingian renaissance (origins, motivations, and results) - Answer- -
(780-900) inspired by Charlemagne, movement to reform the catholic church
- clerical corruption, new standards of Latin, standardizing text of the Bible and liturgy
- done by forming intellectual circles throughout Europe, leading to creation of libraries
Describe marginal glosses & their role in philosophical transmission (how did they
further the spread of philosophy) - Answer- - comments and ideas scribbled in margins
of philosophical texts
- sometimes actual original philosophy was happening in the glosses
Describe negative theology - Answer- - Eriugena
- negative statements are essential/primary in expressing knowledge of God
- negative statements better express knowledge of God compared to affirmation
- "God is NOT x"
- you're supposed to look at the physical world/reality you experience and understand
that God is NOT that
