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CHRISTIAN PHILOSOPHY

(Ancient to Medieval Period of Philosophy)

1. Read pp. 47-68 to understand the role of Judaism and Christianity in the study of philosophy (God/the Supernatural as having a PERSONAL relationship with humanity)

2. Can we understand God/the Supernatural through our reason?

3. ROMAN PHILOSOPHY

a. STOICISM (led by ZENO) – met under the STOA (the open colonnaded porches)

i. Avoid desires & disappointments by accepting calmly whatever life brought

ii. Preached high moral standards – protection of rights

iii. ALL (women & slaves included) were morally equal b/c all had the power of reason

iv. Influenced Roman & Christian philosophers

v. Roman stoicism :

1. EPICETUS (ca. 2^nd Cent BC) – freed slave à all humans were “children of Zeus” & have the capacity for virtue

2. influenced CICERO (ca. 1^st Cent BC)

3. Reformulated under SENECA (ca. 1^st Cent AD) – he was the advisor to Nero

4. Emperor MARCUS AURELIUS (emp. 161-180 AD) - wrote Meditations – stressed the importance of duty & acceptance of one’s fate

vi. Virtue = eudemonia is a BYPRODUCT of virtue

b. EPICUREANISM – live life to the fullest (EPICURUS – 3^rd Cent BC)

i. Empirical epistemology

ii. Atomist cosmology

iii. Pleasure is the ultimate goal of life

iv. Avoid pain & rely on pleasures that will last

v. Virtue = used as a MEANS to an END (eudemonia)

c. Roman law – protected the accused – fostered unity & stability

d. PLOTINUS (3^rd Cent AD) – neo-Platonist: we are capable of an ethical ascent toward God (Form of the Good) – we progress to a final state of mystical union

4. JUDAISIM – monotheistic (God pursues us!)

a. Ca. 1000 BC (writing of Genesis 2) – 100 AD (Wisdom and Daniel)

b. Covenant (BERIT)

i. Unbreakable

ii. God has made known his love & mercy

iii. We owe Him fidelity, obedience & worship

iv. We are marked by the covenant (circumcision)

c. Exodus – freedom from SIN

d. Love of neighbor/enemy (Deuteronomic History)

e. Prophets – Messiah will lead people to freedom

f. God has a plan (Chronicles History)

g. Concept of eternal salvation (Maccabean History)

h. 63 BC Rome conquers Judea (Hellenized Jews v. conservative/Temple Jews)

5. Jesus Christ

a. Incarnation

b. Kingdom of God

c. Importance of baptism & forgiveness of sins

d. Conversion/ New Covenant / restoration of original justice

e. Agape (Last Supper)/Mandatum

f. Spread of Christianity (missionary activity of the Apostles & Paul) – use of Greek philosophy

g. John – concept of the LOGOS

h. Theology – What are we meant for? Salvation – teleogical view

6. AUGUSTINE

a. Confessions (use of apologetics) – dealt with concept of sin

i. evil caused by humanity – we choose to perform evil

b. City of God à teleogical argument for the existence of God

1. world is beautiful, orderly & designed

2. it all points to God

3. all must end in God

7. ANSELM (1033-1109 AD)

a. ONTOLOGICAL PROOF OF THE EXISTENCE OF GOD (ONTOS – “Being”)

i. Any idea of God has to be of the greatest being that ever existed

ii. BUT… the existence of something just in the mind is inferior to an existence in reality

iii. SO… as God is the greatest conceivable being, he MUST exist in reality as well as in the mind

8. THOMAS AQUINAS (1225-1274 AD) – Summa Theologica

--> READ: Summa Theologica – I, Q.2, art. 3 “Five Ways”