Ancient Greek Philosophers Touchstone 1 Isaac Joy
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Touchstone 1: Philosophical Reflection Essay
Isaac Joy
Ancient Greek Philosophers
June 5, 2022
What Exactly Is Philosophy?
An overarching way to describe the field of philosophy is that it seeks to find a the
answer to life’s biggest questions, such as the reason for existing. This field of study is also put
in place to satisfy humanity’s desire for knowledge, whether it be personal or comprehensive
knowledge (What is Philosophy, n.d.).
Three Main Classes of Philosophy
What philosophy is can also be broken down into three main classes, with the first of
these classes being called ethics. According to our textbook, ethics is “the branch of philosophy
that analyzes and defends concepts of value, and thereby determines right and wrong” (What is
Philosophy, n.d.). It attempts to seek to answer the question of “what is the good life and how
ought I to live it.” Aristotle’s thoughts on this topic are quite simple. He believed that we should
live our lives in a virtuous manner, which can also be translated to as personal excellence
(Aristotle’s Highest Good, n.d.). His personal thoughts on ethics are concerned with what type of
person we ought to be rather than solely how we are to conduct ourselves (Aristotle’s Highest
Good, n.d.).
The second of the three main classes of philosophy is epistemology. Epistemology is “the
branch of philosophy that analyzes and fins concepts of knowledge and the methodologies by
which it is attained” (What is Philosophy, n.d.). It tries to answer the question of “what is
knowledge.” Socrates sought knowledge by using a method called dialectic. Dialectic is a more
noble pursuit than debate, as the goal of it is not to win, but simply to learn what the truth is.
(The Socratic Approach, n.d.). Socrates believed that knowledge was gained through reasoning,
not through argument (The Socratic Approach, n.d.).
The third and final main class of philosophy is metaphysics. Metaphysics is “the branch
of philosophy that seeks to uncover and describe the ultimate nature of reality” (What is
Philosophy, n.d.). It also seeks to answers the question of “what is reality made of.” Plato created
the “Doctrine of the Forms” (Plato Forms: The Foundation of Being), which is also called the
Doctrine of the Ideas.” Plato believed that there is something out there that makes everything
happen, from objects falling due to gravity to even something making a just act just.
Reflection on the Philosophical Mindset
To myself personally, the question that matters the most is “what is the good life and how
ought I to live it.” This has been the focus of my life so far, to find out what is the best way to
live my life and what gives me the most fulfillment. I was raised as a Christian and I have grown
up in a Christian household, but this does not mean that I did not experiment with other beliefs. I
researched many different religions as well as philosophical ideas to see if there was anything out
there better than Christianity. If you name it, there is a decent chance that I have researched it or
even tried it myself. After years of doing this, my personal conclusion is that Christianity is truly
the only way to live the good life. Being a Christian has given me a feeling that no other religion
or state of mind has given me. The feeling that it has given me can simply be described as true
peace and comfort, the kind that no human can provide. I feel like I belong as a Christian, like it
is my purpose for being alive. For those who are skeptical of Christianity due to bad experiences
with those who claim to be Christians, just know that is not what it is about. Human beings will
fail no matter how hard they try to live up to the ideals set by Jesus Christ. So do not look at how
humans act as an example, look toward the Bible, and see how Jesus Christ lives his life, as He is
the only example we should look up to.
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With all of this in mind, the ideas of the ancient Greek philosophers have zero impact on
my own views and opinions. I have learned about the ideas of Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle, and
I understand where they are coming from with their own viewpoint on the world. However, they
have not had the impact on my life that Christianity has. They are just the ideas of mortal men
that will not be able to stand up the power of the God I serve.
As-well, there are no examples from the course that I can cite to support my answer.
However, what I can say is this. The answer to the question “what is the good life and how ought
I to live it” is living in a manner that is pleasing to God. The support that I have comes from the
feeling that He gives me and from the Bible itself.