Starter quiz
- What is philosophy?
- the area of mathematics concerned with the study of shapes and objects
- the study of the nature of life, truth and knowledge ✓
- the study of religious beliefs and practices
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- Which philosopher is considered to be the father of western philosophy?
- Socrates ✓
- Plato
- Aristotle
- R M Hare
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- Which philosopher came up with the analogy of the cave?
- Socrates
- Plato ✓
- Aristotle
- R M Hare
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- Aristotle said you need to appeal to three things when making an argument. Match these to the correct meanings.
- logos⇔reason ✓
- ethos⇔authority ✓
- pathos⇔emotion ✓
- Which philosopher came up with the term ‘blik’?
- Socrates
- Plato
- Aristotle
- R M Hare ✓
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Exit quiz
- Match the keywords to the correct definitions.
- cosmological argument⇔an argument that attempts to prove God's existence as the first cause ✓
- 'Leviathan'⇔a book by Thomas Hobbes that argues for the need for strong authority ✓
- materialism⇔the belief that everything arises from physical matter ✓
- sovereign⇔a supreme ruler ✓
- Thomas Hobbes⇔an English philosopher (1588–1679) known for his political philosophy ✓
- Which of the following is true of Hobbes?
- he rejected all religious beliefs
- he was a materialist ✓
- he was an atheist
- he believed in a soul
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- What do we call academics and thinkers who study ultimate questions about existence, knowledge, ethics and reality, using logic to explore these topics?
- 'Philosophers' ✓
- As a political philosopher, what question was Hobbes interested in?
- ‘How should we live together?’ ✓
- 'How should we eat together?'
- 'How should we talk together?'
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- What argument did Hobbes’ cosmological argument outline?
- that there must be a cause of the universe but it’s not God
- that there is no cause of the universe
- that there must be a cause of the universe and that cause is God ✓
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Lesson Details
Key learning points
- Thomas Hobbes was an English philosopher who lived during the Renaissance and Enlightenment period.
- He is most famous for his political philosophy and his 1651 book, 'Leviathan'.
- Hobbes provided a cosmological argument for the existence of God, saying that God is "the first cause of all causes".
- There is debate about what Hobbes' religious views were as he held some contradicting views.
- One example of this contradiction is that he denies the existence of a soul but accepts the existence of God.
Common misconception
Hobbes rejected all religious beliefs.
Hobbes did not reject religion outright. Instead, he argued that religious interpretations and practices should be subject to the authority of the sovereign for the sake of social order.
Keywords
Cosmological argument - an argument that attempts to prove God's existence as the first cause of the universe.
'leviathan' - a book by Thomas Hobbes that argues for a strong authority to maintain order in society
Materialism - the belief that everything, including thoughts and emotions, arises from physical matter
Sovereign - a supreme ruler
Thomas hobbes - an English philosopher (1588–1679) known for his political philosophy
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