ancient & medieval philosophy

philosophy 401

greek term

transliteration

meanings

agaqoς

agathos

the good, or what is good in and of itself

'airetoς

hairetos

what is worthy of our choosing

aisqhsiς

aisthesis

perception

alnqeia

aletheia

usually translated as "truth," but literally means to un-conceal

anqropoς

anthropos

human being

apeiron

apeiron

unlimited, boundless

arch

arche

origin

areth

arete

virtue, or that condition of something that makes it the most excellent, i.e. its best

genesiς

genesis

becoming

daimon

daimon

No English equivalent, but is close to spirit in the sense of pneuma, breath, or the Chinese concept of ch'i, sometimes translated as "vital breath"

dianoia

dianoia

thought, literally through the mind or nous

dikaiopragein

dikaiopragein

to do justice, to act with justice

dikaiosunh

dikaiosune

justice (cf. the Greek goddess, dike)

doxa

doxa

Usually translated as opinion, sometimes as judgment; the closest English equivalent is probably "opine"

eqoς

ethos

habit, practice

eidoς

eidos

idea, form, species

episthmh

episteme

knowledge

ergon

ergon

function

eroς

eros

erotic passion, erotic love

eudaimonia

eudaimonia

happiness, the good life, the complete life, literally to have

a good daimon

'hdonh

hedone

pleasure

hqikoς

ethikos

ethics, ethical (cf. hqos, character)

hqoς

éthos

character, a condition of one's "soul"

qanatoς

thanatos

death

qeoς

theos

god, divinity, deity

qewrein, qewria

thorein, theoria

study, observe, or attend to something

kairoς

kairos

opportunity, fitness, proportion, the right time

kaloς

kalos

fine, beautiful

koinoς

koinos

what is common, or shared

kosmoς

kosmos

world, but includes the order of the world or universe, it may be more similar to our word "universe"

legein

legein

to speak, to say (from the root word "logos")

logoς

logos

This word really has no English equivalent, but comes close to the combination of a principle of: reason, account, ratio, order, balance

mimhsiς

mimesis

copy

nomoς

nomos

law, convention

nouς

nous

mind

 'oi polloi

hoi polloi

the many, the masses, most people (Cf. Nietzsche, the herd)

'orizein

horizein

define or diorizein to distinguish (from 'oros, limit, or boundary), thus literally to establish a limit

orqodoxa

orthodoxa

translated by the English term "orthodoxy," and means agreement with an established set of traditional beliefs, hence implies what is simply taken for granted, or taken without thoughtfulness.

orqoς

orthos

correct, or to be successful (as in pursuing a telos)

ousia

ousia

substance

paideia

paideia

education

poihsiς

poiesis

production, do

poliς

polis

a city state

praxiς

praxis

action

proairesiς

prohairesis

a decision, literally to choose what is worthy in advance

simulakrum

simulacrum

a false or bad copy, something for which there is no original

sojia

sophia

wisdom

sojisthς

sophistes

Sophist, literally an expert in wisdom

sojrosunh

sophrosune

temperance, or moderation

teloς

telos

end, goal, aim

tecnh

techne

a craft, an art, a technique

timh

time

honour

tuch

tuche

fortune

'ubriς

hubris

arrogance, to rashly forget one's limit

ugran

ugran

water, wet, moist, supple, pliant

fainesqai

phainesthai

appear, appearance, evident, apparent, literally to shine forth

jilia, jiloς

philia, philos

friendship, friend (jilein - love)

jronhsiς

phronesis

practical wisdom

jronhmoς

phronemos

one who has practical wisdom

jusiς

phusis (physis)

nature, or what is natural to something, or its function

cronoς

chronos

a segment or succession of time

yuch

psuche

the activity of a living body, sort of like the term 'soul'