Download Ancient Greek Philosophers Socrates • Socrates

Ancient Greek Philosophers
Philosopher
What they believed
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Socrates
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Plato
Socrates- Never wrote anything down what we know of him comes from
the writing of his student Plato. Socrates believed that education had no
other goal than improving life. Therefore people should examine their
lives. He once said “The unexamined life is not worth living” Socratic
Method (using question and answer format) - presumed that all
knowledge was already present in each person and through careful
questioning it could be brought out. But, this knowledge might be flawed
and would need to be re-examined to find the truth. Socrates placed
great emphasis the ability to reason. He said you should question all
things including the authority. In the end, he was convicted of corrupting
the youth and sentenced to death.
Socrates is famous for his method of “conversation” (dialektos) and
“cross examination” (elenchus). To begin, Socrates would profess his
ignorance of what, say, piety or virtue is, and ask another man (often an
expert) to teach him. After his interlocutor offered a definition (often
with supreme confidence), Socrates would express his gratitude, but
point out that the definition was problematic (and perhaps remark upon
the other man’s reluctance to teach him). Then, by asking questions,
Socrates would control the direction of the conversation and, eventually,
show the inadequacy of the original definition. The interlocutor would
offer a new or revised definition and the process would begin anew.
Although certain definitions were ruled out (e.g., mere examples of, say
virtue), the process rarely resulted in an acceptably universal definition
(e.g. what virtue is pure se). Although Socrates’ dialectical method often
angered or embarrassed his interlocutors, it was extremely popular with
the young men who congregated around him. However, as Socrates
pointed out, he did not teach per se. Instead, he allowed others to listen
to his conversations and he encouraged them to care for their souls (that
is, to study philosophy and acquire virtue) above all else. He referred to
his method as “midwifery,” to emphasize his attempt to get each man to
recognize truth with his own mind and to care for his own soul.
Plato- The execution of Socrates, left him with a deep distrust of
democracy. He fled Athens for 10 years. When he returned he set up a
school called the Academy. He believed that reason, not the experience
of the senses, led to genuine knowledge. Through rational thought, he
argued people could discover unchanging ethical principles, recognize
perfect beauty, and learn how best to organize society. He wrote the
Republic. He rejected Athenian democracy because it condemned
Socrates. Instead he argued that the state should regulate every aspect
of its citizens’ lives in order to provide for their best interests. Plato
believed in the equality of all people at birth, but he maintained that
they could rise only as high in society as their abilities allowed. He
described the ideal state. Three groups in society. Top was an upperclass of Philosopher-Kings (political power and wise). Second, warriors
to protect society. Third, everyone else not driven by wisdom or courage
but by desires. Contrary to prevailing Greek views, Plato believed Men
and women should have the same education.
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Aristotle
Aristotle- He was Plato’s most famous student. Aristotle promoted
reason as the guiding force for learning. He set up a school, the
Lyceum, for the study of all branches of knowledge. Focused on
analyzing and classifying things based on observation and
investigation. Wrote on many subjects including politics, ethics, logic,
biology, and literature. His work was the basis of science in the west
until the scientific revolution and was taught in universities for the
next 1500 years.
He analyzed all of the forms of government, from monarchy to
democracy, and found good and bad examples of each of them. He
determined that there were three good forms of government.
Monarchy (king rule), Aristocracy (a governing body composed of
those considered to be the best or most able people in the state), and
Constitutional Government (government run according to a written
document). The last being the best. Aristotle believed that the citystate represented the best and most natural form of human
community. He believed people could reach their full potential and
achieve the “good life”. In his book Politics, Aristotle argued for the
rule of law, every one even rulers must be subject to the law. This is at
the heart of modern constitutional governments