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Ancient Greek Philosophers Philosopher What they believed • Socrates • • 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. • • 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