Download Day 5 - Philosopher Biographies

Socrates Biography
Socrates was a Greek philosopher, born around 470 B.C., who is
often considered to be the father of Western philosophy, and a
key figure in the development of Western civilization.
Socrates left no actual writing so impressions of Socrates have
come primarily from the writings of his student, Plato. There are
also other contributions from Xenophon and a contemporary
playwright, Aristophanes.
It is possible that Plato embellished the legacy of Socrates by
making him appear the most noble philosopher; an ideal to be
cherished and followed. The extent of this embellishment is hard
to quantify, but the life of Socrates remains a great inspiration to
many.
The Socratic Method
Apart from a brief spell in the army, it is not clear how Socrates earned a living; but he attracted a
group of young men, who came to learn and study with Socrates. Socrates sought to teach
through a path of self-inquiry. He did not claim to have the answers; he would merely ask
questions to his students, forcing them to think for themselves and question their own beliefs.
This form of instruction has come to be called the Socratic Method.
During Socrates’ life, the state of Athens was undergoing political turmoil after suffering a
humiliating defeat in the Peloponnesian War. This increased feelings of nationalism and loyalty to
the Athenian state. However, Socrates felt compelled to test, and examine his own countrymen.
He was also willing to criticize and test conceptions of justice. At one point, Socrates famously
states (as quoted by Plutarch). “I am not an Athenian or a Greek, but a citizen of the world.”
However, his persistent criticisms and questioning created political enemies; his position was
worsened by the suspicious climate of the time.
A friend of Socrates, Chaerephon, asked the Oracle of Delphi if anyone was wiser than Socrates.
The Oracle said that no one was wiser than Socrates.
Socrates thought this was a paradox, because he didn’t know anything. However, after talking to
all the leading poets and dignitaries of Athens, Socrates realized that although other people
thought they knew a lot – actually they didn’t. So Socrates affirmed that the Oracle was right. He
was the wisest – purely because he was aware of his own ignorance.
“I am wiser than this man, for neither of us appears to know anything great and good; but he
fancies he knows something, although he knows nothing; whereas I, as I do not know anything, so
I do not fancy I do. In this trifling particular, then, I appear to be wiser than he, because I do not
fancy I know what I do not know.”
Trial and Execution of Socrates
Socrates’ unorthodox political viewpoints and willingness to expose the ignorance of others
created many enemies. This led to his arrest and trial. This trial was sensationalized in the dialogues
of Plato. Plato paints a picture of a philosopher perfectly detached from the fear of death and
committed to the truth. Shortly before his death, Socrates said:
“The hour of departure has arrived, and we go our ways — I to die and you to live. Which is the
better, only God knows.”
When Socrates was found guilty of ‘corrupting the minds of the youth of Athens and of ‘impiety’
(lack of reverence/respect for the Gods), he calmly accepted the verdict and rather than try and
escape the death penalty – he accepted the hemlock poison in 399 B.C. If Socrates had rejected his
beliefs, he could have been free; he could also have tried to escape; but as a philosopher he felt it
more important to stick to his beliefs. He also felt a social contact with the state of Athens, and
therefore should willingly meet his fate.
Plato Biography
Background
Due to a lack of primary sources from the time
period, much of Plato's life has been
constructed by scholars through his writings
and the writings of contemporaries and classical
historians. Traditional history estimates Plato's
birth was around 428 B.C., but more modern
scholars, tracing later events in his life, believe
he was born between 424 and 423 B.C. Both of
his parents came from the Greek aristocracy.
Plato's father, Ariston, descended from the
kings of Athens and Messenia. His mother,
Perictione, is said to be related to the 6th
century B.C. Greek statesman Solon.
As a young man, Plato experienced two major
events that set his course in life. One was
meeting the great Greek philosopher Socrates.
Socrates's methods of dialogue and debate
impressed Plato so much that he soon became a close associate and dedicated his life to the
question of virtue and the formation of a noble character. The other significant event was the
Peloponnesian War between Athens and Sparta, in which Plato served for a brief time between
409 and 404 B.C. The defeat of Athens ended its democracy, which the Spartans replaced with an
oligarchy. Two of Plato's relatives were prominent figures in the new government, part of the
notorious Thirty Tyrants whose brief rule severely reduced the rights of Athenian citizens. After
the oligarchy was overthrown and democracy was restored, Plato briefly considered a career in
politics, but the execution of Socrates in 399 B.C. soured him on this idea and he turned to a life of
study and philosophy.
After Socrates's death, Plato traveled for 12 years throughout the Mediterranean region, studying
mathematics with the Pythagoreans in Italy, and geometry, geology, astronomy and religion in
Egypt. During this time, or soon after, he began his extensive writing. There is some debate
among scholars on the order of these writings, but most believe they fall into three distinct
periods.
Early, Middle and Late Periods: An Overview
The first, or early, period occurs during Plato's travels (399-387 B.C.). The Apology of
Socrates seems to have been written shortly after Socrates's death. In these dialogues, Plato
attempts to convey Socrates's philosophy and teachings.
In the second, or middle, period, Plato writes in his own voice on the central ideals of justice,
courage, wisdom and moderation of the individual and society. The Republic was written during
this time with its exploration of just government ruled by philosopher kings.
In the third, or late, period, Socrates is relegated to a minor role and Plato explores the role of art,
including dance, music, drama and architecture, as well as ethics and morality.
Founding the Academy
Sometime around 385 B.C., Plato founded a school of learning, known as the Academy, which he
presided over until his death. The Academy operated until 529 A.D., when it was closed by Roman
Emperor Justinian I, who feared it was a source of paganism and a threat to Christianity. Over its
years of operation, the Academy's curriculum included astronomy, biology, mathematics, political
theory and philosophy. Plato hoped the Academy would provide a place for future leaders to
discover how to build a better government in the Greek city-states. One of his more promising
students there was Aristotle, who would take his mentor's teachings in new directions.
Final Years
Plato's final years were spent at the Academy and with his writing. The circumstances
surrounding his death are clouded, though it is fairly certain that he died in Athens around 348
B.C., when he was in his early 80s. Some scholars suggest that he died while attending a wedding,
while others believe he died peacefully in his sleep.
Aristotle Biography
Early Life
Ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle was born circa 384
B.C. When Aristotle turned 17, his family sent him to
Athens to pursue a higher education. At the time,
Athens was considered the academic center of the
universe. In Athens, Aristotle enrolled in Plato’s
Academy, Greek’s premier learning institution, and
proved an exemplary scholar. Aristotle maintained a
relationship with Greek philosopher Plato, himself a
student of Socrates, and his academy for two decades.
Teaching
In 338 B.C., Aristotle went home to Macedonia to start
tutoring King Phillip II’s son, the then 13-year-old
Alexander the Great. Phillip and Alexander both held
Aristotle in high esteem and ensured that the
Macedonia court generously compensated him for his work.
In 335 B.C., after Alexander had succeeded his father as king and conquered Athens, Aristotle
went back to the city. In Athens, Plato’s Academy was still the leading influence on Greek
thought. With Alexander’s permission, Aristotle started his own school in Athens, called the
Lyceum. On and off, Aristotle spent most of the remainder of his life working as a teacher,
researcher and writer at the Lyceum in Athens.
Lyceum members researched subjects ranging from science and math to philosophy and politics,
and nearly everything in between. Art was also a popular area of interest. Members of the
Lyceum wrote up their findings in manuscripts. In so doing, they built the school’s massive
collection of written materials, which by ancient accounts was credited as one of the first great
libraries.
Science
Although Aristotle was not technically a scientist by today’s definitions, science was among the
subjects that he researched at length during his time at the Lyceum. Aristotle believed that
knowledge could be obtained through interacting with physical objects.
Aristotle’s research in the sciences included a study of biology. He attempted, with some error, to
classify animals into genera based on their similar characteristics. He further classified animals
into species based on those that had red blood and those that did not. Despite the relative
inaccuracy of his hypothesis, Aristotle’s classification was regarded as the standard system for
hundreds of years.
Marine biology was also an area of fascination for Aristotle. Through dissection, he closely
examined the anatomy of marine creatures. In contrast to his biological classifications, his
observations of marine life, as expressed in his books, are considerably more accurate.
As evidenced in his treatise Meteorology, Aristotle also dabbled in the earth sciences.
In Meteorology, Aristotle identified the water cycle and discussed topics ranging from natural
disasters to astrological events. Although many of his views on the Earth were controversial at
the time, they were readopted and popularized during the late Middle Ages.
Philosophy and Politics
One of the main focuses of Aristotle’s philosophy was his systematic concept of logic. Aristotle's
philosophy therefore involved both inductive and deductive reasoning, observing the workings of
the world around him and then reasoning from the particular to a knowledge of essences and
universal laws. In a sense, Aristotle was the first major proponent of the modern scientific
method. The Lyceum was an unprecedented school of organized scientific inquiry. There was no
comparable scientific enterprise for over 2,000 years after the founding of the Lyceum.
With regards to politics, Aristotle argued that humans are, by nature, political animals. This means
that humans are also social animals and that any understanding of human behavior and human
needs must include social considerations. He also investigated the merits of various kinds of
political systems, describing their different virtues and vices. His classification system of
monarchies, oligarchies, tyrannies, democracies and republics is still used today.
Death and Legacy
In 322 B.C., just a year after he fled to Chalcis to escape prosecution under charges of impiety (lack
of reverence/respect for the Gods), Aristotle contracted a disease of the digestive organs and
died. In the century following his passing, his works fell out of use, but were revived during the
first century. Over time, they came to lay the foundation of more than seven centuries of
philosophy. Solely regarding his influence on philosophy, Aristotle’s work influenced ideas from
late antiquity all the way through the Renaissance. Aristotle’s influence on Western thought in the
humanities and social sciences is largely considered unparalleled, with the exception of his
teacher Plato’s contributions, and Plato’s teacher Socrates before him.