Socrates and Plato - Page Not Found | University of Alberta · · 2015-07-27Socrates and Plato ....
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Transcript of Socrates and Plato - Page Not Found | University of Alberta · · 2015-07-27Socrates and Plato ....
Socrates • ca. 470 – 399 BC. • Son of Sophroniscus and Phainarete • Potidaea (432); Delium (424) • Not an aristocrat: mother was a midwife, father a stone
mason • Self taught • Sought wisdom through examination • Cross-examined those who claimed wisdom
• Already well known by 423 (Arist. Clouds)
Doctrines
• Knowledge is innate • Learning is remembering • Aletheia • The soul is the true self: • Nourish the soul not the body
• The path to knowledge is the acceptance of ignorance • The unexamined life is not worth living • It is better to suffer wrong than to do wrong
The Trial of Socrates
• 399: • Meletus and Anytus • Corrupting the youth of Athens • Introducing new gods • “Men of Athens, either do as Anytus tells you, or not, and
either acquit me, or not, knowing that I shall not change my conduct even if I am to die many times over.” (Plat.Apol.30.b)
• 280 to convict; 221 to acquit (Plato Apol.) • Or 391 to convict 110 to acquit (Diogenes L.)
Suicide by Jury? • “Since I am convinced that I never wronged anyone, I
am certainly not going to wrong myself and say of myself that I deserve anything bad.” • “What then does such a man as I deserve? Some good
thing, men of Athens.” • Second vote: 360 to 140
• “... human beings for whom it is better to die cannot, without impiety, do good to themselves, but must wait for some other benefactor.” (Plat.Phaed.62.a)
Plato
• 429(?) – 347 BC • Aristocrat • Student of Socrates • Socrates never wrote • Plato reproduced the ‘Dialogues’ • Demonstrating principles through refutation, the dissoi logoi. • Founded the Academy ca. 386 BC • Aristotle studied under Plato
Doctrines
• The empirical is illusion • Only the ‘idea’ (Form) is real and unchanging • Good • Beauty • Truth (materialist presupposition?) • Soul • The job of the philosopher is to distinguish the one true
form from the many illusory facsimiles.
Plato, Protagoras
• The Philosophy Virus:
• You have virus protection on your computer… • What about protection for your bio-computer? • Philosophy is virus protection for your soul: • Understanding the fundamental principles – the Forms • Recognising false use of the names of the Forms • Refusing to be seduced by apparent reason.
Experts and Statesmen
• Protagoras 319a ff. • You trust your health to a medical doctor. • Why do you trust your State to amateurs?
• The Honourable Doug Horner • Former Minister of Finance, President of the Treasury
Board • 2 year diploma in Business, SAIT
• The Honourable Thomas Lukaszuk • Former Minister of Enterprise and Advanced Education • B. Ed, University of Alberta.
• The Honourable Don Scott • Minister of Innovation and Advanced Education • Degrees from New Brunswick and Cambridge • But they won’t say what degrees • Lawyer in Ft. McMurray.