Socrates does not in fact tell his associates anything, but rather helps them understand ideas that were already in them through his series of questions that test whether what his associate says is of truth or not, and so he is not actually giving any knowledge. In the Meno, he shows an example of what he does when he attempts to “bring forth” geometry knowledge from a Greek slave boy. The boy answers some questions incorrectly at first before stating that he does not know. Socrates then continues to ask the boy more questions, and as the boy answers them, he comes to understand it without Socrates ever actually telling the boy anything at all. Socrates then states that “Then he will have knowledge without being taught by anyone but only questioned, since he will have recovered the knowledge from inside himself” (Meno, 85c-85d). He is saying that the boy is able to gain knowledge from Socrates asking him multiple questions about it constantly, and it will come forth within his associates, without him actually telling them anything at all. He also elaborates on this type of wisdom that he has in the Apology, saying “I thought this man seemed wise to many people, and especially to himself, but wasn’t. Then I tried to show him that he thought himself wise, but wasn’t.” (Apology, 21c-21e). Here, Socrates is stating that he has no knowledge, but rather questions the ideas of his associates to help them become more wise. This also showcases the type of wisdom that he does possess, which is knowing that he does not know…
2) Socrates did not always think that he was wise, many people labeled him as a teacher. Socrates did not really care for this label. He did not really think that he knew much. Socrates had a friend named Chaerephon who went to the oracle the God of Delphi. Cheaerephon asked the oracle is there any one wiser then Socrates, the oracle answered no (21a). Socrates did not understand this and set out to prove the oracle wrong. While out to prove the oracle wrong Socrates realized he is wise but not because he knew everything, but because he realized he knew nothing and didn’t act as if he did.…
Doesn’t the same hold for all the other things? Don’t you call shapes and colours admirable on the account of either some pleasure or benefit or both?…
This quote is significant because it exemplifies the way Socrates uses HIS method. Socrates uses metaphors in order to humbly enlighten his audience. At times Socrates structure of explanation is perceived to be complex and or difficult to interpret. To simplify what he is attempting to get across usually takes a thorough examination. Socrates is from ancient times and his methodology still suits fit to modern day. Analyzing the context of his circumstances before death alone goes to show the depth of understanding one needs to comprehend his ideology and beliefs. This quote also provides us with the notion of not being selfish and to avoid pretentious. When one thinks about death or the chance of dying when they’re in a predicament because…
He also indicates that people who are located in the belief have beliefs but they barely have any knowledge of the things that they believe in. According to Socrates, people in the stage of thought starts to use their knowledge of reasoning. Lastly, people in the understanding level uses their knowledge to figure about the good. Therefore, in Republic, Socrates discuss about knowledge in regard to the hierarchy of cognitive faculties which describes the progress of knowledge in our souls.…
After observing the unchangeable nature of Meno, Socrates uses his last attempt to differentiate between true knowledge and right opinion, which can lead to similar action and outcomes. His vital note is that right opinion is easy to lose, but true knowledge can be recollected at any time. A person can listen to another's teaching without pondering and assume that he knows the knowledge behind it, while he only possesses transient right opinion, like Meno's receipt of Gorgias's ideas. However, he will never grasp the real knowledge, which will encompass all specific situations and stay within an industrious, pensive, and open…
In this paper, I will evaluate Socrates’ argument from Phaedo for why philosophers should desire death, perhaps only secondly to wisdom. I will argue that Socrates unfairly characterizes the truthfulness of the senses, and therefore projects a pessimistic view of the philosopher’s virtue during life. This pessimism towards life in conjunction with arguments for an afterlife that liberates reason, seems to suggest that Socrates believes philosophers should desire death: a happy prospect for condemned man, but perhaps a biased one.…
Leonard Nelson in a critical essay defines the Socratic method as “the art of teaching not philosophy but philosophizing, the art not of teaching about philosophers but of making philosophers of the students” (Nelson). Socrates way of teaching was not simply telling his students something directly and having them accept an answer without doubt like most straightforward teachers of the time did, but rather to propose a question or series of questions and see what his students had to say about it. Socrates would listen to his student’s arguments and either gun down their answers or show an example, which obviously contradicts and proves their ideas wrong. As an example, in The Republic, Polemarchus is arguing with Socrates that it is the right thing to do harm to those who do evil to you. Socrates rejects his answer by telling a horse analogy which he says that harming a bad horse will only make the horse worse, therefore it is not right to do return evil for evil. With his questions, he helped his listeners realize that they lacked a full understanding of the topic they were discussing. Socrates did not teach his own ideas and beliefs. Through his method, he acted as a type of catalyst for others to search and find the truth for themselves. Socrates peculiar teaching method was radically different than those methods of his time and proves another reason why Socrates was a very intriguing…
Socrates is known as the lover of wisdom and the lover of beauty. His speech is a response to Agathon who comically states that love is beautiful and young, the opposite of Socrates. Socrates inquires is love considered to be a love of something or of nothing? He compares that to how a father is a father to his children and a brother is a brother to his siblings. Socrates expresses that love’s desire suggests that one does not own what he or she loves. Socrates further explains this by giving the example of a healthy man having the desire to remain healthy. One’s desire for things is for the future. The desire rests in the preservation and not the lack thereof. This statement of love being a love of something shows that there is a connection…
The first, perhaps the most obvious ambiguity of Book Two that complicates the readers’ understating is that Socrates’s criticism against the poets. Socrates claims that any poets that do not depict gods precisely are false and lies. Also, the usage of the poets to represent them as a bad example which children can learn from should be banned from telling them because, as he assumes, the god is only responsible for the good.…
One of the major themes that Socrates heavily focused on in his speech was the philosophical ideas of wisdom and a description of Socrates’ own wisdom as well. Older accusers had allegedly claimed that Socrates did not believe in gods, and instead would try to explain phenomenons through physical explanations instead, as well as the fact that Socrates would teach others how to make a weak argument triumph a stronger one by using clever rhetorics. In Socrates’ defense, he has stated that he does not have any kind of competence and expertise in any of these areas. This statement truly divides Socrates from sophists and even Presocratics, as teachers that each belong to these organizations assert that only through experience and examination they can gain…
Socrates suggests that rhetoric, practiced by Gorgias, is not an area of expertise or “tekhne” as they describe. Socrates believes that it is just a branch of flattery. The definition of flattery is such: Flattery is a representation of false arts in Socrates’ opinion. People who try and create good impressions just for excitement and pleasure are practicing flattery. Socrates states that the false arts are standing against the true forms of art, which target the good for its own sake. Socrates tries to prove this in his writing.…
Socrates, one of the greatest minds go Ancient Greece’s was no exception. As a sophist, Socrates was considered a teacher of the noble. Sophist of Greed taught young men ’arete’: excellence or virtue for a price. However, Socrates wasn’t a regular sophist, he never accepted any monetary reward for his ’teachings“ (b316,p813) and he never actually taught anything but rather trained minds to think. Socrates states at the trail that he doesn’t have any true knowledge and he believed that in order to have any true knowledge one must be able to produce a single, clear definition of a subject without any exclusions to the rule, something that he was never able believed that he couldn’t do.Rather than use he own opinions to teach his pupils what to think, Socrates used ”systematic questioning“ (b136p813) to help clear their own minds and reach their own conclusions just by thinking. A skill that they could carry forward, into their lives as Athenian citizens. With this in mind, it is nearly impossible for the Athenians government to find Socrates guilty of…
Socrates states that the human soul is immortal and it is reborn again, but it’s never destroyed. Socrates also points out that the soul has learned everything that is to know. Therefore, when we “learn” about something, it is merely just a “recollecting” what our soul’s have learned in the past. This idea is essentially the basis of the argument between Socrates and Meno. Socrates tries to prove this to Meno by calling over one of Meno’s servant and confirms that the boy has no knowledge of mathematics. At first, the boy seemed to have no knowledge about Socrates problem. But, through step-by-step questions, the boy was able to provide a correct answer to Socrates problem. Therefore, Socrates states that, since he had no knowledge of geometry in his life, he must have already known it and he was able to…
In this paper I will explain Socrates’ agreement at 50 a-b of the Crito, and explain my reason why would not cause his fellow citizens harm by breaking the law. Specially I will show that people can actually create a positive. I will explain that Socrates argument and show how depends on how what the unjust causes. Then I will argue that this assumption is to be questioned under the fact that citizens are not necessarily affected by the law breakers, and that by doing something unjust can be moral.…