Socrates Worldview
Socrates Worldview
Origin
This question focuses on why there is something rather than nothing. Socrates uses the theory of recollection as evidence to prove his theory of creation. This theory of creation introduces that our souls have an existence before this earthly life. Socrates believes that, “…the living have come from the dead no less than the dead from the living” (72a Phaedo). He then takes the previous statement and concludes, “…that if this was so, it was a sufficient proof that the souls of the dead must exist in some place from which they are reborn” (72a Phaedo). Socrates believes that souls are in preexistence and that each individual receives theirs shortly after birth.
Condition The question of condition focuses on what is wrong with humanity. Information from the readings reveals that ignorance is the basic problem and that people are ignorant of their own ignorance. In the apology, Socrates suggests “that the difficulty is not so much to escape death; the real difficulty is to escape from wickedness…” (39a Apology). In other words, humans have a natural propensity towards evil or injustice and Socrates points it out. Socrates goes on by saying how viciousness will hit a person quicker than death. He describes himself, an old man, to be hit by the slower of the two and the younger accusers to be hit with the faster.
Socrates later states in the Phaedo, “So long as we keep to the body and our soul is contaminated with this imperfection, there is no chance of our ever attaining satisfactorily to our object, which we assert to be Truth” (66b Phaedo). This is a condition of bodily detachment between our body and our soul. Socrates believes that when the soul is not pure, we will not be able to reach the truth. The soul may not be pure because of the body. Socrates claims that the body fills us with desires, fears, and loves. These distract and interrupt us from getting to the truth. The body is also to blame for our
Origin
This question focuses on why there is something rather than nothing. Socrates uses the theory of recollection as evidence to prove his theory of creation. This theory of creation introduces that our souls have an existence before this earthly life. Socrates believes that, “…the living have come from the dead no less than the dead from the living” (72a Phaedo). He then takes the previous statement and concludes, “…that if this was so, it was a sufficient proof that the souls of the dead must exist in some place from which they are reborn” (72a Phaedo). Socrates believes that souls are in preexistence and that each individual receives theirs shortly after birth.
Condition The question of condition focuses on what is wrong with humanity. Information from the readings reveals that ignorance is the basic problem and that people are ignorant of their own ignorance. In the apology, Socrates suggests “that the difficulty is not so much to escape death; the real difficulty is to escape from wickedness…” (39a Apology). In other words, humans have a natural propensity towards evil or injustice and Socrates points it out. Socrates goes on by saying how viciousness will hit a person quicker than death. He describes himself, an old man, to be hit by the slower of the two and the younger accusers to be hit with the faster.
Socrates later states in the Phaedo, “So long as we keep to the body and our soul is contaminated with this imperfection, there is no chance of our ever attaining satisfactorily to our object, which we assert to be Truth” (66b Phaedo). This is a condition of bodily detachment between our body and our soul. Socrates believes that when the soul is not pure, we will not be able to reach the truth. The soul may not be pure because of the body. Socrates claims that the body fills us with desires, fears, and loves. These distract and interrupt us from getting to the truth. The body is also to blame for our