Philosophy 1300E Study Guide - Fall 2018, Comprehensive Midterm Notes - Plato, Soul, Aristotle
12 Oct 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
Philosophy 1300E
MIDTERM EXAM
STUDY GUIDE
Fall 2018
Starting with Socrates
Who is Socrates?
• An Athenian philosopher of the 5thcentury BCE. He never left Athens
• A most important figure in the history of philosophy.
• Presocratics – the ones coming after Socratics
• He wrote nothing.
Importance of Socrates?
• Created Socratic questions – hat is….
• Challeged people’s ideas of hat thigs are util he got a respose that he liked
• He made philosophy public, he did this by wandering the streets of ancient Athens and
talking to everyone and asking them things about things that he thought were most
important, he was engaged in dialogue
• He thought philosophy should be engaging everyone
• Philosophy is not just for the philosophy students, philosophy is dialogue with others
Socrates Becoming Dangerous
• Questioning poets, politicians, sophists (teachers, people who play around with arguments)
and representatives of religion
• How do we know?
• Accusations against him
• He was condemned by a democratic state
• Although the masses make the decision, the masses can be manipulated
• Prosecution. Condemnation to Death 399 BCE
• Relativists – no universal truth but something is true in one part of the world but opposite
is true in another (no standard)
The Death of Socrates
• In Greece
Historical Backgroud of “ocrates’ Trial
• Athens recovering the greatest defeats (Peloponnesean War: 431 – 404 BCE)
• “hak deora. Coups d’Etat, 4 ad 44
• 30 Tyranns - looking for scapegoats
• Why Socrates?
• Socrates as subversion (check Thucydides foe the ideal of the Athenian citizen). He
did’t are aout this, hat he ared aout as to take are of our souls, ad to
ouiate to all of the oo people of Athes. Does’t fit ito the ideals of the
politician.
• His attitude supportive (apolitical, elitist, fearless and emotionless in his defense)1
Plato as The Author of Apolog wrote the defese of “ocrates·
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• Why writing?
• Wanted it show greatness of Socrates, to explain what philosophy is ·
• Why writing dialogues?
• Egagig for puli, a see all perspeties. Does’t sho his eat eliefs i order to
challenge us, wants us to do the thinking our self with the arguments he provides
• Socrates (his teacher) wrote nothing so why did he
• Plato has a school (Academy) to explain to students what he thinks philosophy is about
Fro the Cotet to Our Tet: The word Apolog
• Apologia
• Meaning of the Greek word (apo+logos) versus the meaning the English language
• Apologists: Apologetics (in religion)
• He defended himself, in defensive of
Apolog: Plato’s Report of Fictio?
• Report of the historical trial OR transformed by Plato, who loved his teacher?
• Why?
• To defend Socrates and blame Athens
Old and New Accusations:
• The Clouds, Aristophanes, 423 BCE (play)
• Socrates is a sophist
• Meletus’ foral harges, ipiet itroduig e gods ad orruptig the outh
• Socrates was first charged with not believing in the traditional gods
Leading Questions for Our Reading:
• What is philosophy?
• Having leisure for the real business the ost iportat thig s eig us
• Do’t oer ourself ith ealth ad fae ut take are of our soul ad id ad
not be diseased with ignorance of the mind
• Care of the soul – cultivation of virtue (see the passage on pp. 32-33)
• An examined life
• Eaie ourseles ad our life’s
Philosophy (first appearance of the word in Western History)
• Socrates not presenting himself as philosopher
• Plato portrays him as one, as the philosopher par excellence
• Philosophy as love of wisdom
• Philosophy vs. Poetry, sophistry, politics. Why?
• Plato believed that all poets and artists should be banned from the ideal state
because they have power over public opinion, when he himself is an artist through
writing literature
• What does this mean? Do away with politicians, poets and all but philosophers?
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