PHI 2000 Lecture Notes - Lecture 8: Dominate, The Constant Factor
Document Summary
Charmides & critias: young athenian aristocrats, members of plato"s family. Dramatic date @432 bce: socrates in his late 30s. Philosophical process: more definition criteria, distinguishing terms. Sophrosune: self-control, self-discipline, temperance, composure, self-awareness. Socrates: has just returned from battle. Charmides & critias: critias- dominate discussion, will become tyrants, reign of terror in athens. Context- consequences of losing self-control & letting aggression/desire get the upper hand: 176b-d- sinister reading. A good definition should include: 1. The constant factor the leemtn that is the same in all instances of self-control: 2. What it is - should name what it means to be self-controlled: 3. Diagnostic criteria- should allow us to pick out a new example of self-control. These criteria we got from the laches. Here are a few more socratic criteria for a good definition: Absolute- it should be something that always counts as self-control, not self-control in one situation but not in another.
