SOCRATES Greek philosopher Who was Socrates? Socrates was born around 470/469 BC in Alopeke, a suburb of Athens but, located outside the wall, and belonged to the tribe Antiochis. His father was a sculptor or stonemason and his mother was a midwife. Very late in life he married Zanthippe, who was some 40 years younger than he was. His wife is especially remembered for having an undesirable temperament. It seems that Zanthippe poured scorn on his idea that he was some great philosopher. The picture shows her pouring a chamber pot over his head. However, perhaps she had another reason for doing so because Socrates, who was already married, attended to a lay called Myrto's financial concerns when she became a widow; and it seems he may have spent a little too much time her and not at home. Zanthippe became the name for A nagging scolding person especially a shrewish wife. Although old, when he married Socrates and Zanthippe did have three sons. EARLY TIMES Youths were not allowed to enter the Agora, so they used to gather in the workshops surrounding it. Socrates was often to be found talking with the merchants. WAR For a time Socrates around the age of 40 to 50, fulfilled the role of hoplite, which is a heavily armoured soldier, participating in the Peloponnesian war which occurred somewhere between 431 411 BC. He was active in many battles, saving a friends life in one and receiving special mention in another. TECHNE Socrates took his bearings from the models of everyday life like shoemaking and carpentry, as well as from the respected sciences of medicine and navigation. These were known in Greece as techne. While Greeks respected experts in each techne the held there was no techne of politics or of living well as an individual WHO WAS HE Having served, with all other male citizens in the city s military expeditions, and although he volunteered himself for selection by lot for a year s service on the Council, he did not speak in the Assembly nor bring prosecutions in law courts as the most ambitious politicians did.
By the normal standards of Athenian life, he was a nonentity because he had achieved no elected office or political influence. HOW DO UNDERSTAND Socrates did not write down any of his thoughts or arguments. He said the only good is knowledge - And writing (thoughts) things down imprison knowledge Instead to understand Socrates one must turn to the works of PLATO, one of his students, whose dialogues consist of reports of conversations apparently involving Socrates. Plato s book, The Republic, was written around 375BC some 14/15 years after Socrates death. It depicts imaginary conversations set some fifty years earlier at the height of the Peloponnesian War. WHAT DID HE SAY Democracy Socrates lived in the developing democratic society of Greece. Unlike other States like Sparta, this was a military dictatorship. He believed in education for both men and women, because if you don t have educated citizens democracy does not work. Wealth He was not poor but nor was Socrates wealthy. Although it is reasonable to assume that, he owned slaves who did all the menial tasks around the house Happiness Ethics the only evil is ignorance again a reference back to education - Knowledge of the human good - Individual empowerment and responsibility - Having the courage of your convictions Punishment - What is the purpose of punishment? - Revenge - Retribution - Reform
CULTIVATION OF VIRTUE Socrates agreed with the democrats that living well both individually and collectively was the highest aim. However, how does one achieve this? Traditionally the answer was by the cultivation of virtue. The five leading virtues were broadly ethical Wisdom, Courage, self-discipline Piety and Temperance and Justice. Where justice meant more than just the law but what is right. BUT However, not everyone agreed. Happiness might be gained by behaving immorally instead of virtuously. Justice and Injustice read from Plato MOST IMPORTANT Perhaps the most important contribution Socrates made to Western thought is his dialectic method of inquiry. To solve a problem it would be broken down into a series of questions, the answers to which gradually distil the answer a person would seek. Liken this to today s scientific method in which a hypothesis is the first stage. The Socratic method is a negative method of hypothesis elimination, in that better hypotheses are found by steadily identifying and eliminating those that lead to contradictions. It was designed to force one to examine one s own beliefs and the validity of such beliefs. SOCRATIC PARADOXES They are paradoxical because they seem to conflict with common sense. No one desires evil No one does wrong willingly or knowingly All virtue is knowledge Virtue is sufficient for happiness SOCIETY What are the underlying principles of any society? Socrates says there are two. Mutual need men are not self-sufficient, they need to live together in society
Differences of aptitude different people are good at different things and it is best for all that, each should concentrate on developing his particular aptitudes. CLASSES He finds five main economic classes Producers, agricultural or industrial Merchants Sailors and ship-owners Retail traders Wage-earners or manual labourers CIVILIZATION or the State Socrates proceeds to add to it the refinements of civilization and so multiplies the number of trades and occupations and with it an increase in population. He predicted that the increase of population and wealth would ultimately lead to war. Therefore, you need a specialist class of person someone who will always be a professional soldier. However, these soldiers or Guardians will develop into the ruling class. GUARDIANS The Guardian class is sub-divided, into Guardians proper or Rulers and Auxiliaries. The Auxiliaries will be those performing Military, Police and Administrative duties. The Rulers exercise supreme authority. Everything the Rulers do is done for the good of the community. Guardians are to live a life of austere simplicity without private property or family life Children are to be moved from class to class according to merit and capability. WHAT IS A STATE The State must possess the four cardinal qualities Wisdom, Courage, Discipline and Justice. Wisdom because knowledge must be possessed by the Rulers Courage because of the Auxiliaries, putting oneself at ultimate risk Self-discipline because of their common agreement about who ought to rule Justice is the principle of one-man one job, of minding one s own business, of doing the job for which one is fitted out and not interfering with other people. (George Orwell 1984???)
Men and Women The only difference suggests Socrates is one of physical function one begets the other bears, the children. Both can and should follow the same range of occupations and perform the same functions (though men will, on the whole perform them better!!). They should receive the same education. In this way, society will get the best value from both. Marriage and Family If men and women are to lead the same lives, the family must be abolished. Instead, there will be mating festivals at which the Rulers will choose with whom they wish to mate. Resulting children will be looked after in state nurseries. The advantages are firstly, it makes it possible to breed good citizen s (Hitler - Arian race) second, it gets rid of the distractions of the family system. References to inferior children, defective children, unsanctioned children, aged parents children there is the apparent approval of infanticide. WHO IS BEST TO RUN SOCIETY Socrates believed in a hieratical society where everyone had their place. Only the elite should be allowed to make rules Who is best to run this proposed Society? Why Socrates says there, will no end of troubles until philosophers become kings in this world or until those we call, kings and rulers become philosophers? What attributes should a philosopher have? They include courage, greatness of mind, quickness to learn and a good memory. They must rule reluctantly They must rule knowledgeably They must have a natural love of knowledge and abstain from physical appetites. This enables them to get the rule of reason off the ground otherwise it risks being stultified by ungoverned desires. good. Their reason must have attained its own proper object knowledge of what is Philosophy is impossible among the common people.
WHAT IS PHILOSOPHY Knowledge Opinion Pure thought Reason Belief Illusion DEATH During his life Socrates himself seems to have openly espoused certain antidemocratic views, most prominent perhaps being the view that it is not majority opinion that yields correct policy but rather genuine knowledge and professional competence, which is possessed by only a few. Plato also portrays him as being severely critical of some of the most prominent and well-respected leaders of the Athenian democracy, and even has him claim that the officials selected by the Athenian system of governance cannot credibly be regarded as benefactors, since it is not any group of many that benefits, but only "some one person or very few". When the philosophic nature is badly brought up it is men so gifted who inflict the deepest injuries on communities and individuals. Finally, Socrates was known as often praising the laws of the undemocratic regimes of Sparta and Crete. Socrates was tried on two charges: corrupting the youth and impiety (in Greek, asebeia). More specifically, Socrates' accusers cited two "impious" acts: "failing to acknowledge the gods that the city acknowledges" and "introducing new deities". Socrates' death was the result of him asking philosophical questions. A majority of the dikasts (Athenian citizens chosen by lot to serve as jurors) voted to convict him. Consistent with common practice, the dikasts determined Socrates punishment with another vote. Socrates was ultimately sentenced to death by drinking a hemlockbased liquid Socrates Died in 399 BC aged 71 LEGACY Yet even today, he is regarded as one of the three Philosophy giants.