Socrates and Plato
Socrates ca. 470 399 BC. Son of Sophroniscus and Phaenarete Not an aristocrat: mother was a midwife, father a stone mason Potidaea (432); Delium (424) Self taught Sought wisdom through examination Cross-examined those who claimed wisdom Already well known by 423 (Arist. Clouds)
Associates of Socrates Alcibiades Served with Socrates at Potidaea in 432 Served with Socrates at Delium in 424 Instigated the Argive alliance and battle of Mantinea in 418 May have led the attack on Melos in 416 Promoted the Sicilian Expedition Charged with impiety and condemned in absentia
Alcibiades at Sparta Advised Spartan war strategy: Send aid to Syracuse Attack and occupy Decelea Strip Athens of her allies Adopted Spartan habits Seduced Timaea, Agis wife
Decelea
Alcibiades the chameleon: Alcibiades condemned in Sparta Seeks refuge with fleet on Samos Alcibiades had been forced by his enemies to give proof of his own valour at the expense of his fatherland (Diod. xiii 41.5). Alcibiades Promise: Overthrow the Demos and I will bring Tissaphernes.
The Revolution of 411 To what extend does fear precipitate irrational decisions? For fear they would lose the war, the Athenians voted the democracy out of existence. Late May 411 BC. A council of 400 aristocrats assumed power. Their secret policy was surrender to Sparta.
Associates of Socrates Theramenes Leader of the Kaloi K Agathoi from 413 Leader of the revolution of 411: Supported the recall of Alcibiades Turned against the Four Hundred Rejoined the Fleet in 410 Prosecuted Arginusae strategoi in 408 Supported the democrats in 404 Threatened with execution Elected one of the Thirty Opposed the Rule of the Thirty Executed in 403
Associates of Socrates Critias Leader of the Thirty Ordered execution of Theramenes Asked Lysander to execute Alcibiades Proscriptions: Spartan garrison Over 1500 executed Wealthy flee Athens
Civil War: 403 Sparta: No exiles given sanctuary Argos and Thebes refuse the order Thrasybulus: Fortifies Phyle Repels an attack by Critias Moves to Munychia Critias Removed the democrats to Peiraeus Defeated and killed in battle
Munychia
Associates of Socrates Xenophon A student of Socrates from an early age Must have served in the Peloponnesian War Joined Cyrus the Pretender in 401 Led the 10,000 out of Asia Defected to Sparta in 399 Permanently banished from Athens as a traitor. Composed the Hellenica, Anabasis and others
Socrates
Doctrines Knowledge is innate Learning is remembering Aletheia The soul is the true self: Nourish the soul not the body The path to knowledge is the acceptance of ignorance The unexamined life is not worth living It is better to suffer wrong than to do wrong
Aristophanes, The Clouds Strepsiades A landowner who has sunk into debt Wants to study under Socrates so that he can learn how to make the weaker argument prevail and use it to get out of paying his debts. He vows by the gods to pay Socrates for the lessons Socrates says that he doesn t believe in the gods He worships the Air, the Aether and the Clouds
The Trial of Socrates 399: Meletus and Anytus Corrupting the youth of Athens Introducing new gods Men of Athens, either do as Anytus tells you, or not, and either acquit me, or not, knowing that I shall not change my conduct even if I am to die many times over. (Plat.Apol.30.b) 280 to convict; 221 to acquit
Suicide by Jury? Since I am convinced that I never wronged anyone, I am certainly not going to wrong myself and say of myself that I deserve anything bad. What then does such a man as I deserve? Some good thing, men of Athens. Second vote: 360 to 140... human beings for whom it is better to die cannot, without impiety, do good to themselves, but must wait for some other benefactor. (Plat.Phaed.62.a)
Death of Socrates
Plato 429(?) 347 BC Aristocrat Student of Socrates Socrates never wrote Plato reproduced the Dialogues Demonstrating principles through refutation, the dissoi logoi. Founded the Academy ca. 386 BC Aristotle studied under Plato
Dialogues Euthyphro Apology Crito Phaedo Theataetus Sophist Protagoras Gorgias Menexenus Statesman Republic Laws Timaeus Critias Symposium To name but a few of 43.
Doctrines The empirical is illusion Only the idea (Form) is real and unchanging Good Beauty Truth (materialist presupposition?) Soul The job of the philosopher is to distinguish the one true form from the many illusory facsimiles.
Plato, Protagoras The Philosophy Virus: You have virus protection on your computer What about protection for your bio-computer? Philosophy is virus protection for your soul: Understanding the fundamental principles the Forms Recognising false use of the names of the Forms Refusing to be seduced by apparent reason.