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The Last Days of Socratesby Plato
PLA
TO Socrates’ Student
The Study of Philosophy
“Socrates was the first to call philosophy down from heaven” (Cicero)
Philo = love + sophia = skill, wisdom
Training people how to think
Knowing what is right
Dialogues
Philosophy + literature
› Like plays; characters discuss philosophical topic
Reader becomes an observer
› Not asked to believe anything
› Character asks questions; reader formulates opinions
Dialogues
Socratic Discussions
Style of Dialogues
Focuses on questions
May use satire and caricature
Two parts of the argument:
› Elenchus
› Dialectic
Elenchus
Examining the soundness of someone’s views
Exposes problems, inconsistencies within a belief
Questions character of person making the argument
Uses inductive reasoning
Dialectic
From the verb “to converse”
Discussion that leads to a revelation
Is an educational process
Dialogues
Combine logic and rhetoric
› Logic = Orderly, reasoned thinking
› Rhetoric = Persuasive argument
Plato’s dialogues read like a story.
Dialogues used by other philosophers
Four Dialogues
Euthyphro, Apology and Crito
› Written within a decade of Socrates’ death
Phaedo written approximately a decade later
Socrates
Biographical Info
Life and Times
Born a decade after Persian Wars ended
› Athens’ highpoint: military, economic, intellectual dominance
“Educated” young people about life’s important things
Focused on development and care of the soul
Famous in part because of Aristophanes’ Clouds
Political & Religious Beliefs
Loved Athens
Concerned about dangers of democracy
› Saw abuses, no political ambitions himself
› Thought “chosen few” ruled better than “many”
Open to non-traditional
religions + state gods
Socratic Teaching
Conversations as a way to discover Truth
› Listeners discover Truth for themselves
“Aha!” moments
Never wrote anything about himself
Info mainly from followers: Plato, Xenophon
Socrates as “Leader” Denied being a teacher or
a Sophist
Did, however, lead.
› Made suggestions to keep argument going
› Offered constructive criticism
› Asked “leading” questions to prod listener
Socrates’ “Key to Truth”
Recognize your own ignorance
Ask the right questions:
› What is courage? Justice? Truth?
› Is it possible to “know” anything?
Discovery occurs when
beliefs are tested
Euthyphro
The First Dialogue
Setting
Athens
5th century B.C.
Entering the courthouse
Socrates meets Euthyphro
Competing Views about Piety
Based on religious tradition
› Beliefs + duties (like prayer, sacrifice)
Based on individual’s ability to determine right/wrong
Greek Virtues
Holiness (piety)
Justice
Prudence (moderation, temperance)
Courage
Wisdom (knowledge)
From General to Specific
Euthyphro offers general definition of holiness
Socrates wants a narrower definition
Examining the Argument
Context for the Argument
Who is Meletus?
› Why is Meletus prosecuting Socrates?
Socrates believes he is generous.
› What does he mean?
A Dialogue
Who is Euthyphro?
Who is Euthyphro prosecuting?
› Why is he prosecuting this person?
› Euthyphro believes he must bring charges.
Why?
The Question
How does Euthyphro define “piety”?
Socrates’ problem with this definition?
A Religious Problem
What the gods approve or disapprove?
› Why does Socrates find this answer unsatisfactory?
Does Socrates’ argument question gods’ existence?
Does it question their wisdom?
JOU
RN
AL
Read the following verses:
› Leviticus 19:2› Deuteronomy 7:6› Ephesians 1:3-4› Colossians 1:21-23› 1 Peter 1:15-16
How does the Bible define holiness?
Apology
The Second Dialogue
Setting
Athenian Court
Shortly after Socrates has been charged
What is an “apology”?
Key Questions
Is there one, absolute Truth?
Where do interpretations come from?
Are these interpretations valid?
Can a law breaker be considered holy?
Examining the Argument
The Wisest Man on Earth
Who says Socrates is the wisest man?
Why does Socrates investigate this?
Whom does Socrates interview?
What conclusion does he reach? Why?
A Question of Law Socrates says horse
trainers, teachers are alike
› What does he mean?
Socrates says he never
intentionally misled anyone.
› Implications?
› According to Athenian law, what should happen?
False Accusations
What accusations does Meletus level against Socrates?
Meletus confuses Socrates with another philosopher.
› Who?
› Why does he make this mistake? Significance?
Duty and Truth
Socrates says he is like a gadfly.
› What does he mean by this?
How is “poverty” a witness?
JOU
RN
AL
How does Socrates describe death?
Is this a biblical perspective? Explain.
Socrates and Politics
What public office did Socrates hold?
Socrates defied the ruling group more than once.
› Briefly describe both occasions.
› Why did Socrates defy the group?
JOU
RN
AL
Is it ever acceptable to defy the government?
What does the Bible say about this? Explain.
Socrates the “Teacher”
Why does Socrates deny being a teacher?
Is Socrates responsible for his followers’ behavior?
Is he responsible for their outcome?
The Trial
Why doesn’t Socrates want family, friends to testify?
What does Socrates propose as his
punishment? (Name three things.)
“The Unexamined Life”
Socrates says the “unexamined life” is not worth living.
What does he mean?
Judgment
How old is Socrates at the time of his trial?
How does Socrates
envision the afterlife?
What does he hope to do?
Life and Death
Socrates says that “nothing can harm a good man either in life or after death.”
What does he mean by this?
Is this a biblical concept? Explain.
Crito
The Third Dialogue
Public Self vs. Private Self
Refusing to act unconstitutionally
The struggle for piety:
› Religious duty vs. duty to cultural traditions
› A call for consistency
Prophecy
Prophetic dream
› Time of death
› Does this dream comfort Socrates?
Why?
Duty to Law
Law
› Compared to Sirens, Apollo’s blessing
› Lead Socrates to his death
Absolute Law vs. Man-made Laws
Obligations to Law; reflects piety
A Controversial Dialogue?
Reflects Plato’s opinions more than Socrates’?
Similarities to previous dialogues?
Differences?
Time to Think
Where is Socrates when Crito begins?
How long before
the execution?
What does Crito want Socrates to do?
Personified Law
Athenian laws
› How does this strengthen the argument?
Athenian law is like a family member?
› Who? › How?
Crito
Describe Crito
Does he give good or bad advice? Explain.
Phaedo
The Fourth Dialogue
Setting
Socrates’ jail cell
Hours before his execution
Plato “proof” that the soul is immortal
Phaedo
Who is Phaedo?
Who else was with Socrates when he died?
Why is this important?
Death
How does Socrates describe death?
Why is Socrates so certain about this?
How does the Bible describe death?
Theory of Opposites
Needs/Awareness of Need = Pain
Fulfilling Needs = Pleasure
Pain: necessary to understand pleasure
Pleasure: necessary to understand pain
Theory of Opposites
Soul: Eternity
› Righteous› Compassionate› Steadfast› Hopeful› Giving
Physical: Temporal
› Selfish/Self-Aware› Emotional› Subject to Change› Anxious/Expectant› Cautious
Theory of Opposites
Wet
Asleep
Justice
Love
Pain
Life
Dry
Awake
Injustice
Hate
Pleasure
Death
The Theory of Recollection
Socrates’ belief about the soul’s origin
Socrates’ belief about the soul after death
› Righteous man’s soul?
› Souls of other men?
Is this biblical?
Theory of Recollection
The soul “pre-exists”
We “remember” what we knew
Examples from nature:
› Created things change
› Opposites affect origination (hotter/colder, taller/shorter)
Simmias’ Objection:The Attunement Analogy
Harp is visible, composite, mortal
Song is ethereal, invisible, divine
Harp is destroyed, tune is destroyed
› Body = harp
› Soul = tune (harmonia)
Socrates’ Answer
Soul pre-exists (Simmias agrees)
› Tune must have the harp to exist
If soul is a “tune,” implication is that bodies (“harps”) could be “tuned” differently.
› Different kinds of souls?
› “Greater” or “lesser” souls?
Socrates’ Answer continued
Virtue = tune; Vice = no tune, bad tune
› If soul = tune, then virtue = “tune of a tune”
Soul rules over body
› Tune must have harp
› Implies that body rules over soul
Theory of Participation THE GOOD
IDEAS/FORMS
EternalDivineUnchanging Holiness Justice Love Courage
Faithfulness________________________________________________________________________________ PARTICULARS Holy Laws Passion Acts of Examples
of Acts Affection Bravery
Devotion TemporaryMortal Ever-Changing
The Soul
Description of the soul?
› Is the soul physical? Spiritual? Eternal?
How is it connected to the mind?
How does the Bible describe the soul?
The Nature of the Soul
How does the soul provide “balance”?
What is the problem with natural science?
The Afterlife
How does Socrates view Hades?
Difference between
philosopher and ordinary man?
How does fear motivate us?
› Effective motivator?
The Good and the Best
Difference between the Good and the Best?
Can man choose?
Is this a biblical concept? Explain.
JOU
RN
AL
Read Colossians 1:12-17.
Socrates suggests that the soul is superior to the body.
He also suggests that the soul is “recycled” somehow.
What does this passage tell us about the soul?