SOCRATES:
Greek philosophy: before Socrates
- The Milesian philosophers.
- Thales: he was the Greek philosopher who predicted the solar eclipse.
- Considered to be the first Western philosopher.
- Solved several engineering problems for the military.
- Important for understanding the Western intellectual heritage.
- Set in motion an ongoing debate about the ultimate nature of things.
- He comes from Miletus- noted for its commerce, wealth, and cosmopolitan
ideas.
Many theories of early thinkers may seem as much an example of early science
as they are of philosophy.
- What we call science was known as natural philosophy.
- This period represents both the birth of science and philosophy.
- Early thinkers embarked on a quest for universal principles and rationally
defensible theories rather than simply making observations and collecting
data.
Thales questions:
- His concern was to find the unity that underlies all the multiplicity of
things in our experience. This is called the problem of the one and many.
- What unified everything in the world? Why do we consider this a universe
and not a multiverse? What fundamental stuff underlies everything we find
in the world?
- This is the primary issue that occupies all the pre-Socratic philosophers.
Thales answer:
- The answer that Thales gave, Aristotle tells us, is that water is the source
of all things.
- We stand on top of some twenty-five hundred years of philosophical
speculations and discoveries.
- Early attempts to answer these questions are remarkable in their
originality.
- Aristotle speculated that Thales reasoned from the fact that water is
essential to life and the seeds of all things are moist to the conclusion that
water is the fundamental element.
Additional reasons may have occurred to Thales to support his conclusion
that everything is transformed water.
,- Water comes from the air as mist.
- We don’t know what Thales real arguments were, the fact that His
immediate successors offered rational support for their theories makes it
likely that Thales did too.
- Everything we know about Thales; we were told by Socrates.
The problem of change:
- Some further issues are involved in Thale’s speculation.
- If water is the one permanent and basic substance, what causes the
change in water’s appearance that transforms it into all the other things in
our experience?
this is the question of ‘permeance and change’ or ‘being and becoming’.
- Possible answers can be found in Thales' claim that all things are “full of
Gods”.
Introducing Socrates:
- Account for Socrates’ role in the Athenian society.
- To understand the fundamentals of Western philosophy, one has to turn to
the person who is considered to be the most important in the study of
knowledge and philosophy.
- He was known as the wisest as he understood that he did not know
anything.
Socrates on trial:
- In the Athenian courtroom, the court murmurs as the former sculptor-
turned-marketplace philosopher faces his accusers.
- To the spectators, the defendant (AGE 70) seems to be physically
unimpressive, he has a bald head and a disheveled and worn garment ON
HIS BODY.
- Socrates is arguing for his life before an Athenian jury, made up of 500
random citizens.
- He is accused of corrupting the youth and of not believing in the gods
whom the state believes in.
, - He is a comical figure however, One’s assessment of Socrates changes
when he starts to speak.
- Socrates addresses the charges while weaving in details of his life.
As His voice begins to increase in intensity, we understand that he is not the one
who sits in judgment but rather the court and citizens.
- How they make their decision will reveal both their character and that of
their society.
- Majority did not appreciate his role as a gadfly in their midst.
- 280 votes for the conviction and 220 votes for acquittal.
- Spent 30 days in prison, having discussions with his friends and waiting for
his execution.
- When the day arrived, he was surrounded by his weeping friends, and he
drank poison which sent him to a quiet and peaceful death.
Looking at the circumstances around his death, we know that
Socrates:
- He was born in 470 B.C.E. In Athens.
- Unlike Plato (his student), Socrates came from humble economic
circumstances.
- His father was a sculptor, and his mother was a midwife.
- He was eccentric in manner and appearance but had a captivating effect
on people.
- His clothes were always rumpled, and his walk was like a pelican’s strut.
- He would consume enormous quantities of wine without getting drunk.
- He was in his 70’s when he died and left behind his wife and 3 children.
Once a friend of his asked the oracle of Delphi If there was anyone wiser
than Socrates.
- They replied there was not.
- Socrates was speechless, he was ignorant.
- Socrates set out to clear up this riddle.
- Socrates’ goal was to find someone wiser than he was and to prove that
the oracle was mistaken.
- Socrates sought out politicians, poets, and craftsmen, who were all seen
as wise and respected.
Socrates finally realized that he was better off with his ignorance than
leaders with their shallowness and smugness, and they were not as smart as
him.
- This experience is the turning point in his life as a philosopher.
Greek philosophy: before Socrates
- The Milesian philosophers.
- Thales: he was the Greek philosopher who predicted the solar eclipse.
- Considered to be the first Western philosopher.
- Solved several engineering problems for the military.
- Important for understanding the Western intellectual heritage.
- Set in motion an ongoing debate about the ultimate nature of things.
- He comes from Miletus- noted for its commerce, wealth, and cosmopolitan
ideas.
Many theories of early thinkers may seem as much an example of early science
as they are of philosophy.
- What we call science was known as natural philosophy.
- This period represents both the birth of science and philosophy.
- Early thinkers embarked on a quest for universal principles and rationally
defensible theories rather than simply making observations and collecting
data.
Thales questions:
- His concern was to find the unity that underlies all the multiplicity of
things in our experience. This is called the problem of the one and many.
- What unified everything in the world? Why do we consider this a universe
and not a multiverse? What fundamental stuff underlies everything we find
in the world?
- This is the primary issue that occupies all the pre-Socratic philosophers.
Thales answer:
- The answer that Thales gave, Aristotle tells us, is that water is the source
of all things.
- We stand on top of some twenty-five hundred years of philosophical
speculations and discoveries.
- Early attempts to answer these questions are remarkable in their
originality.
- Aristotle speculated that Thales reasoned from the fact that water is
essential to life and the seeds of all things are moist to the conclusion that
water is the fundamental element.
Additional reasons may have occurred to Thales to support his conclusion
that everything is transformed water.
,- Water comes from the air as mist.
- We don’t know what Thales real arguments were, the fact that His
immediate successors offered rational support for their theories makes it
likely that Thales did too.
- Everything we know about Thales; we were told by Socrates.
The problem of change:
- Some further issues are involved in Thale’s speculation.
- If water is the one permanent and basic substance, what causes the
change in water’s appearance that transforms it into all the other things in
our experience?
this is the question of ‘permeance and change’ or ‘being and becoming’.
- Possible answers can be found in Thales' claim that all things are “full of
Gods”.
Introducing Socrates:
- Account for Socrates’ role in the Athenian society.
- To understand the fundamentals of Western philosophy, one has to turn to
the person who is considered to be the most important in the study of
knowledge and philosophy.
- He was known as the wisest as he understood that he did not know
anything.
Socrates on trial:
- In the Athenian courtroom, the court murmurs as the former sculptor-
turned-marketplace philosopher faces his accusers.
- To the spectators, the defendant (AGE 70) seems to be physically
unimpressive, he has a bald head and a disheveled and worn garment ON
HIS BODY.
- Socrates is arguing for his life before an Athenian jury, made up of 500
random citizens.
- He is accused of corrupting the youth and of not believing in the gods
whom the state believes in.
, - He is a comical figure however, One’s assessment of Socrates changes
when he starts to speak.
- Socrates addresses the charges while weaving in details of his life.
As His voice begins to increase in intensity, we understand that he is not the one
who sits in judgment but rather the court and citizens.
- How they make their decision will reveal both their character and that of
their society.
- Majority did not appreciate his role as a gadfly in their midst.
- 280 votes for the conviction and 220 votes for acquittal.
- Spent 30 days in prison, having discussions with his friends and waiting for
his execution.
- When the day arrived, he was surrounded by his weeping friends, and he
drank poison which sent him to a quiet and peaceful death.
Looking at the circumstances around his death, we know that
Socrates:
- He was born in 470 B.C.E. In Athens.
- Unlike Plato (his student), Socrates came from humble economic
circumstances.
- His father was a sculptor, and his mother was a midwife.
- He was eccentric in manner and appearance but had a captivating effect
on people.
- His clothes were always rumpled, and his walk was like a pelican’s strut.
- He would consume enormous quantities of wine without getting drunk.
- He was in his 70’s when he died and left behind his wife and 3 children.
Once a friend of his asked the oracle of Delphi If there was anyone wiser
than Socrates.
- They replied there was not.
- Socrates was speechless, he was ignorant.
- Socrates set out to clear up this riddle.
- Socrates’ goal was to find someone wiser than he was and to prove that
the oracle was mistaken.
- Socrates sought out politicians, poets, and craftsmen, who were all seen
as wise and respected.
Socrates finally realized that he was better off with his ignorance than
leaders with their shallowness and smugness, and they were not as smart as
him.
- This experience is the turning point in his life as a philosopher.
