Famous Greek Philosophers

With a partner…. What is truth? What is beauty? What is virtue? What is patriotism? What is philosophy?

Philosophy Definition: Philosophy is…“The rational investigation of the truths and principles of being, knowledge, or conduct.” Philosophers always assume two things The universe was made in an orderly way People could understand these laws (orders) through reasoning

Socrates 470-399 B.C. He left no writings. We know of him only from secondary sources. Famous question: “Do you know what you’re talking about?” reflected how he did not accept people’s teachings at face value

Socrates, cont. He called himself “a gadfly that stings people out of complacency.” He insisted people give reasonable defense for their beliefs. He said: virtue IS knowledge. Therefore, no person, knowingly, acts wickedly.

The Socratic Method The Socratic Method asks the question “why?” He learned by questioning. His challenging arguments attracted many followers (Plato), but it also made enemies.

Socrates on Trial He was put on trial in 399 B.C. for corrupting the minds of the Athenian youth. He was sentenced to death. His friends (Crito) urged him to escape, but he did not. Instead, he drank the poisoned hemlock that the jailer brought to him.

Socrates on Trial Socrates made three speeches to the Athenian jury after he received his death sentence. His third speech instructed the jury (and his friends) how he wanted his sons to be raised. Socrates asks his friends to look after his three sons and to make sure that they always put goodness above money or other earthly trappings

Why didn’t he flee prison!? It would have been quite easy for Socrates to escape from prison. But he refused. While Socrates was in jail awaiting his execution, his dear friend Crito comes to him and urges him to escape. They debate over whether it was just to flee jail—willingly breaking the laws of the state. Socrates argues with Crito and concludes that instead, he should follow his sentence. Why commit suicide? He believed knowledge and virtue were worth pursuing whatever the cost, and he believed running away went against everything he stood for.

PLATO 437-347 BC A pupil (student) of Socrates, he was an aristocratic Athenian who was deeply moved by Socrates’ quest for truth. Unlike Socrates, he left behind over 25 separate works of writing.

Plato’s contributions One of Plato’s most influential contributions to philosophy was his dualist idea of man—that man is divided into two natures. The Physical Flesh (the whole material world): impermanent and evil The Mind—where man is able to grasp unchanging truth. Plato believed the ultimate in reality (the “really real”) was “forms”—the objects of knowledge and reasoning. Plato’s goal was to acquere as much knowledge as possible.

Plato’s Dualist theory What do you/I agree with? Original sin (The Physical Flesh) Truth exists (The Mind) What do I disagree with? Naphesh (separate soul) Strive to know God, not just acquire knowledge

Plato’s Republic One of Plato’s most famous writings was The Republic.

United States?

Republic Three classes of people: Philosophers (rulers/kings) Soldiers/Warriors Commoners Inside the Republic, is Plato’s Allegory of a Cave, where the world around us is likened to shadows cast onto the wall of a cave. As you can see, Plato’s Republic is critical of democracy. Plato did not trust the masses to govern.

Aristotle 384-322 BC He entered Plato’s Academy at the age of 18. For a short time he tutored Alexander the Great.

Theoretical science (physics and chemistry). Aristotle was a lover of philosophy, but more importantly he also developed: Empirical biology (learning about living things through observation) Theoretical science (physics and chemistry). While Socrates and Plato focused on the inner self, Aristotle focused on explaining the physical world and human society through observation. He believed every truth followed logically from other truths.

Every truth follows from a truth..? He developed syllogism. Which became the backbone of MODERN logic/reason. If A=B And B=C Then A=C Example: If I am a woman And all women are intelligent Then, I am intelligent