The Father of Western Philosophy
Lesson Objectives
Appreciate the historical differences between Socrates and the Presocratics
Understand what Socrates was pursuing and why
Understand what the Socratic Method is and how it works
Appreciate what it means to "Know Thyself"
Explain the reason Socrates compared himself with a gadfly
Describe Socrates' thoughts on the soul, the gods, and Athenian justice
Key Terms
Presocratics
Socrates
Dialogical Reasoning
Eudemonia
Arête
Socratic Method
Paideia
Know Thyself
The Apology
The Gadfly
The Crito
Hemlock
The Historical Socrates
The Written Record
• Socrates wrote nothing down himself
• In fact, he was against writing things down
• Teachings recorded by students, Plato (philosopher) and Xenophon (historian)
• Plato: sychophant who believes Socrates can do no wrong
• Xenophon: older warrior, far less clever, questions Socrates more
• We have a few fragments from Xenophon, but Plato is the main source
The Life of Socrates
• Humble beginnings: son of a stone mason
• Combat Veteran (Peloponnesian War): his unit lost all 3 battles
• Terrible, pointless civil war which the elite in Athens started
• Saves the life of Alcibiades, a general and aristocrat
• Returning from war, Socrates had questions for the elite class
Apart from the Presocratics
• Socrates doesn't care about the nature of reality (metaphysics)
• The Presocratics wanted to put together a cosmology
• They wanted to discover the true nature of the 'arche'
• The methods used by the Presocratics were much different