Socrates and Platos
Socrates and Plato are two of the greatest philosophers to ever walk the Earth. Socrates, who was born in 469 BC, was the tutor of Plato, who in turn was the tutor of Aristotle. Socrates began his education as a student of Archelaus. Socrates showed a great deal of interest in the scientific theories of Anaxagoras, but he later abandoned inquiries into the physical world for a dedicated study of the development of moral character. Having served with some honour and prominence as a soldier at Delium and Amphipolis during the Peloponnesian War, Socrates occasionally partook in the political turmoil that consumed Athens after the War, then retired from active life to work as a stonemason and to raise his children with his wife, Xanthippe. After he inherited a small fortune from his father, a sculptor Sophroniscus, Socrates used this as an opportunity to give full-time attention to inventing the practice of philosophical dialogue. Socrates' philosophical desires were of obtaining definitions for moral terms such as piety, virtue and justice. He believed that which really mattered, lay beyond the realm of the senses. Socrates among other philosophers, taught their beliefs through lectures. He on the other hand, was known to converse with his students rather than lecture them. He also refused to be paid for his teachings[1].
One of his students was Plato. Plato was born in 428 BC. Plato was born to an aristocratic family in Athens. His father, Ariston, was believed to have descended from the early kings of Athens. Perictione, his mother, was distantly related to the sixth century BC lawmaker Solon. When Plato was a child, his father died, and his mother married Pyrilampes, who was an associate of the statesman Pericles. When Plato was young, he had political ambitions but he became confused by the leadership in Athens. Eventually, he became a student of Socrates and accepted his basic philosophy: the pursuit of truth through question, answers then more questions. Plato observed Socrates' death in 399 BC from the hands of the Athenian democracy. He promptly left Athens for a short time and travelled to Italy, Sicily and Egypt, perhaps in fear of his own safety[2].
Plato founded the Academy in Athens in 387 BC. The Academy, which is often said to be the first European university, gave a comprehensive curriculum, including subjects like astronomy, biology, mathematics, political theory, and philosophy. Aristotle was the Academy=s most prominent student.
In 367 BC, Plato went to Sicily to tutor Dionysus the Younger, Syracuse's newest ruler, in the art of philosophical rule. This was an attempt made by Plato to combine philosophy and practical ethics. His attempt failed. He tried again in 361 BC but met little success. The remainder of Plato=s life was spent lecturing at the Academy and writing until he died in Athens c. 347 BC at the age of 80.
In Plato's writings we discover the philosophies of not only Plato, but Socrates. Historians are left guessing at which aspects and theories were Socrates' and which were Plato's. When one reads the writings of Plato, they can pick up on very subtle differences that help to determine which ideas were who=s. If one were to read works such as The Apology, The Phaedrus or The Phaedo, one would discover an articulate eloquence wrapped among the speeches of Socrates.
He is a very elaborate speaker and very persuasive with his attention to the virtual detail in everything.
By Hera, it is a fair retreat. This plane-tree is tall and spreading; and the agnus castus, high and shady and in full blossom, fills the place with fragrance; and the spring that flows beneath the plane-tree is delightfully cool to the feet. To judge from the little votive images, the place must be sacred to Achelous and the Nymphs. How lovely and how sweet the breeze is! Its summer shrillness answers back to the chorus of the grasshoppers. But best of all is the grass, sloping gently like a pillow for our heads. My dear Phaedrus, you have been an excellent guide[3].
Socrates is also known to become very animated on the subject virtue. During the closing remarks for his defence against the charges of corrupting the youth and interfering with the religion of the city, he mentioned that if his sons were to grow up and desire money or anything else than virtue, that they should be punished[4]. To Socrates, virtue was the ultimate philosophical goal. He wanted to know how to define it, how to achieve it and to investigate the aspects and fundamentals of it. Virtue, which means moral excellence or goodness, was one of Socrates' "Ideas." These "Ideas" were moral terms in search of a definition such as piety, justice and beauty. Socrates was very enthusiastic in the study of these "Ideas" as well as discussions on the mortality of the soul. Socrates was convinced that the soul was immortal. This played a great part in his view of death and the acceptance of his own. In Plato's Crito, Lucretius and Socrates debate on the mortality of the soul where Socrates mentions that the soul that can entertain abstract and eternal ideas, must be eternal; philosophy is indeed the gradual discovery of the real world that lies beyond what the senses reveal to us; the philosopher, be learning to rely on mind rather than on body, is always "rehearsing" that final separation of soul and body which we call death[5].
Plato's Crito is a very moving and emotional dialogue, whether this is due to his alternate identity of being a poet, or to the subject matter that is beautifully presented, it is a vital piece that describes Socrates when he is perhaps, is deepest. Plato was an exceptional philosopher as well.
Plato's philosophical views were based on the theory of Forms and his theory that knowledge was attainable, which was greatly influenced by Socrates. He believed that knowledge contained two vital pieces. Firstly, knowledge must be certain and infallible and second, knowledge must have as its object that which in genuinely real, be fixed, permanent, and unchanging[6]. One side-effect of his views were that Plato rejected empiricism, the fact that knowledge is from an experience of the senses. He did not rule out propositions of such experiences but did not encourage them for, the objects of sense experience are changeable phenomena of the physical world. Therefore, experiences of the senses are not real objects. Plato's own theory of knowledge is found in the Republic, especially in his explanation of the image of the divided line and the myth of the cave. Plato uses the divided line to distinguish two levels of awareness: opinion and knowledge. Notions of the physical world, including scientific and common observations are opinions only. Some are believable and some are not, but none of them are genuine knowledge. Awareness is the higher level of knowledge for rather than sense experience, reason is used. Intellectual insights result when reason is properly used, that is certain and the objects or end results are the universal constants, the eternal Forms or things that make-up the real world[7].
The myth of the cave describes the difference between the real world and the physical world of appearances. In the cave the only visible are shadows of models, animals and objects that pass before a blazing fire. The cave contains people who are chained in the dark far-most regions of the cave. One day, one person breaks and finally stumbles onto the light of day. That person sees the real world for the first time and returns to the cave to tell the others that all what they have seen are but shadows and appearances and that the real world awaits them if they are willing to break free of their bonds[8]. The dark cave symbolizes the physical world of appearances and the outside represents the transition to the real world. This real world is full of full and perfect being, the world of Forms, which is the correct object of knowledge.
These philosophers were considered two different entities due to their difference of opinions. These "opinions" were often controversial and sometimes similar, which would be expected between a teacher and student. Socrates believed, "wisdom is knowledge, and knowing, that you know nothing"[9]. Plato believed knowledge was an infinite amount of information that was presented in the real physical world, not the real world full of experience of sensations. Socrates also believed that knowledge existed beyond the realm of the senses, just as Plato did. Plato attained his knowledge through definitions of the world, as opposed to Socrates definitions of moral terms.
These two philosophers were the tag-team champions of the world philosophising federation. They began it all with Socrates inquiring into the mind and Plato inquiring into our world. Socrates began the study of philosophy and Plato made sure that it lived on for all of history to marvel at. Along the way he also left his mark on western philosophy and taught philosophy to Aristotle, among others. Their works are immortal and are still evident in works of today. For instance, the major motion picture, The Matrix, was not just an action flick. Aside from subtle references to Christianity, Genesis and Greek Mythology, the plot is intertwined with that of Plato's, myth of the cave. Neo, Keanu Reeves character, breaks free from the bonds of a dark enslavement of mind-controlling machines to discover a "real" world, outside of the one that he had trusted and accepted as his own. The matrix represents the physical world of appearances and the "real" world, uncontrolled by the machines, represents the outside of the cave, containing the light of day.
The philosophies of Plato and Socrates are the starting point for any philosopher, who wishes to understand oneself or the world they live in. Whether they are interested in the aspect of justice in the Republic or the immortality of the soul from the Phaedo, Plato's works are the manual for intellectual thought. Their views have stood the test of time and are sure to influence our way of life for centuries to come.
[1] "Socrates." 13 Jan. 2003
[2]"Plato=s LIfe." 13 Jan. 2003.
[3]Howe Herbert M., MacKendrick Paul, AClassics in Translation: The Apology@. University of Wisconsin Press: Madison, 1980. Pp.321
[4]Ibid. Pp. 324
[5]Howe Herbert M., MacKendrick Paul, AClassics in Translation@. University of Wisconsin Press: Madison, 1980. Pp. 326
[6]"Plato=s Life." 13 Jan. 2003
[7]Howe Herbert M., MacKendrick Paul, AClassics in Translation@. University of Wisconsin Press: Madison, 1980.
[8]Howe Herbert M., MacKendrick Paul, AClassics in Translation@. University of Wisconsin Press: Madison, 1980
[9]Bill and Ted=s Excellent Adventure. Dir. Stephen Herek. Neilson Entertainment, 1989.
One of his students was Plato. Plato was born in 428 BC. Plato was born to an aristocratic family in Athens. His father, Ariston, was believed to have descended from the early kings of Athens. Perictione, his mother, was distantly related to the sixth century BC lawmaker Solon. When Plato was a child, his father died, and his mother married Pyrilampes, who was an associate of the statesman Pericles. When Plato was young, he had political ambitions but he became confused by the leadership in Athens. Eventually, he became a student of Socrates and accepted his basic philosophy: the pursuit of truth through question, answers then more questions. Plato observed Socrates' death in 399 BC from the hands of the Athenian democracy. He promptly left Athens for a short time and travelled to Italy, Sicily and Egypt, perhaps in fear of his own safety[2].
Plato founded the Academy in Athens in 387 BC. The Academy, which is often said to be the first European university, gave a comprehensive curriculum, including subjects like astronomy, biology, mathematics, political theory, and philosophy. Aristotle was the Academy=s most prominent student.
In 367 BC, Plato went to Sicily to tutor Dionysus the Younger, Syracuse's newest ruler, in the art of philosophical rule. This was an attempt made by Plato to combine philosophy and practical ethics. His attempt failed. He tried again in 361 BC but met little success. The remainder of Plato=s life was spent lecturing at the Academy and writing until he died in Athens c. 347 BC at the age of 80.
In Plato's writings we discover the philosophies of not only Plato, but Socrates. Historians are left guessing at which aspects and theories were Socrates' and which were Plato's. When one reads the writings of Plato, they can pick up on very subtle differences that help to determine which ideas were who=s. If one were to read works such as The Apology, The Phaedrus or The Phaedo, one would discover an articulate eloquence wrapped among the speeches of Socrates.
He is a very elaborate speaker and very persuasive with his attention to the virtual detail in everything.
By Hera, it is a fair retreat. This plane-tree is tall and spreading; and the agnus castus, high and shady and in full blossom, fills the place with fragrance; and the spring that flows beneath the plane-tree is delightfully cool to the feet. To judge from the little votive images, the place must be sacred to Achelous and the Nymphs. How lovely and how sweet the breeze is! Its summer shrillness answers back to the chorus of the grasshoppers. But best of all is the grass, sloping gently like a pillow for our heads. My dear Phaedrus, you have been an excellent guide[3].
Socrates is also known to become very animated on the subject virtue. During the closing remarks for his defence against the charges of corrupting the youth and interfering with the religion of the city, he mentioned that if his sons were to grow up and desire money or anything else than virtue, that they should be punished[4]. To Socrates, virtue was the ultimate philosophical goal. He wanted to know how to define it, how to achieve it and to investigate the aspects and fundamentals of it. Virtue, which means moral excellence or goodness, was one of Socrates' "Ideas." These "Ideas" were moral terms in search of a definition such as piety, justice and beauty. Socrates was very enthusiastic in the study of these "Ideas" as well as discussions on the mortality of the soul. Socrates was convinced that the soul was immortal. This played a great part in his view of death and the acceptance of his own. In Plato's Crito, Lucretius and Socrates debate on the mortality of the soul where Socrates mentions that the soul that can entertain abstract and eternal ideas, must be eternal; philosophy is indeed the gradual discovery of the real world that lies beyond what the senses reveal to us; the philosopher, be learning to rely on mind rather than on body, is always "rehearsing" that final separation of soul and body which we call death[5].
Plato's Crito is a very moving and emotional dialogue, whether this is due to his alternate identity of being a poet, or to the subject matter that is beautifully presented, it is a vital piece that describes Socrates when he is perhaps, is deepest. Plato was an exceptional philosopher as well.
Plato's philosophical views were based on the theory of Forms and his theory that knowledge was attainable, which was greatly influenced by Socrates. He believed that knowledge contained two vital pieces. Firstly, knowledge must be certain and infallible and second, knowledge must have as its object that which in genuinely real, be fixed, permanent, and unchanging[6]. One side-effect of his views were that Plato rejected empiricism, the fact that knowledge is from an experience of the senses. He did not rule out propositions of such experiences but did not encourage them for, the objects of sense experience are changeable phenomena of the physical world. Therefore, experiences of the senses are not real objects. Plato's own theory of knowledge is found in the Republic, especially in his explanation of the image of the divided line and the myth of the cave. Plato uses the divided line to distinguish two levels of awareness: opinion and knowledge. Notions of the physical world, including scientific and common observations are opinions only. Some are believable and some are not, but none of them are genuine knowledge. Awareness is the higher level of knowledge for rather than sense experience, reason is used. Intellectual insights result when reason is properly used, that is certain and the objects or end results are the universal constants, the eternal Forms or things that make-up the real world[7].
The myth of the cave describes the difference between the real world and the physical world of appearances. In the cave the only visible are shadows of models, animals and objects that pass before a blazing fire. The cave contains people who are chained in the dark far-most regions of the cave. One day, one person breaks and finally stumbles onto the light of day. That person sees the real world for the first time and returns to the cave to tell the others that all what they have seen are but shadows and appearances and that the real world awaits them if they are willing to break free of their bonds[8]. The dark cave symbolizes the physical world of appearances and the outside represents the transition to the real world. This real world is full of full and perfect being, the world of Forms, which is the correct object of knowledge.
These philosophers were considered two different entities due to their difference of opinions. These "opinions" were often controversial and sometimes similar, which would be expected between a teacher and student. Socrates believed, "wisdom is knowledge, and knowing, that you know nothing"[9]. Plato believed knowledge was an infinite amount of information that was presented in the real physical world, not the real world full of experience of sensations. Socrates also believed that knowledge existed beyond the realm of the senses, just as Plato did. Plato attained his knowledge through definitions of the world, as opposed to Socrates definitions of moral terms.
These two philosophers were the tag-team champions of the world philosophising federation. They began it all with Socrates inquiring into the mind and Plato inquiring into our world. Socrates began the study of philosophy and Plato made sure that it lived on for all of history to marvel at. Along the way he also left his mark on western philosophy and taught philosophy to Aristotle, among others. Their works are immortal and are still evident in works of today. For instance, the major motion picture, The Matrix, was not just an action flick. Aside from subtle references to Christianity, Genesis and Greek Mythology, the plot is intertwined with that of Plato's, myth of the cave. Neo, Keanu Reeves character, breaks free from the bonds of a dark enslavement of mind-controlling machines to discover a "real" world, outside of the one that he had trusted and accepted as his own. The matrix represents the physical world of appearances and the "real" world, uncontrolled by the machines, represents the outside of the cave, containing the light of day.
The philosophies of Plato and Socrates are the starting point for any philosopher, who wishes to understand oneself or the world they live in. Whether they are interested in the aspect of justice in the Republic or the immortality of the soul from the Phaedo, Plato's works are the manual for intellectual thought. Their views have stood the test of time and are sure to influence our way of life for centuries to come.
[1] "Socrates."
[2]"Plato=s LIfe."
[3]Howe Herbert M., MacKendrick Paul, AClassics in Translation: The Apology@. University of Wisconsin Press: Madison, 1980. Pp.321
[4]Ibid. Pp. 324
[5]Howe Herbert M., MacKendrick Paul, AClassics in Translation@. University of Wisconsin Press: Madison, 1980. Pp. 326
[6]"Plato=s Life."
[7]Howe Herbert M., MacKendrick Paul, AClassics in Translation@. University of Wisconsin Press: Madison, 1980.
[8]Howe Herbert M., MacKendrick Paul, AClassics in Translation@. University of Wisconsin Press: Madison, 1980
[9]Bill and Ted=s Excellent Adventure. Dir. Stephen Herek. Neilson Entertainment, 1989.
posted by Phantom at 7:02 PM
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