Socrates, Plato, Aristotle

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Socrates, Plato, Aristotle

• Key ideas

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• Socrates (470 399 BCE)
• Ethics
• The truth about how to live a good moral life
  what is goodness, justice, temperance?
• An action is right if it promotes our true
  happiness (drunkennessenslavement)
• True pleasure is attained through ethical living
• Universal definition of justice
• Observe laws limits to lead a good life
• Dialogues role of ignorant questioner to
  show experts their own ignorance
• Care for the soul gaining wisdom is key to a
  virtuous life saving the soul
• Knowing what is good doing what is good

The Death of Socrates by Jacques-Louis David See
www.pima.gov/publicdefender/socrates.htm
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When I visited New York City last May, I took the
opportunity to visit the Metropolitan Museum of
Art, where this painting is displayed. Socrates
(470399 B.C.), uncoerced and unshackled, freely
prepares to die by drinking poisonous hemlock.
The philosopher is condemned to die by the
Athenian democracy for promoting skepticism and
impiety the Athenians were nervous about
offending the gods after losing to Sparta in the
Peloponnesian War. Rather than flee the city,
Socrates accepts his unjust punishment and
sacrifices himself on abstract principle. Like
Thomas Jefferson, who saw the painting at its
unveiling, I love what Jacques-Louis David
(1748-1825) does with the subject matter.
Socrates calmly sits upright with his finger
extended in the air, exuding authority,
responsibility, and intellect. Surrounding him
are his students, most of them acting
emotionally. The only students in control of
themselves are Plato, seated resigned and unhappy
at the end of the bed, and Crito, who has his
hand on Socrates leg attempting to persuade him
rationally not to die until the very end.
Nevertheless, Socrates shows nobility and
self-control in the face of death. (Thoughts,
Books and Philosophy J H Bowden) See
www.philosophypages.com
The Death of Socrates by Jacques-Louis David See
www.pima.gov/publicdefender/socrates.htm
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Plato (428 347 BCE) Knowledge through reason,
the intellect not the senses. Knowledge of
reality how we perceive it what is whiteness,
roundness, treeness? (Metaphysics question of
meaning) Theory of Forms / Ideas world of the
senses / change / illusion / appearance /
imperfect vs the authentic world / ideas /
unchangeable / spiritual / eternal The Republic
allegory of the cave What is spiritual truly
exists the soul no changeability. Plato
distrusted the senses Dualism - Body soul in
conflict body imprisons soul Ethics seek
truth, goodness, beauty focus on upward
journey to the spiritual realm
Image courtesy of news.bbc.co.uk
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Plato
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• Plato asks the young girl in Sophies World (by
  Jostein Gaarder) to think about the following 4
  questions, thereby engaging in philosophy
• Think over how a baker can bake 50 absolutely
  identical biscuits
• Ask yourself why all horses are the same
• Decide whether you think that the human person
  has an immortal soul
• Say whether men and women are equally sensible

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Aristotle (384 322 BCE) Interested in
scientific proof principle of cause
effect Whiteness, treeness, justice etc exist
called these forms Form and matter recognises
the essence of something its physical
manifestation what makes me unique the
physical characteristics I exhibit. Both need
each other. Form what makes something what it
is whiteness, treeness, it is unchanging matter
individual, particular, concrete, it
changes. Knowledge begins with the senses. 2 ways
of knowing through the senses first then
through the intellect. We must use our senses as
well as our intellect. Seasons senses tell us
there is change. Intellect tells us why. Within
change there is stability foundation for
scientific thought / principles
Image courtesy of space.about.com