Plato's Philosophy

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Plato's Philosophy

• Kathy Edwards
• Philosophy
• Part II

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Platos idea of the Forms

• The essence or core of something.
• The concept
• The idea
• Universal understanding
• Cat, dog, horse, beauty, justice

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Platos Idea of the Forms

• Abstract
• Beyond space and time
• Knowing
• We all know what a cat is, what a horse is,
  what beauty is, what justice is, the idea of the
  thing
• The essence is the known part

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Platos Idea of the Forms

• To know something is to have the idea of it
• Everyone has their own individual, personalized
  idea of a particular cat, dog, horse, beauty
• But, we still know universally and in general
  what it is we are talking about

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Platos concept of the Soul

• The soul is really your mind, your psyche, your
  will
• The soul has three parts
• Rational - reason, control, discipline
• Spirited - will, drive, creativity
• Desirous - passion, spontaneity

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Platos concept of the soul

• If the soul is in harmony, and all parts are
  working to the good of the whole, then you are
  able to become philosophical, and attain the
  highest form of goodness
• The soul is the part of us that makes choices

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Platos concept of the soul

• The soul is responsible for the life we lead
• We do have the ability to change, and make
  different choices
• The soul aids us in this world and the next world
• Perfection of ones soul towards goodness is our
  life quest

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Platos concept of the soul

• The life we lead, is the life we choose in this
  world and the next
• We may come back and repeat life, if we do not
  get to the highest good by the time of death
• The soul learns, over time, the soul will be
  perfected

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Platos concept of the soul

• The soul can be corrupted
• The soul can go to Hades, never to return or to
  be allowed to perfect oneself
• Plato had a type of concept of heaven and
  hell
• Plato believed in a divine power and in mans
  potential for good in this life and the next

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The Apology

• Socrates speaking to his accusers.
• Socrates accused of crimes
• corruption of the youth of Athens, he caused them
  to question their elders
• atheistic practices - he did not worship the gods
  of Athens, but worshipped the goddess and
  listened to the Oracle at Delphi

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The Apology

• Moral code of Socrates The good man makes you
  better, not worse.
• The good man will not do you harm.
• Never return evil for evil.
• If you feed evil and fear, it will grow.
• Begin your education by admitting I do not know
  and seeking those who do know

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The Apology

• VOW page 54 The charges are old accusations
  coupled with new ones.
• Socrates is fighting the shadows
• He is speaking to an audience already convinced
  of his guilt
• page 55 Socrates is a teacher
• Socrates has a type of wisdom that is often
  misunderstood

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The Apology

• Socrates listens to the Oracle at Delphi
• Socrates is in search of a man wiser than himself
• He questions others in an irritating manner the
  gadfly
• He found many knew of many things poetry, art,
  music

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The Apology

• Most people have specialized knowledge
• Socrates made enemies by asking too many
  questions
• the youth gather around Socrates to watch him
  question others, and they imitate him
• People become angry with Socrates, blame him
  (scapegoat)

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The Apology

• Socrates seeks to reveal, not conceal
• Everyone is responsible for the education of the
  young
• The laws, the jury, the senators, the parents,
  the city have aided in corruption
• Socrates asks why would I want to corrupt anyone?

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The Apology

• Page 58 If a man with whom I associate is
  corrupted by me, I am very likely to be harmed by
  him?
• Why was he not warned of his activities before
  now if he was so corrupting?
• Why wait until now, when he is in his 70s to
  stop him?

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The Apology

• The youth can be just as easily corrupted by
  books in the marketplace that they can purchase
  themselves.
• Socrates acknowledges that he believes in the
  spiritual world and divine beings.
• His mission to teach is from god.
• See page 60 Soc is not afraid of death or the
  hereafter

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The Apology

• Socrates honors Athens and its laws.
• Socrates served as a warrior and on the council.
• Socrates cares about improvement of mens souls.
• Virtue is not acquired by money, but from virtue
  comes money and every good page 60

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The Apology

• To kill Socrates, will hurt Athens and the
  accusers more than it will Socrates, the evil of
  unjustly taking a mans life is great. (page 61)
• There are few around like Socrates, there will
  not be another.
• Socrates is a gadfly that stings Athens the slow
  steed..

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The Apology

• Socrates is being ridiculed for not being like
  those in power.
• Socrates is being punished for going against
  those in power when he had a position in the
  government.
• Oppression and fear did not frighten Soc into
  abandoning justice.

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The Apology

• Soc is the same in private and in public
• However a human turns out to be, he is not
  responsible, we are responsible for ourselves
• There are many that seem to be wise but are not,
  there are many pretenders
• Seeming is not being

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The Apology

• Page 63 Socrates is an old man, with a family, he
  commits his case before god alone
• A guilty verdict is returned page 63
• death is the penalty
• Seek virtue and wisdom, and the public good
• appearance and reality are different

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The Apology

• Socrates knows he will die a martyr
• Socrates page 65 the difficulty is not in
  avoiding death, but avoiding evil, evil runs
  faster than death
• Death is a gain, not a loss
• Death is nothingness, unconsciousness or
  change/migration of soul
• the true judges are in next world