4 - Philosophy

04 philosophy

Listen to a lecture in a philosophy class.

I don’t think there’s any way we can study ethics and not discuss Socrates and his very famous student Plato

you are all probably at least minimally familiar with their philosophies. Whether you know it or not.

The truth is that these; these two ancient Greek philosophers posed so many important questions that are still discussed today, even outside of the philosophical realm.

So anyway, what I want to do today is kind of put Socrates and Plato side-by-side and talk about which points they agreed upon, and where their philosophies diverged?

Do you all know what the Socratic method is? yeah Mary, go ahead

The current method is a form of inquiry; questioning that Socrates the same as for using. I mean I guess he would ask his opponents a series of questions and in the course of the conversation expose the problems with their claims.

That’s right.

Now the reason that I bring up the Socratic method is to show how he put his views about ethics on the table for discussion and criticism.

If you read the materials I passed out during the last session. You know that Socrates talks about virtual lot, and when Socrates talks about virtue what exactly is, he referring too.

Its goodness. It’s moral excellence; it’s well; it’s ethics.

Anyway, according to Socrates virtue was something that could be known and if someone truly knew what virtue was. It would stand up to the Socratic method.

More importantly, by knowing virtue one becomes virtuous.

Do you all understand so far?

I’m a little confused. I don’t really understand what you mean when you talk about knowing virtue.

All right.

Think back to the emphasis that Socrates placed on educating oneself as the road to enlightenment.

At the very beginning of the road is ignorance and remember that he thought that ignorance of virtue. In particular, was why people did bad things.

At the end of that road is goodness and virtues closely tied to that.

But really the thing to focus on here is the idea that by being aware of what virtue is one is virtuous.

This is really the part that applies to ethics, because ethics is essentially the study of what is right and wrong and why people behave the way they do in relation to the ideas of right and wrong.

Is take on it seems simplistic to modern readers, especially because his philosophy lacks the element of self-interest.

The reason I mention that is because self-interest is a huge part of the way modern philosophy deals with ethics; that is many modern philosophers acknowledge that the reason people do bad things is not because they are mistaken or don’t know what it is to be good; rather at least some part of their bad behavior is caused by the desire to benefit themselves somehow.

But like I said, the notion of self-interest wasn’t really treated in ancient Greece. That’s one of the things that Socrates and Plato had in common with that said, what we talk about Plato’s take on ethics.

Let’s see well as a student of Socrates, Plato, was obviously influenced a lot by him.

In fact, most of his work was written as dialogues between Socrates and his opponents. So, in that way, he kind of carried on the tradition of the Socratic method, but I think you’ll see that Plato’s ideas about ethics were a little more fleshed out than those of Socrates.

Plato thought that goodness was an objective form, meaning that it was a more general thing that remain the same even different cultures or situations.

Any questions

How does Plato those idea about there being some sort of universal form of goodness explain why someone should choose to be good cow?

Well, you have to go a little further than that, in really simple terms. Plato thought that if a person acted justly, their soul would be balanced and bring the person great happiness.

So, to answer your question the motivation to be good and just, is to be happy.

18) What is the lecture mainly about?

19) Listen again to part of the lecture. Then answer the question.

The truth is that these; these two ancient Greek philosophers posed so many important questions that are still discussed today, even outside of the philosophical realm.

So anyway, what I want to do today is kind of put Socrates and Plato side-by-side and talk about which points they agreed upon and where their philosophies diverged. Do you all know what the Socratic method is?

Why does the professor say this: Do you all know what the Socratic method is?

20) According to the lecture, what is the opposite of goodness?

21) What is the professor’s attitude toward Socrates’s treatment of ethics?

22) What can be inferred about Plato’s philosophies?

23) Based on information from the lecture, to which philosopher does each statement relate? Place a checkmark in the correct box.