SUBJECT: Understanding Self

TOPIC: The Self from Various Philosophical Perspectives

SUB-TOPIC: Socrates
REFERENCE: Understanding the Self
AUTHORS: Eden Joy Pastor Alata, Bernardo Nicolas Caslib Jr., Janice
Patria Javier Serafica, R.A. Pawilen
PAGE: 4
INSTRUCTRESS:
DISCUSSANT: Wenie M. Resoso
Description:
Socrates (469-399 B.C.) was a classical Greek philosopher who is credited
with laying the fundamentals of modern Western philosophy. He is known
for creating Socratic irony and the Socratic method (elenchus). He is best
recognized for inventing the teaching practice of pedagogy, wherein a
teacher questions a student in a manner that draws out the correct
response. He has had a profound influence on Western philosophy, along
with his students Plato and Aristole. Though much of Socrates' contribution
is to the field of ethics, his input to the field of epistemology and logic is
also noteworthy.

Socratic problem
Scholars and historians who try to gather accurate information about
Socrates face a peculiar problem, known as the Socratic problem. This
problems arise due to 3 key features - There is no proof that Socrates ever
wrote anything, philosophical or biographical.
Whatever information we derive about Socrates is from the works of 4
scholars namely - Xenophon, Plato, Aristotle, and Aristophanes.
The writings are in an artistic and creative style, therefore creating a doubt
whether these details are truth or fiction.
So the information on Socrates that is available cannot be proved and has
no historical evidence. If the evidence is only through the writings of his
associates, there is doubt that Socrates ever existed or he was an
imaginary character in his students writings to explain their philosophy.

Life
Details of the life of Socrates can be obtained from writing of his associates
and students, Plato, Aristophanes and Xenophon. There is no proof that
Socrates himself wrote anything. Most of whatever we know of him is
through Plato's works like 'The Apology'. Socrates was primarily know for
his ideas, communication skills and public teachings. His views and ideas
are reflected through his associates' works. In Plato's work, Socrates' father
was Sophroniscus and his mother Phaenarete, a midwife. Socrates married
Xanthippe, who was much younger than him and he had three sons,
Lamprocles, Sophroniscus and Menexenus.
Very little is known on what Socrates did for a living. According to Timon,
he took over the stonemasonry trade, which was a family business,
although Xenophon's version suggests that he dedicated his life to
philosophical discussion. Aristophanes' writings describe Socrates running
a sophist school and getting paid for it. Xenophon and Plato disagree with
this saying that Socrates did not accept any payment for his teaching, with
his poverty acting as proof of this fact. In Plato's dialogues he portrays
Socrates as a soldier who served in the Athenian army and fought in the
battles of Potidaea, Amphipolis, and Delium.
Philosophy of Socrates

Socratic Method
The Socratic Method or Elenchus is described in Plato's 'Socratic
Dialogues'. The Socratic Method clarified the concepts of Good and
Justice. If you have any problem, break it down to a series of questions and
you find your required answer in those responses.
This philosophy earned him the crown of father of political and moral
philosophy and a leader in mainstream Western philosophy. The Socratic
Method is so designed as to help examine one's own beliefs and evaluate
their worth.
Philosophical Beliefs
Socrates was morally, intellectually and politically against the Athenians.
When he was on trial for corrupting the mind of young Athenians he
explained that while they are concerned about their families and careers,
they would better be concerned about the 'welfare of their souls'. He also
contested the Sophistic doctrine (virtue can be taught) and argued that
successful fathers do not necessarily produce successful sons and that
moral excellence was more a matter of divine bequest than parental
upbringing.

Socrates believed that the “self” exists in two parts.

The physical, tangible aspect of us. This is the part that is mortal and can
be/is constantly changing. Earth also belongs to this physical realm that
our bodies belong in, because just as us in terms of physicality, the Earth is
constantly being modified.
The soul, which he believed to be immortal. The soul is the part that is
unvarying across all realms (it is unchanging while it is attached to your
body and thus in the physical realm, but is also unmodified once you die
and your soul leaves the body to travel to the ideal realm).
Socrates believed that when we are in the physical realm, we are alive and
our body and soul are attached, therefore making both parts of our “self”
present in the physical realm. When we die however, our body stays in the
physical realm while our soul travels to the ideal realm, therefore making
our soul immortal.

Knowledge
Socrates believed that wisdom was parallel to one's ignorance. One's
deeds were a result of this level of intelligence and ignorance. He
constantly connected the 'love of wisdom' with 'art of love'. It is debatable
whether he believed that humans could become wise, but he drew a clear
line between wisdom and ignorance.

Virtue
Socrates believed that one must concentrate more on self development
than on material things. He encouraged people to develop friendships and
love amongst themselves. Humans possess certain basic philosophical or
intellectual virtues and those virtues were the most valuable of all
possessions. To act Good and to be truly Good from within is different and
virtue relates to the Goodness of the soul.

Politics
"Ideals belong in a world that only the wise man can understand". He had
no particular beliefs on politics but did object to democracy, but disliked its
Athenian form. Basically, he objected to any government that did not run on
the basis of his ideas of perfect governance. Socrates refused to enter
politics because he could not tell other people how to lead their lives when
he didn't know how to live his own. He thought he was a philosopher of
truth, which he had not fully discovered. Towards the end of his life,
democracy was supplanted by the Thirty Tyrants for around one year,
before being restored. For Socrates, the Thirty Tyrants were no better and
arguably worse rulers than the democracy they sought to replace.

Satirical Playwrights
His caricature in Aristophanes' comedy 'The Clouds', as a clown is
supposed to be a more accurate representation of Socrates than that of his
students' works, according to Kierkegaard. Socrates thought answering the
laughter in a theatre was much more difficult than answering the challenges
of his accusers. Socrates was also criticized in the writings of Callias,
Eupolis and Telecleides.
Prose
Plato and Xenophon were direct disciples of Socrates and wrote
continuous descriptions of him. Aristotle refers frequently, but in passing, to
Socrates in his writings.

The Socratic Dialogues

The Socratic Dialogues are conversations between Socrates and other
people of his time or discussions between him and his followers. The latter
being described in Plato's 'Phaedo'.

The Apology
The Apology is the actual speech delivered by Socrates during his death
trial. In the Athenian jury system, an "apology" is composed of three parts:
a speech, followed by a counter-assessment, then some final words.
'Apologia' in Greek means defense and not regretting anything. The speech
was Socrates defending himself at the trial.

Death
His death could have been avoided if he had deserted his philosophy and
gone back to minding his own business. Even after he was convicted he
could have escaped with the help of his friend Crito, who argued that by not
escaping, Socrates was letting down his students and family. His non-
cooperation seems to be, in part, an expression of political infighting.
Athens, at the time, was in political turmoil, undergoing a change from
authoritarian rule to democracy and Socrates was against democracy.
Despite his loyalty to Athens, his attitude of defending his truth clashed with
current Athenian politics and society. Even the Oracle had agreed that
there was no one wiser than Socrates, but Socrates refused to believe this.
Eventually Socrates was sentenced to death by poison (hemlock). His
death narrative is found in Plato's 'Phaedo'. After drinking the poison
Socrates was made to walk till his legs felt heavy. The man who gave him
the hemlock pinched his foot but Socrates only felt a numbness. This numb
feeling eventually travelled to his heart and he died. Shortly before dying,
Socrates spoke his last words to Crito saying, "Crito, we owe a cock to
Asclepius. Please, don't forget to pay the debt."