A brief introduction to philosophy and it's growth. Covers philosophies of various thinkers like Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle the current relevance of their philosophies. This was made in collaboration with Shikhar Yadav.

1. Greek Philosophy
History of Greek Philosophy

2. “The study of the fundamental
nature of knowledge, reality, and
existence, especially when considered
as an academic discipline.”
What is Philosophy ?

3. Emergence of philosophy
In 490-470. b. c. Sparta and Athens, forgetting their jealousies and joining their forces,
fought off the effort of the Persians under Darius and Xerxes to turn Greece into a colony
of an Asiatic empire. With the combined efforts of both the cities, they won the war.

4. - After the war, Sparta demobilized her troops and as a result
encountered economic disturbances and the seclusion and
stagnation of agriculture. Athens on the other hand converted its
navy into a merchant fleet.
- The growth of wealth brought leisure and security, the prerequisite
of research and speculation. Proud of their achievements from the
Persian war, they pushed afar for knowledge and sought wider
studies.
Post war developments

5. Due to the thriving economy and trade in Athens, it soon turned into a hotpot of
many diverse cults and customs, with men of different races, whose contact gave
birth to comparison, analysis and thought.
- Numerous dogmas and traditions were in existence which led to the
development of skepticism. Traders were probably the first skeptics, who
had seen too much to believe too much. Hence, they were inclined to
question every creed due to the general disposition of merchants that men
were fools and knaves.
Cultivation and Development of Philosophy

6. - With the development of science, mathematics saw a growth with increasing
complexity of exchange, and astronomy with the increasing audacity of
navigation.
- Men grew bold enough to attempt natural explanations of processes and
events before attributed to supernatural agencies arid powers ; magic and
ritual slowly gave way to science and control and philosophy began.

7. The most characteristic and fertile developments of Greek philosophy
took form with the Sophists - travelling teachers of Wisdom, who looked
within upon their own thoughts and nature rather than out on the world
of things.
- They questioned and challenged anything from religious to political
taboos and called every institution and creed to “the judgement seat”
of reason.
- In politics they can be divided into 2 schools - Rousseau and
Nietzsche. Through their discussions, thoughts and claims, their way
of belief denounced democracy as an incompetent sham.

8. Athens

9. Socrates
“One thing only I know, and that is that
I know nothing.”

10. Characteristics of the Socratic way of thinking
- Socrates gave more importance to the mind of the man
and it's worth when physical philosophy had been the
contemporary thought of philosophers of earlier times.
- He uncovered assumptions and questioned certainties
about principles like morality, patriotism, justice, honor,
virtue through debate and dialogue. This way of thought
was defined as the “Socratic method”.

11. - According to him philosophy begins when one learns to
doubt -particularly to doubt one's cherished beliefs,
one's dogmas and one's axioms.
- He believed that life without discourse would be
unworthy of a man as man’s true purpose is to explore
the depths of his own mind and see what he can become.

12. - He bequeathed to philosophy two very definite answers
to two of our most difficult problems:
● What is the meaning of virtue?
● What is the best state?
- He believed that a lasting moral code couldn’t be
uncertain theologies.

13. Plato
“No one is more hated than he who
speaks the truth.”

14. Plato's meeting with Socrates had been a turning
point in his life.
He had been brought up in comfort, and perhaps in
wealth, excelled as a soldier and had twice won prize
at the Isthmian games.
After the death of Socrates, Plato tried to replace
democracy in Athens with the rule of the wisest.
(philosopher kings)
He had to leave the Athens as it was unsafe for him
since he tried to save Socrates. In 399 BC he went
away and returned to Judea in 387 BC, using dramatics
to promote philosophy.

15. Problems

16. "Any ordinary city is in fact two
cities, one the city of the poor, the
other of the rich, each at war with
the other; and in either division
there are smaller ones—you
would make a great mistake if
you treated them as single states"
Political Problem

17. Plato on Democracy
“Democracy ruins itself by excess—of
democracy. Its basic principle is the
equal right of all to hold office and
determine public policy. This is at
first glance a delightful arrangement;
it becomes disastrous because the
people are not properly equipped by
education to select the best rulers
and the wisest courses ”

18. The political solution
“Democracy means perfect equality of opportunity, especially in education”
“Nor shall any man hold office without specific training, nor hold high office till
he has first filled a lower office well (Gorgias, 514-5).”
“Our political structure will be topped with a small class of guardians ; it will be
protected by a large class of soldiers and "auxiliaries"; and it will rest on the
broad base of a commercial, industrial, and agricultural population.”

19. The Guardians : “Philosopher Kings”

20. The Guardians
● “The guardians will dedicate themselves wholly to the maintenance of
freedom in the state, making this their craft and engaging in no work which
does not bear upon this end"
● “None of them should have any property beyond what is absolutely
necessary; neither should they have a private house, with bars and bolts,
closed against anyone who has a mind to enter; their provisions should be
only such as are required”

21. ❖ A fixed rate of pay, enough to meet the expenses of the year, and no more;
and they will have common meals and live together,
❖ The guardians will have no wives. Their communism is to be of women as
well as of goods. they are to be devoted not to a woman but to the
community.
❖ All children of guardians shall be taken from their mothers at birth and
brought up in common ; their particular parentage will be lost
❖ All the guardian mothers will care for all the guardian-children;
❖ Every boy will be a brother to every other boy, every girl a sister, every man
a father, and every woman a mother.

22. Plato on Education
● No gender barriers in education.
● For there is to be no sex barrier of any kind in this community; least of all in
education—the girl shall have the same intellectual opportunities as the boy,
the same chance to rise to the highest positions in the state.
● Division of labor must be by aptitude and ability, not by sex ; if a woman
shows herself capable of political administration, let her rule; if a man
shows himself to be capable only of washing dishes, let him fulfil the
function to which Providence has assigned him.

23. Plato on Genetics
For it is not enough to educate the
child properly ; he must be properly
born, of select and healthy ancestry;
"education should begin before birth"
(Laws, 789).

24. Plato on birth control
Therefore no man or woman shall procreate unless in perfect health; a (Laws,
772). Men may reproduce only when they are above thirty and under forty-five ;
women only when they are above twenty and under forty. Men unmarried by
thirty-five are to be taxed into felicity (Laws, 771). Offspring born of unlicensed
matings, or deformed, are to be exposed and left to die. Before and after the ages
specified for procreation, mating is to be free, on condition that the foetus be
aborted.

25. Plato and
Peace Plato wished to create a pacifist
society but at the same time saw the
need to maintain a highly trained
standing army. Plato described two
main causes of war : overpopulation
and foreign trade.
Plato recommended the state to be
situated considerably inland so that
it shall be shut out from any
development of foreign commerce.

26. Plato on justice
"Justice is the having and doing what is one's own"

27. - A society of just men would be therefore a highly harmonious and efficient
group; for every element would be in its place, fulfilling its appropriate
function like the pieces in a perfect orchestra.
- Justice is effective coordination. Justice is not mere strength, but
harmonious strength—desires and men falling into that order which
constitutes intelligence and organization; justice is not the right of the
stronger, but the effective harmony of the whole.

28. Is Plato’s plan practicable ?

29. Clergy in the Middle ages
For a thousand years Europe was ruled by an order of guardians considerably
like that which was visioned by our philosopher.
During the Middle Ages it was customary
to classify the population of Christendom
into laboratores (workers), bellatores
(soldiers), and orators (clergy).

30. Jesuits in Paraguay
The Jesuits who for a time ruled Paraguay were semi-Platonic guardians, a
clerical oligarchy empowered by the possession of knowledge and skill in the
midst of a barbarian population.

31. Communist party in Russia
The Communist Party which
ruled Russia after the
revolution of November, 1917,
took a form strangely
reminiscent of the Republic.

32. Shortcomings of Plato’s plan
● With common property : it would mean a dilution of responsibility; when
everything belongs to everybody nobody will take care of anything.
● No room for privacy or individuality
● He minimized the maternal instinct in supposing that mothers would agree
to have their children taken from them
● The guardians have political but not economic power, how can they
maintain their rule?
● His state is static and inflexible

33. Philosopher Kings?

34. "We look before and after and pine for what is not."

35. A Presentation by Shikhar Yadav, Sudeshna Nayak and Hrithik
Chauhan
Thank You