3. Who is Socrates?
• Born 469 – Died 399 BC
• Never wrote anything
• Primary teacher of Plato
• Shows up in most of Plato’s dialogues
4. Plato’s Dialogues
• Socrates is the main character who argues with his
fellow Athenians. (They are like duels)
• Socrates is interested in determining the concept of
“Essentialism”
● Determining what is
“Essential” causes people
to become upset at
Socrates
○ I.E. What is essential
for justice?
○ What is essential for
wisdom?
5. Plato’s “The Apology of Socrates”
● In The Apology Socrates is
accused of being a Sophist
● In The Apology Socrates is
accused of saying he is the
wisest man in Athens
● In The Apology Socrates is
accused of corrupting the
youth because he teaches
them to seek truth.
● In The Apology Socrates
seeks out those who believe
they know everything and
find out they really don’t
know anything at all.
● Claims he is the wisest man
in Athens because he claims
to not be sure if he knows
anything at all!!
6. Timeline of Events
• Socrates is accused of teaching the youth things which
are false and harmful to them.
• Accused of teaching them about false Gods.
• Socrates responds to this by saying he is teaching them how to
be wise.
• Socrates is accused of thinking he is much wiser than
he really is. He claims he is not wise at all - that he
knows nothing.
• Solution?
7. Timeline of Events
• Socrates goes to the Oracle of Delphi
• She tells him he is the wisest man in Athens
• Socrates returns to Athens in order to prove the Oracle
wrong.
8. Timeline of Events
• Socrates employs the Socratic Method and finds that
many powerful individuals in Athens believe they are far
wiser than they really are.
• Slaves to tradition
• He must be wiser than them
• Socrates upsets many of these powerful individuals.
They fear he is teaching the youth to be like him.
• Sentenced to death
9. Socratic Terminology
TRUTH - Factual descriptions of things
which exist.
- Truths do not depend upon beliefs
KNOWLEDGE - Factual beliefs
WISDOM - Learning how to think
rather than what to think.
- The application of knowledge
10.
11. Sophistry
• Being a Sophist means you are someone who tries to win
an argument using rhetoric, fallacious reasoning, or emotion.
• Sophists will do whatever they can to win the argument - they
are not concerned with discovering truth, wisdom, or
knowledge.
12. Socratic Method
- Opposite of Sophistry: The Socratic Method is a style
of arguing where the arguer attempts to uncover the
truth.
- Question your opponent by revealing their ignorance.
Use their confidence against them.
13. Socratic Method
• There might not me concrete answers after using the
Socratic Method
• Wrong answers will definitely be thrown out
• This means we need to accept our own ignorance
15. Socratic Method
• The Socratic Method replaces arguing points or
premises with questions.
• This causes frustration and discomfort.
• However, it produces growth.
16. Struggle = Growth
• The Socratic Method
forces us to be active.
Being active leads to
growth.
• Socrates compares a
city to a sleeping horse.
The city cannot become
better if it stays asleep.
17. Socrates Judgement
• Socrates claims the city
of Athens needs him to
help them become a
better city.
• Nonetheless, Socrates
is found Guilty of
corruption and treason.
• Sentenced to death
18. Recap
1. Socrates is accused of corrupting the youth
2. Socratic Method
3. Socrates wants to discover the truth rather than winning
an argument
1. Socrates realizes his own ignorance
2. Socrates believes the city of Athens needs him
