The development of philosophical thought becomes possible due to the activity of courageous people that are not afraid of challenging long-term traditions and views of life. Socrates, one of the most famous Greek thinkers, is an example of an individual who revolutionized philosophy and stayed committed to his principles in any circumstances. His key contributions to the field include the Socratic Method that facilitates the critical analysis of hypotheses, ideas about morality and wrongdoing, and the concepts of immortal soul and preexistence.
Due to that, Socrates contributed to the development of moral philosophy or a set of theories aimed at distinguishing between right and wrong actions (Kenny 25). Therefore, the willingness to take hypotheses critically to check if they present knowledge is among the key principles that made Socrates a great thinker of his time.
essays on the philosophy of socrates
Apart from the mentioned concepts, Socrates facilitated further evolution of philosophy by offering a new perspective on physical and immaterial things related to human experience. During the pre-Socratic era, the distinction between the physical and non-physical components of living creatures did not receive much attention (Georgoulas 138). The philosopher being discussed was among the first thinkers to regard the soul and the body as two separate entities that are interconnected (Kenny 32). Based on his ideas, unlike the body, the human soul is immaterial and immortal (Kenny 32).
To sum it up, Socrates was a philosopher that used the approaches to thinking and evaluating arguments that were innovative at the time. Being a master of rhetoric and a talented warrior, he increased the perceived importance of critical thinking by applying the Socratic Method or the elenchus during conversations with his disciples. Together with the method, his ideas concerning morality and wrongdoing as a result of ignorance also changed the philosophy and set the path for its evolution.
The simple and poor life that he lived has led many people to associate philosophy with poverty. He is certainly seen as the most philosophers in Greek that has mostly trapped his life physically. Socrates portrays it as natural for the philosophers to care much about the souls of other people while caring less about money.
He was convinced that every person had in him the germ for rational thought and die aim of philosophy was to bring rational thought to full blossom in everyone. The tendency among philosophers to persuade others to believe that their views are more valid gives rise to schools and controversies in philosophy.
Socrates, on the contrary, did not wish to convert others to his views nor did he wish to propagate a set of philosophical views. He only wanted to draw the attention of others to the crucial significance of philosophy for life and inculcate in them a love for philosophy, that is, intellectual midwifery.
As a midwife delivers a child of a pregnant woman, Socrates wanted to bring to surface the germ of rational thought and critical inquiry. The whole approach of Socrates in philosophy is summed up in two words Dialectical Method.
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Who is Socrates and why should your students care about him? He is highly regarded and considered the father of western philosophy. Students can discover this through studying his life and the ideas for which he is known. The paper topics in this lesson will involve and immerse your students in the life and teachings of Socrates.
What is the right way to live? Socrates had many ideas on this topic. Look up information and write a paper about Socrates's philosophy on the notion of good vs. evil. How have his ideas shaped ethical behavior in the western world? Provide evidence to support your answer.
Though little is known about Socrates, his students recorded information about his life. He is the most influential philosopher in Western thought. Research information about Socrates life using the internet and print sources from the library. Write a biography about the life of Socrates and what his most significant contribution to philosophy is. Make sure to provide evidence to support your answer.
Patočka was a prolific writer and lecturer with a wide range of reference, contributing much to existential phenomenology as well as the interpretation of Czech culture and European culture in general. From his Czech collected works, some of the most notable have been translated to English and other major languages. These include the late works Plato and Europe (1973) and Heretical Essays in the Philosophy of History (1975), in which Patočka developed a philosophy of history identifying the Socratic-Platonic theme of the care of the soul as the basis of "Europe".
In 1936 he completed his habilitation with a thesis entitled Přirozený svět jako filosofický problém (The natural world as a philosophical problem), the first systematic phenomenological study in the Czech language, which was correspondingly influential on Czech philosophy. In 1937, Patočka took over the post of editor-in-chief of the philosophical journal Česká mysl (The Czech Spirit). In 1938 he became a member of the Institut International de Philosophie.
His works mainly dealt with the problem of the original, given world (Lebenswelt), its structure and the human position in it. He tried to develop this Husserlian concept under the influence of some core Heideggerian themes (e.g. historicity, technicity, etc.) On the other hand, he also criticised Heideggerian philosophy for not dealing sufficiently with the basic structures of being-in-the-world, which are not truth-revealing activities (this led him to an appreciation of the work of Hannah Arendt). From this standpoint he formulated his own original theory of "three movements of human existence": 1) receiving, 2) reproduction, 3) transcendence. He also translated many of Hegel's and Schelling's works into Czech. In his lifetime, Patočka published in Czech, German, and French.
Apart from his writing on the problem of the Lebenswelt, he wrote interpretations of Presocratic and classical Greek philosophy and several longer essays on the history of Greek ideas in the formation of our concept of Europe. Patočka increasingly focused on the idea of Europe during the 1970s.[1] As he was banned from teaching (see below), he held clandestine lectures in his private apartment on the Greek thought in general and on Plato in particular in the late 70s. These clandestine lectures are collectively known as Plato and Europe, and they are published under the same title in English. He also entered into discussions about modern Czech philosophy, art, history and politics. He was an esteemed scholar of Czech thinkers such as Komensky (b.1592) (also known as Comenius) and Masaryk (b.1850). In 1971, he has published a small treatise on Comenius in German titled Die Philosophy der Erziehung des J.A. Comenius (Comenius's Philosophy of Education). In 1977, his work on Masaryk culminated in 'Two Studies on Masaryk, which was initially a privately circulated typescript.[2]
Spencer Case has a doctorate in philosophy from CU Boulder, where he is currently a lecturer. He does a lot of writing, academic and otherwise. He also enjoys swing dancing. www.spencercasephilosophy.com
Sample Essay Question: Is Socrates' position in the Crito,concerning the moral authority of the state, consistent with his view that oneshould never do anything that is wrong? Is it consistent with what he says, inthe Apology, about what he would do if commanded by the state to ceasepracticing philosophy, or about what he did when commanded by the Thirty tocapture Leon of Salamis for execution? Explain.
Secondly, it might be objected that Socrates' view of the moral authority ofthe state is inconsistent both with what he did when ordered by the Thirty tocapture Leon of Salamis for execution, and with what he says he'd do if orderedby the state to cease practicing philosophy (both from the Apology).When the Thirty ordered him to capture Leon, he refused, on the grounds thatthis would have been wrong (unjust and impious). (Apology, 32c-d) Thisseems to be a recognition that one is morally obligated or at least permittedto disobey the state when what it commands is wrong--even if one fails topersuade it of its wrongness. And similarly, Socrates makes clear that he woulddisobey the state and continue philosophizing if it were to order him tostop--again, on the grounds that it would be wrong for him to stop philosophizing(recall that he saw philosophy as his life's mission, given him by the god). (Apology,29c-d) Again, this seems to contradict what he says in the Crito aboutthe supreme moral authority of the state and its laws and orders.
Now having done that, one might just stop and claim to have answered thequestion: "No, the various positions are not consistent, and Socrates isjust contradicting himself." But that would be a very superficial paper.Instead, I tried to dig beneath the surface a little bit, and to notice thatthe central claim can be interpreted in more than one way. So I first of allmade a distinction between two possible interpretations, which in turndepended on a distinction between what you might be commanded to doand what you might be commanded to endure. That distinction enabled meto argue for an interpretation of what Socrates is claiming about themoral authority of the state that renders this claim consistent with his otherclaims. (Noticing and exploiting distinctions is a large part of what doingphilosophy is all about.)
In composing the personal statement, applicants should comment on their particular interests and projects in philosophy, as well as their post-college plans. In addition, they may elaborate on any special circumstances they would like the selection committee to consider, such as academic awards or honors, involvement in community outreach, bringing a unique or diverse perspective to the Department or the CU Boulder campus, and personal hardship or disadvantage (financial or otherwise). 2ff7e9595c
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