Lecture 4 - The Sophists: Protagoras, Socrates and Plato on psychology

Question 1

Classical Greece

Answer 1

Classical Greece 480 – 323 BC
from victory at Salamis to death of Alexander The Great
Victory over the Persians and the post-war restoration (Phidias)
The harmony of physical & mental skills
Agora: debates, speeches, games, sport, music,
Amphitheaters in Athens and Epidaurus
Aeschylus “Prometheus”, “Agamemnon”
Sophocles “Antigone”, “Oedipus”, “Electra”
Euripides “Medea” ,“Iphigenia in Aulis” “Electra”
Democracy: popular assembly,
but soon: abuses of rights and freedoms, chaos, anarchy & decline
431 - 404 BC Sparta c. Athens (Peloponnesian war)
470 Socrates born
Sophists: Protagoras, Gorgias (Contemporaries with Socrates)
Hegemony of Athens
427 Plato born Athens c. Sparta War 431- 404
399 Socrates dies Hegemony of Sparta
397 Academy starts
385 Aristotle born
347 Plato dies Hegemony of Thebes
338 Philip of Macedonia Hegemony of Macedonia
336 Alexander The Great’s conquest starts
334 Lyceum starts
323 Alexander dies
322 Aristotle dies

Relativism versus Absolute
Parmenides of Elea (V c. B.C.)
The way of seeming: mortals view relative truth
The way of truth: immortals view absolute truth
The Sophists: Gorgias and
Protagoras (485 - 410): “Man is the measure
of all things”
Worldviews as relative interpretations

Question 2

Socrates: Philosophy of the absolute

Answer 2

-Ontology: Eternal essence of reality: the ideal, absolute and
eternal truth, good, beauty (idealism)
-Epistemology: Absolute truth, good, beauty - inborn and
discoverable through heuresis (nativism) (helping to deliver) or
rational contemplation (rationalism)
-Ethics: Moral virtues: eternal, absolute, non-negotiable
-Esthetics: Rules of harmony and beauty: constant
Search for truth, self-awareness and meaning
Know thyself. The life which is unexamined is not worth living
Know the external and internal Universe
- Examine your conduct and your soul
- Rediscover the inborn wisdoms, intuitions and virtues
- Develop the skill of contemplation, introspection, insight
- Contemplate your place in the Universe & the meaning
of your life
- Review your daily conduct in the perspective of the
absolute truth, harmony, goodness, and beauty

Inborn soul psyche
Know all need to know (morals, etc.) from birth… question is how to rediscover

Plato (his student) wrote down what Socrates said
Criticized government in agora

Aporia and the value of doubts
* Socrates “I know that I know nothing”
* Intellectual inquiry: start with doubts
and challenge the myths, preconceptions & ideologies
Have the courage to doubt and challenge your ways of thinking,
prejudices and opinions. Do the same with the debate partners
* Aporia - a transient intellectual crisis: feeling
confused, perplexed and lost… helps in critical thinking
* Resolution: critical re-thinking, revision of old axioms,
and search for a new solution

Question 3

Plato

Answer 3

PLATO (427-347 BC)
Student of Socrates
Trained by Pythagoreans in Croton
387 back to Athens, founding the Academy
367 a brief stay in Syracuse as a royal tutor
Head of the Academy: a stationary school with students and
textbooks (Platonian Dialogues). Intellectual debates led by
heuristic guidance by Plato
 Socrates was a frequent hero of the Platonian” Dialogues
Aristotle - his student (and, later, colleague)

 Psychological topics:
- The Origin and structure of the human psyche
- self-control, passion and temperance
- perception, motivation and personality typology
 Ontological idealism: the essence of things is contained in the
pure ideas (immaterial pure forms) - perfect models of reality…Concepts of essence adopted from Pythagoreans
and Parmenides of Elea
The essence of things -
really exists as pure forms/ideas (idealism)
The eternal pure forms (pure ideas) are immaterial
-Physical things are not real… imperfect shadows
 The eternal soul (psyche) is the essence of the person…Concepts of essence adopted from Pythagoreans
and Parmenides of Elea
 Epistemology: Inborn knowledge to be discovered by heuresis and intense
intellectual exercises (logic reasoning and intuitive intellectual
insight).
The truth to be discovered by:
heuristic illumination, insightful intuition (nativism)
and logic reasoning (rationalism)
 The sensory image of an object is an imperfect appearance…Concepts of essence adopted from Pythagoreans
and Parmenides of Elea
 Components of the human soul: rational, courageous and appetitive
Rational soul: immortal, akin to pure ideas (pure forms), wisdom,
intellectual intuition. Its role is to control the lower formations of the
soul. to supervise the fulfillment
of bodily needs
in accordance with
moral norms
Courageous soul: mortal, oriented at social approval,
ambitions
Appetitive soul: mortal, oriented at bodily needs, pleasures
and avoiding pain
(see later: S. Freud: The Ego, The Superego and The Id).
 Personality types: The Predominance of the Rational soul makes a
potential for a philosopher, teacher, or political leader.
The predominance of the Courageous soul constitutes a potential
for a soldier, warrior, or guard.
The predominance of the Appetitive soul creates a potential for a
worker or farmer.

Ethics based on rational judgment - not fear
Intellectual & moral virtues:
wisdom, harmony, goodness & beauty

The soul is the real person, not their body
Importance of deductive thinking, logic reasoning
Innate knowledge
Nativist and rationalist
Man = rational
Lion = courage
Beast = appetite… fulfilling needs asap
Rational soul in charge of two conflictful animals… courageous soul and appetitive soul
Inspiration for Freud… ego, id, superego
Those with courageous soul… good candidates for soldier, guardian
‘’ appetitive soul… Simple labor
‘’rational soul… philosopher, politics, good person
1st attempt to classify personality
Leaders should only lead for a short amount of time, otherwise they get corrupt
Did not like autocrats and democrats… because of authoritarian autocrat or crying majority
Valued meritocracy! Wise, decent, not corrupt

Question 4

Summary

Answer 4

Classic Greece 480 – 323 BC
from victory at Salamis to the death of Alexander the Great
- Victory, patriotic enthusiasm, post-war restoration (Phidias)
- Promotion of arts, public debates, theatre, philosophy
- Promotion of intellectual, ethical and physical virtues
- Agora: debates, speeches, games, sports, music,
- Amphitheaters in Athens, Epidaurus and other cities
Socrates 470 - 399 BC
- Plato 427 - 347 BC
- Aristotle 385 - 322 BC
- Democracy and its abuses; challenged by Socrates
Philosophy of relativism: (the truth is relative)
- Parmenides of Elea (5th c. BC)
The way of seeming: mortals see the relative truth only
The way of truth: immortals see the absolute truth
- The Sophists: Gorgias and Protagoras (5th-4th c. BC)
“Man is the measure of all things”
*Relativism in ontology, epistemology, ethics, law, and arts
Philosophy of absolute truth, beauty and ethics:
- Socrates
* Ontology: The essence of reality is eternal, ideal, absolute and
constant
* Epistemology: The inborn knowledge of truth, moral virtues &
esthetics
is discoverable through heuresis and rational reasoning
* Ethics: The virtues are eternal, absolute, and non-negotiable
* Esthetics: Rules of harmony and beauty are constant
 Examine your soul better to understand your conduct.
 Introspection, self-observation, insight, logical thinking, and a
positive attitude toward others are the best ways to perfect your
intellectual and moral virtues.
 Have the courage to doubt and challenge your ways of thinking,
prejudices and opinions. Do the same with the debate partners.
 Aporia as a transient state of confusion helps in critical thinking.
- Plato
 Student of Socrates
 Trained in Pythagorean School in Croton, Sicily
 The founder of Academy, a stationary school with students and
textbooks (Platonian Dialogues). Intellectual debates led by
heuristic guidance by Plato
 Socrates was a frequent hero of the Platonian” Dialogues”
 Psychological topics:
- The Origin and structure of the human psyche
- self-control, passion and temperance
- perception, motivation and personality typology
 Ontological idealism: the essence of things is contained in the
pure ideas (immaterial pure forms) - perfect models of reality.
 The eternal soul (psyche) is the essence of the person
 Inborn knowledge to be discovered by heuresis and intense
intellectual exercises (logic reasoning and intuitive intellectual
insight).
 The sensory image of an object is an imperfect appearance.
 Components of the human soul: rational, courageous and appetitive
Rational soul: immortal, akin to pure ideas (pure forms), wisdom,
intellectual intuition. Its role is to control the lower formations of the
soul.
Courageous soul: mortal, oriented at social approval,
ambitions
Appetitive soul: mortal, oriented at bodily needs, pleasures
and avoiding pain
(see later: S. Freud: The Ego, The Superego and The Id).
 Personality types: The Predominance of the Rational soul makes a
potential for a philosopher, teacher, or political leader.
The predominance of the Courageous soul constitutes a potential
for a soldier, warrior, or guard.
The predominance of the Appetitive soul creates a potential for a
worker or farmer.