socrates Flashcards
When was Socrates born?
469/70 BC
What was the name of Socrates’ friend who consulted the Delphic Oracle?
Chaerephon
What did the Delphic Oracle say about Socrates?
That no man is wiser than him
What kinds of people did Socrates talk to on his quest to prove the Oracle wrong?
People who supposedly had knowledge - poets, politicians and philosophers
What did Socrates conclude following his quest for knowledge?
That he was wiser than all because he accepted his ignorance of not actually knowing anything - ‘curing’ it by searching for true knowledge
Who wrote Euthyphro?
Plato, a student of Socrates and later philosopher himself. Socrates did not write
Who is Euthyphro?
A young man who had an encounter with Socrates about holiness. The Euthyphro is based on this encounter.
Recite Socrates’ quote about his own ignorance
“I only know one thing, and that is I know nothing.”
What charge is Euthyphro laying on his father?
A religious charge - his father killed a slave in the form of manslaughter, who had died gagged in a ditch on the family’s island estate in Naxos.
Socrates is astonished of the charge Euthyphro is taking his father to court for - what does this mean?
Euthyphro must have a clear understanding of what is holy and unholy - Socrates wants to learn from him
What charge is Socrates going to court to face?
Meletus is accusing him of lacking holiness - this involves Socrates’ damonion (conscience)
What are the three charges brought against Socrates?
- Corrupting the youth
- Introducing and worshipping new gods (damonion)
- Making the weaker argument stronger (inductive and deductive reasoning)
Explain the Socratic method
It involves inductive and deductive reasoning, using reason and logic to seek a better understanding of the world. This can be referred to as argumentative dialogue.
What is inductive reasoning?
Idea - observation - conclusion
What is deductive reasoning?
Observation - idea - conclusion
What is Euthyphro’s first definition of holiness?
“That what he is currently doing - prosecuting his father of manslaughter”
Euthyphro, page 12
Why does Socrates reject Euthyphro’s first definition of holiness?
Because it is an example or instance of holiness, not a definition. It does not provide the fundamental characteristics of what makes holy things holy.
What is Euthyphro’s second definition of holiness?
“Holiness is what the gods approve of”
Euthyphro page 13
What is Socrates’ response to Euthyphro’s second definition?
He applauds it because it is expressed in general form - as all definitions should be - but the gods disagree among themselves as to what meets their approval.
This means that actions disputed by the gods would be both holy and unholy at the same time, a logically impossible solution.
What change does Euthyphro make to his second definition?
He adds ‘all’ into his second definition
With the change to his second definition, quote Euthyphro’s third definition
What all the gods approve of is holy, and what they all disapprove of is unholy
Euthyphro page 17
What is Socrates response to Euthyphro’s third definition?
Do the gods approve of something because it is holy, or is it holy because it is approved?
What is Socrates’ method of questioning also called?
Enlenchus
What is the word for the state of confusion caused by enlenchus?
Aporia
