The Man Who Asked Questions. Flashcards
About _________ years ago in Athens a man was put to death for asking too many questions.
2,400
Describe Socrates.
Snub-nosed, podgy, shabby, and a bit strange.
What did Socrates do as a young man that made him brave?
He fought in the Peloponnesian wars against the Spartans and their allies.
What were Socrates questions like?
They seemed straight forward but they weren’t.
At that time in Athens sons of rich men would be sent to study with________.
Sophists.
What are sophists?
They are clever teachers who would coach their students in the art of speech-making.
One day his friend Chaerophon went to the oracle of Apollo at ___________.
Delphi
What was the oracle?
The oracle was a wise old woman, a sibyl, who would answer questions that visitors asked.
What was wisdom for Socrates?
Understanding the true nature of our existence, including the limits of what we can know.
What did Socrates prefer to do than to write?
Talking.
What are the Platonic Dialogues?
A series of written down conversations between Socrates and the people he questioned by Plato.
What did Plato do to make a point?
Plato described an imaginary cave.
In the imaginary cave, what did the people in the cave see?
Shadows made by objects held up in front of a fire behind them.
Who did Plato believe should have the political power and be in charge?
Philosophers.
What would the social rankings look like if philosophers ruled?
Philosophers
soldiers
workers
What was a perfect balance according to Plato?
Plato thought, a balance that was like a well balanced mind with the reasonable part keeping the emotions and desires in control.
What percentage of the population vote in the society that Plato imagined?
10% of the population could vote.
In _________ BC, when Socrates was 70 years old, one of them, Meletus, took him to court.
399 BC
Why did Meletus take Socrates to court?
He claimed that Socrates was neglecting the Athenian gods, introducing new gods of his own.
How many citizens made up the jury in that court?
501 citizens
What was Socrates sentenced to?
He was sentenced to death.
What argument did Socrates make that angered the Athenians?
They should be rewarding him by giving him free meals for life instead of punishing him.
How was Socrates put to death?
He was forced to drink poison made from hemlock.
What is hemlock?
A plant that gradually paralyzes the body.
Who were the last people that Socrates saw before he was put to death?
His wife, three sons and his students.
