Study Questions for Intro Final Exam: Fall of 2000

Study questions: Sophists, Socrates, Plato

Who were the Sophists? What was their epistemology? What did they think about human knowledge? about knowledge of nature? about moral knowledge, i.e. of what is right and wrong, good and bad, etc.? Why did their empiricist starting point lead to skepticism, to relativism, and to cynicism. Why did they evolve into teachers of rhetoric? Protagoras said, “man is the measure of all things...” Explain this. What is a nihilist? What is moral nihilism? “Might makes right.” Explain what this means. Why is this a statement which is based on moral relativism? What is the difference between relativism and absolutism? between individual relativism and cultural relativism? and between subjective and objective points of view?

The Euthyphro: separation of religion and ethics; search for “real” or “essential” definitions; example of the dialectic (or Socratic) method. What is the difference between a “working” definition and a “real” definition?

The Apology: Socrates’ defense; his mission; the vindication of the oracle; the gadfly; the unexamined life; the soul’s priority over all else; Socratic irony (that he claimed to know nothing when it was obvious that he was a brilliant philosopher); Socratic ignorance; persuasion by truth, not by rhetoric; the belief in an objective realm of values (the ‘real definitions’ Socrates was seeking); Socrates’ counter-proposal for a punishment for himself; justice excludes mercy; fear of death = pretense of wisdom.

The Crito: reliance on reasoning in all things; not life at any cost but only the ‘good life’ is worth living. Basic moral principles of Socrates: 1) “never be irrational, and 2) never injure anyone. Soc’s refusal to escape because of its implications: i.e., the social contract theory of political obligation and its relationship to Law and the agreement to obey all laws.

Social Contract: frees us from the state of nature (state of war of each against all); guarantees security and cultural nourishment; tacit consent; agreement to obey the law; power is in the State; State’s obligations to protect and nourish and to allow for freedom of thought and expression in the interest of correcting bad laws, decisions, etc.; breaking a law means breaking the social contract and returning to the state of nature; harmful to the state and to oneself (because it is an irrational act, and whatever is irrational injures one’s ‘soul’; the soul is composed of reason, emotions, and appetites; a healthy soul is one in harmony (cf. Pythagoras); harmony in the soul is guaranteed only if Reason rules the emotions and appetites; If Socrates escapes, he is irrational; therefore he injures his soul as well as the State and its laws. Plato: Plato’s relationship to Socrates... explain it’s main features.

Questions: 1. Which of Plato's dialogues deals with defining the concept of "piety"? 2. Which dialogue is concerned with obeying the laws of the State? 3. Which dialogue deals with "introducing new deities into the State?" 4. What were two of Euthyphro's definitions of "piety"? 5. In the Apology, why did Socrates conclude he was the wisest man in Athens? 6. What was Socrates' mission in life? 7. What did Socrates mean by stating that he was a sort of gadfly? 8. Why did Socrates refuse to escape from Athens? 9. In what sense was the State of Athens like Socrates' parents? 10. Why did Socrates compare himself with the athletes of the Olympics? 11. What reward did he suggest for himself, for his penalty after conviction? Why did he think it would be suitable? 12. What did Socrates say about caring for his children, when Crito said he should escape for their benefit? 13. What is “the rule of law”… explain… 14. What was the Socratic Method of Inquiry? 15. Construct a good argument to show that the unexamined life is worth living. 16. Construct a good argument to show that Socrates should have fled Athens. 17. Construct a good argument to show that Socrates should have remained in Athens to be executed by the State. 18. Which argument do you think is strongest? Why?