Socrates and Plato Socrates • ca. 470 – 399 BC. • Son of Sophroniscus and Phaenarete • Not an aristocrat: mother was a midwife, father a stone mason • Potidaea (432); Delium (424) • Self taught • Sought wisdom through examination • Cross-examined those who claimed wisdom • Already well known by 423 (Arist. Clouds) Associates of Socrates • Alcibiades • Served with Socrates at Potidaea in 432 • Served with Socrates at Delium in 424 • Instigated the Argive alliance and battle of Mantinea in 418 • May have led the attack on Melos in 416 • Promoted the Sicilian Expedition • Charged with impiety and condemned in absentia Alcibiades at Sparta • Advised Spartan war strategy: • Send aid to Syracuse • Attack and occupy Decelea • Strip Athens of her allies • Adopted Spartan habits • Seduced Timaea, Agis’ wife Decelea Alcibiades the chameleon: • Alcibiades condemned in Sparta • Seeks refuge with fleet on Samos • Alcibiades… “had been forced by his enemies to give proof of his own valour at the expense of his fatherland” (Diod. xiii 41.5). • Alcibiades’ Promise: • Overthrow the Demos and I will bring Tissaphernes. The Revolution of 411 • To what extend does fear precipitate irrational decisions? • For fear they would lose the war, the Athenians voted the democracy out of existence. • Late May 411 BC. • A council of 400 aristocrats assumed power. • Their secret policy was surrender to Sparta. Associates of Socrates • Theramenes • Leader of the Kaloi K’Agathoi from 413 • Leader of the revolution of 411: • Supported the recall of Alcibiades • Turned against the Four Hundred • Rejoined the Fleet in 410 • Prosecuted Arginusae strategoi in 408 • Supported the democrats in 404 • Threatened with execution • Elected one of the Thirty • Opposed the Rule of the Thirty • Executed in 403 Associates of Socrates • Critias • Leader of the Thirty • Ordered execution of Theramenes • Asked Lysander to execute Alcibiades • Proscriptions: • Spartan garrison • Over 1500 executed • Wealthy flee Athens Civil War: 403 • Sparta: No exiles given sanctuary • Argos and Thebes refuse the order • Thrasybulus: • Fortifies Phyle • Repels an attack by Critias • Moves to Munychia • Critias • Removed the democrats to Peiraeus • Defeated and killed in battle Munychia Associates of Socrates • Xenophon • A student of Socrates from an early age • Must have served in the Peloponnesian War • Joined Cyrus the Pretender in 401 • Led the 10,000 out of Asia • Defected to Sparta in 399 • Permanently banished from Athens as a traitor. • Composed the Hellenica, Anabasis and others Socrates Doctrines • Knowledge is innate • Learning is remembering • Aletheia • The soul is the true self: • Nourish the soul not the body • The path to knowledge is the acceptance of ignorance • The unexamined life is not worth living • It is better to suffer wrong than to do wrong Aristophanes, The Clouds • Strepsiades • A landowner who has sunk into debt • Wants to study under Socrates so that he can learn how to make the weaker argument prevail… and use it to get out of paying his debts. • He vows by the gods to pay Socrates for the lessons… • Socrates says that he doesn’t believe in the gods • He worships the Air, the Aether and the Clouds The Trial of Socrates • 399: • Meletus and Anytus • Corrupting the youth of Athens • Introducing new gods • “Men of Athens, either do as Anytus tells you, or not, and either acquit me, or not, knowing that I shall not change my conduct even if I am to die many times over.” (Plat.Apol.30.b) • 280 to convict; 221 to acquit Suicide by Jury? • “Since I am convinced that I never wronged anyone, I am certainly not going to wrong myself and say of myself that I deserve anything bad.” • “What then does such a man as I deserve? Some good thing, men of Athens.” • Second vote: 360 to 140 • “... human beings for whom it is better to die cannot, without impiety, do good to themselves, but must wait for some other benefactor.” (Plat.Phaed.62.a) Death of Socrates Plato • 429(?) – 347 BC • Aristocrat • Student of Socrates • Socrates never wrote • Plato reproduced the ‘Dialogues’ • Demonstrating principles through refutation, the dissoi logoi. • Founded the Academy ca. 386 BC • Aristotle studied under Plato Dialogues • Euthyphro • Menexenus • Apology • Statesman • Crito • Republic • Phaedo • Laws • Theataetus • Timaeus • Sophist • Critias • Protagoras • Symposium • Gorgias • To name but a few… of 43. Doctrines • The empirical is illusion • Only the ‘idea’ (Form) is real and unchanging • Good • Beauty • Truth (materialist presupposition?) • Soul • The job of the philosopher is to distinguish the one true form from the many illusory facsimiles. Plato, Protagoras • The Philosophy Virus: • You have virus protection on your computer… • What about protection for your bio-computer? • Philosophy is virus protection for your soul: • Understanding the fundamental principles – the Forms • Recognising false use of the names of the Forms • Refusing to be seduced by apparent reason..