SOCRATES

1. SOCRATES “AN UNEXAMINED LIFE”

2. Vocabulary - Philosophy: A system of ideas about life. • Socrates (470-399 BC) Teacher and Philosopher • 1. Developed the Socratic Method of questioning people in order to: • Establish the truth about life • To get people to think for themselves instead of relying on superstition, gossip and tradition • 2. Tried, jailed and executed for his crime – corrupting Athens youth by encouraging them to question life, including their parents and the government of Athens. Socrates One of Socrates most famous quotes is “One thing only I know, and that is that I know nothing ” What do you think he meant?

3. THE SOCRATIC METHOD Do Now: Read dialogue with Socrates and respond to the question in your notebook. • Socrates: Is lying a bad thing? • Student: Certainly. The gods tell us that lying is a terrible sin. • Socrates: So lying is always a terrible sin? • Student: Absolutely • Socrates: Well then… Let us suppose that a father’s son is terribly sick, but refuses to take his medicine. The father puts the medicine in his son’s drink and tells his son there is only water in his drink. Is the father’s lie a terrible sin? • Question: How would you respond to Socrates question? Why? What does this dialogue tell you about Socrates and his teaching methods?

4. TheUnexaminedLife AmongSocraticteachings, themostpersistentcommandwas “KnowThyself”. Facingtheend of a longlife, Socratesutteredone of themostfamousstatements in thehistory of ideas: “Theunexaminedlifeisnotworth living”, bythis he meant, amongotherthings, that a lifedevoid of philosophicalspeculationishardly a humanlife. Thatis, itisincomplete, itisnotfullyfunctioning and so lacksvirtueorexcellence.

5. The unexamined life is not worth living is a popular quote from Socrates. The philosopher felt that humans should look within to get the true value of life. He also stressed the importance of happiness, self achievement and fulfilling goals without hurting yourself or others. A person who cannot find inner happiness or gain value, is living a life that is not worth living.

6. Socratesbelievedthatthehumanpsyche, istheessence of humanness. Thepsyche (soul, personality)was a combination of whatwethink of as themind and soul: consciousnessthecapacitytoreason, and theabilitytoreflect, known as reflectingthinking. Anunexaminedlifeis a lifethattakesthepsycheforgranted, anunexaminedlifeis in a senseanunconsciouslife. Itislived in theminimallevel.

7. Thinkingneverarisesoverpracticalconcerns; desires are rarelypondered, custom, habit, and unquestionedbeliefssubstitudeforreflection and assessment. Consequentlyitispossiblefor a veryintelligent, materiallysuccessful individual toliveanunexaminedlife. Theexaminedlifedoesnot produce alltheanswers, insteaditresults in a lifedevotedtoknowing more, a life in whichprogressmeanssheding false beliefs. Theexaminedlifeislived in consciousawareness of thehumancondition, itisnotmerelyspent in anuncriticalatempttosatisfyvariousneeds and desires.

8. Socrates Quotes “The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.” ― Socrates “The unexamined life is not worth living.” ― Socrates “There is only one good, knowledge, and one evil, ignorance.” ― Socrates

9. “I cannot teach anybody anything. I can only make them think” ― Socrates “Wonder is the beginning of wisdom.” ― Socrates “Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.” ― Socrates

10. “To find yourself, think for yourself.” ― Socrates “Be slow to fall into friendship, but when you are in, continue firm and constant.” ― Socrates “Education is the kindling of a flame, not the filling of a vessel.” ― Socrates

11. “Strong minds discuss ideas, average minds discuss events, weak minds discuss people.” ― Socrates • “He who is not contented with what he has, would not be contented with what he would like to have.” ― Socrates

12. “ The secret of happiness, you see, is not found in seeking more, but in developing the capacity to enjoy less.”  ― Socrates