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THE WISE MAN SOCRATES

THE WISE MAN SOCRATES. YOU ARE ABOUT TO MEET…. Socrates (c.470-399 B.C.E), one of the most powerful , intriguing , annoying , inspiring , widely known , and yet misunderstood figures in the history of philosophy .

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THE WISE MAN SOCRATES

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  1. THE WISE MANSOCRATES

  2. YOU ARE ABOUT TO MEET…. • Socrates (c.470-399 B.C.E), one of themostpowerful, intriguing, annoying, inspiring, widelyknown, and yetmisunderstood figures in thehistory of philosophy. • He has beencalledthegreatest of philosophers and alsothecleverest of theSophists, he was a pagan whoisseenbymanyJews and Cristians as a man of God. • He wrote no philosophyhimself, he taught and inspire one of thetwomostinfluentialphilosophers in Western history: Plato and Aristotle.

  3. THE GENERAL CHARACTER OF SOCRATES • Plato presentsSocrates as an individual whostoodclearlyforsomevalues and clearlyagainstothers, in those times personal clarity, stongsense of direction, and purposewereattractivetoyoungpeopleoranyoneconfusedaboutwhothey are orwhattheywanttobe. • Socrates´sguidingmotto“KNOW THYSELF”, has beenchallengingtopeopleallovertheworld and in allhistoricalperiods, Socratesstruggledwithone of thegreatestproblems of our time: WHO AM I? HOW CAN I DISCOVER MY TRUE IDENTITY? HOW SHALL I LIVE?

  4. Againstthe popular notion of his time (and ours), Socratestaughtthatbeauty and goodnessshouldbedeterminedbyusefulness and fitness of function, ratherthanbymereappearanceor personal feelings of delight. • Socrateswasuniversallyacnowledgedtobe“extraordinaryugly”, so uglythat he fascinatedpeople, hismost notable physicalfeatureswere a broad, flat, turned up nose, protrudingstaringeyes, thickfleshylips, and a verybigbelly. • Socratesmadehisappearanceservehimwell, hishumorousreferencestoitreflecthisgoodnature and modesty.

  5. Don´tthinkthatSocrateswas a prude, he wasnot, he wastemptedbyphysicalattractiveness, but he goveredhislifeaccordingto“true beauty and goodness”, preffering a good and beautifulsoulto a pleasingbodythathoused a lesserself. Barefoot in Athens Socrateswasusuallybarefoot and apparentlyhadonlyonetatteredcoat, aboutwhichhisfriendsjoked. Hisenemiesaccusedhim of beingunwashed and evenhisfriendsadmittedthatitwas a surprisetoseeSocratesfreshlybathed.

  6. As he taught, the true selfisnotthebodybutthesoul, and ifvirtueimpliesexcellence of function, thentheappearance of thebodyislessimportantthanhowwellitfunctions, TRUE BEAUTY IS INNER BEAUTY, BEAUTY OF SPIRIT AND CHARACTER. Socratessaysthatwecannotknowwhether a personishappyjustbecausehisexternalconditionisattractivetous, he insiststhathappiness, likegoodness, is a manner of innerqualities.

  7. One of hismostnotedcharacteristicswashardinessreflected in remarkableself-control ortemperance. Temperance in thesesensemeansindifferencetoboththepresence and absence of material pleasures; itdoesnot mean total abstinence. Socratestalksaboutself-control, especiallyconcerningappetites and passions. Socratesarguesthatself-control-notself-indulgence and weakness of will, leads topleasure. Lacks of self-control, he asserts, preventsusfromthefinestsexpressions of pleasure in eating, drinking, and resting.

  8. Ifwegratifyevery urge as soon as itarises, wemustoftensettleforfastfood, cheapdrink, sleepallday etc. Wewillbelittle more thananimals. Withoutself control, wehave no control in learninghowtomoderateourselves and ourlives. Part of Socrates appeal comes fromthefactthat he hadmany of thesamedesires as therest of us, theymayevenhavebeen more intense, so werespondtotheeffort he musthaveexertedtokeepallhisappetites and passionsunderstrict control.

  9. Homework DUE : WednesdayOctober 30th Write a 1-2 page essay of thefollowingPhilosophicalQuery: • What do youthink of Socrates´ viewsonself-control? Doesthecurrectconcernwithhealtydiets, exercise, and so onseemtobe in line withwhatSocratesthoughtor are we, perhaps, overdoingitoractingfromlove of beauty, notself-control? Discuss

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