socrates, plato & the sophist. the sophists protagoras gorgias thrasymachus argued that truth...

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Socrates, Plato & The Sophist

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Page 1: Socrates, Plato & The Sophist. The Sophists Protagoras Gorgias Thrasymachus Argued that truth was relative. Taught rhetoric, the art of persuasion, regardless

Socrates, Plato & The Sophist

Page 2: Socrates, Plato & The Sophist. The Sophists Protagoras Gorgias Thrasymachus Argued that truth was relative. Taught rhetoric, the art of persuasion, regardless

The Sophists

• Protagoras

• Gorgias

• Thrasymachus

• Argued that truth was relative.

• Taught rhetoric, the art of persuasion, regardless of the truth.

Page 3: Socrates, Plato & The Sophist. The Sophists Protagoras Gorgias Thrasymachus Argued that truth was relative. Taught rhetoric, the art of persuasion, regardless

Protagoras

• Man is the measure of all things. Of the things that are, that they are, of the things that are not, that they are not.

Page 4: Socrates, Plato & The Sophist. The Sophists Protagoras Gorgias Thrasymachus Argued that truth was relative. Taught rhetoric, the art of persuasion, regardless

Relativism

• Protagoras is a relativist about knowledge.

• The question is what type of relativist?

Is knowledge relative to the:

Individual

Culture

Species

Page 5: Socrates, Plato & The Sophist. The Sophists Protagoras Gorgias Thrasymachus Argued that truth was relative. Taught rhetoric, the art of persuasion, regardless

Protagoras regarding God

• About the gods, I am not able to know whether they exist or do not exist, nor what they are like in form; for the factors preventing knowledge are many; the obscurity of the subject, and the shortness of human life.

• Agnostic- undecided about god’s existence.

Page 6: Socrates, Plato & The Sophist. The Sophists Protagoras Gorgias Thrasymachus Argued that truth was relative. Taught rhetoric, the art of persuasion, regardless

Views on God

• Agnostic- undecided about god’s existence.

• Atheist- God does not exist.

• Theist- God exist

Page 7: Socrates, Plato & The Sophist. The Sophists Protagoras Gorgias Thrasymachus Argued that truth was relative. Taught rhetoric, the art of persuasion, regardless

Gorgias

• 1) That nothing exist

• 2) That if anything does exist, it is incomprehensible

• 3) That even if it is comprehensible, it cannot be communicated.

Page 8: Socrates, Plato & The Sophist. The Sophists Protagoras Gorgias Thrasymachus Argued that truth was relative. Taught rhetoric, the art of persuasion, regardless

Can’t express knowledge

• If reality is comprehensible, it cannot be accurately communicated.

• He claimed that we communicate with words,

• Words are only symbols or signs, • Symbols can never be the same as the

thing they represent. • For this reason knowledge cannot be

adequately communicated.

Page 9: Socrates, Plato & The Sophist. The Sophists Protagoras Gorgias Thrasymachus Argued that truth was relative. Taught rhetoric, the art of persuasion, regardless

Impossible to Express

• 1) People communicate with words

• 2) Words are (symbols, signs, sounds)

• 3) Words are not the same as the thing they represent

• 4) Our ideas are not the same as words.

• 5) For this reason knowledge (our ideas) cannot be adequately communicated with words.

Page 10: Socrates, Plato & The Sophist. The Sophists Protagoras Gorgias Thrasymachus Argued that truth was relative. Taught rhetoric, the art of persuasion, regardless

Skepticism

• The idea that we do not have knowledge.

• Gorgias’ skepticism lead him to the study and teaching of rhetoric.

Page 11: Socrates, Plato & The Sophist. The Sophists Protagoras Gorgias Thrasymachus Argued that truth was relative. Taught rhetoric, the art of persuasion, regardless

Thrasymachus

• Thra-sym-achus

• Injustice Pays!

• Justice is for the ignorant.

Page 12: Socrates, Plato & The Sophist. The Sophists Protagoras Gorgias Thrasymachus Argued that truth was relative. Taught rhetoric, the art of persuasion, regardless

Thrasymachus

• The wise pursue their own interest at the expense of others.

• Might = Right.

• A view echoed by Thomas Hobbes and Nietzsche.

Page 13: Socrates, Plato & The Sophist. The Sophists Protagoras Gorgias Thrasymachus Argued that truth was relative. Taught rhetoric, the art of persuasion, regardless

Socrates (469-399 BC)

• Socrates asked probing questions of the intellectual elite in Athens.

Page 14: Socrates, Plato & The Sophist. The Sophists Protagoras Gorgias Thrasymachus Argued that truth was relative. Taught rhetoric, the art of persuasion, regardless

Socrates (469-399 BC)

• All sources agree that Socrates was exceedingly ugly, had an unorthodox (lowly) manner of dress, and often wandered around barefooted.

Page 15: Socrates, Plato & The Sophist. The Sophists Protagoras Gorgias Thrasymachus Argued that truth was relative. Taught rhetoric, the art of persuasion, regardless

The Oracle of Delphi

• Declared by the Oracle at Delphi to be the Wisest of men- he said he was wise because he admitted his ignorance!

Page 16: Socrates, Plato & The Sophist. The Sophists Protagoras Gorgias Thrasymachus Argued that truth was relative. Taught rhetoric, the art of persuasion, regardless

Dialogues or plays

• Socrates taught orally and did not put his doctrines into writing.

• He did not write books. His student, Plato, wrote dialogues that reflect his views.

• These are accounts of debates.

Page 17: Socrates, Plato & The Sophist. The Sophists Protagoras Gorgias Thrasymachus Argued that truth was relative. Taught rhetoric, the art of persuasion, regardless

Not a Sophist

• Unlike the Sophists (who were paid for teaching wealthy aristocrats the skills of oration and persuasive argument)

• Socrates charged no fees and taught students (including women) from various walks of life.

Page 18: Socrates, Plato & The Sophist. The Sophists Protagoras Gorgias Thrasymachus Argued that truth was relative. Taught rhetoric, the art of persuasion, regardless

Socratic Method

The Socratic Method is used to arrive at truth- The Essential Nature of Things.

Also known as dialectic method, it is where you continue to question something until you arrive at a definition of the thing in question. (If that is possible)

Page 19: Socrates, Plato & The Sophist. The Sophists Protagoras Gorgias Thrasymachus Argued that truth was relative. Taught rhetoric, the art of persuasion, regardless

Socrates and his Student Plato

Page 20: Socrates, Plato & The Sophist. The Sophists Protagoras Gorgias Thrasymachus Argued that truth was relative. Taught rhetoric, the art of persuasion, regardless

The Trial of Socrates 399 B. C.

• Socrates was accused of Impiety- (refusing to acknowledge the gods recognized by the State )

• & Corrupting the young. 

• Jury of 500 Found Socrates Guilty.

• Sentenced to Death… Could have escaped into exile. Choose to accept death sentence.

Page 21: Socrates, Plato & The Sophist. The Sophists Protagoras Gorgias Thrasymachus Argued that truth was relative. Taught rhetoric, the art of persuasion, regardless

Socrates was found guilty by a jury of 500, sentenced to Death!

Page 22: Socrates, Plato & The Sophist. The Sophists Protagoras Gorgias Thrasymachus Argued that truth was relative. Taught rhetoric, the art of persuasion, regardless

Plato 428-384 B.C.Plato 428-384 B.C.• Plato, the student of

Socrates, founded the first University in the year 387- called the Academy.

• Science and knowledge were the chief goals of study.

• The mind was trained to cut thru rhetoric.

Page 23: Socrates, Plato & The Sophist. The Sophists Protagoras Gorgias Thrasymachus Argued that truth was relative. Taught rhetoric, the art of persuasion, regardless

Plato’s Philosophy

• Theory of Forms– Allegory of the Cave– Divided Line– Platonic Forms– Platonic Realism– Division of the Soul– Philosopher King– Memories of the Soul

Page 24: Socrates, Plato & The Sophist. The Sophists Protagoras Gorgias Thrasymachus Argued that truth was relative. Taught rhetoric, the art of persuasion, regardless

Allegory of the Cave

• Plato ask us to imagine…

• …that men believe the shadows are real.

• This is told in class, and it is told well.

• Page 40 in Book.

Page 25: Socrates, Plato & The Sophist. The Sophists Protagoras Gorgias Thrasymachus Argued that truth was relative. Taught rhetoric, the art of persuasion, regardless

Plato on knowledge

• Plato thinks that because this world is constantly changing, that truth is this world is impossible.

• Truth for Plato is something, eternal.

• Objects in this world are not eternal, so are beliefs about them cannot always be correct.

Page 26: Socrates, Plato & The Sophist. The Sophists Protagoras Gorgias Thrasymachus Argued that truth was relative. Taught rhetoric, the art of persuasion, regardless

Divided Line (p.51)

Intelligible World

FORMS Knowledge Truth/ Knowledge

Intelligible World

Numbers & Sets

Thinking Truth/ Knowledge

Visible World

Physical Objects

Belief Opinion

Visible World

Images, copies of objects

Opinion or Imagining

Opinion

Page 27: Socrates, Plato & The Sophist. The Sophists Protagoras Gorgias Thrasymachus Argued that truth was relative. Taught rhetoric, the art of persuasion, regardless

Platonic Forms

• PLATONIC FORMS:• UNIVERSAL IDEAS OR CONCEPTS

• ETERNAL

• CHANGLESS

• TIMELESS

• NON-MATERIAL ESSENCES

Page 28: Socrates, Plato & The Sophist. The Sophists Protagoras Gorgias Thrasymachus Argued that truth was relative. Taught rhetoric, the art of persuasion, regardless

Platonic Forms Continued

• All physical objects are copies of these original entities

• They exist in another plain of reality- in an immaterial realm.

Page 29: Socrates, Plato & The Sophist. The Sophists Protagoras Gorgias Thrasymachus Argued that truth was relative. Taught rhetoric, the art of persuasion, regardless

Modes of Thought

Knowledge

Thinking

Belief

Imagining

Page 30: Socrates, Plato & The Sophist. The Sophists Protagoras Gorgias Thrasymachus Argued that truth was relative. Taught rhetoric, the art of persuasion, regardless

Imagining

• Imagining is the lowest form of knowledge.

• It is the lowest because the mind does not know it is just an image- it thinks the image is real (as in the CAVE)

• An Imagine is an imperfect copy of a physical object. As such it is lower on the scale of knowledge than the physical thing.

Page 31: Socrates, Plato & The Sophist. The Sophists Protagoras Gorgias Thrasymachus Argued that truth was relative. Taught rhetoric, the art of persuasion, regardless

Belief

• A belief is held about some physical object.

• Physical objects do not correspond to the “true” or “real” Form that they copy.

• Beliefs about physical objects are not certain, because the objects and world are in a state of changing.

• Physical objects are not eternal.

Page 32: Socrates, Plato & The Sophist. The Sophists Protagoras Gorgias Thrasymachus Argued that truth was relative. Taught rhetoric, the art of persuasion, regardless

Thinking

• Thinking is a deeper level of understanding.

• One moves from the visible world, to the intelligible world of thought.

• The objects of mathematics, such as numbers, sets, geometric figures and formula make up this level of knowledge.

Page 33: Socrates, Plato & The Sophist. The Sophists Protagoras Gorgias Thrasymachus Argued that truth was relative. Taught rhetoric, the art of persuasion, regardless

Knowledge

• Perfect Intelligence- Knowledge of the Forms.

• At this level of understanding the mind grasp the unity of reality, and the truth that the ideas or Forms are what really exist!

Page 34: Socrates, Plato & The Sophist. The Sophists Protagoras Gorgias Thrasymachus Argued that truth was relative. Taught rhetoric, the art of persuasion, regardless

Platonic Forms

• Plato claimed that all physical objects copy the original, unchanging Form.

• Physical objects are imperfect copies.

• Like Heraclitus, he held that this reality is constantly changing and shifting.

• What is true today may be false tomorrow in this world.

• In the realm of the Forms- truth is eternal.

Page 35: Socrates, Plato & The Sophist. The Sophists Protagoras Gorgias Thrasymachus Argued that truth was relative. Taught rhetoric, the art of persuasion, regardless

How are Forms related to one another.

• Forms are related to one another.

• For Example: – Form Animal Form Shape– Form Horse Form Circle

Particular Horse Particular circle

Page 36: Socrates, Plato & The Sophist. The Sophists Protagoras Gorgias Thrasymachus Argued that truth was relative. Taught rhetoric, the art of persuasion, regardless

How are Forms related to Particulars

• Particulars- or Particular objects, partake of the Form.

• Socrates partakes in the Form Man

• The clock partakes in circle, clock, numbers…

• How specific we need to get is a question.

Page 37: Socrates, Plato & The Sophist. The Sophists Protagoras Gorgias Thrasymachus Argued that truth was relative. Taught rhetoric, the art of persuasion, regardless

Platonic Realism

• The notion that Forms or Ideas exist in a separate reality is known as Platonic Realism.

Page 38: Socrates, Plato & The Sophist. The Sophists Protagoras Gorgias Thrasymachus Argued that truth was relative. Taught rhetoric, the art of persuasion, regardless

Universals and Particulars.

• This is an issue in metaphysics-

• What is the relationship between ideas and objects.

• Universals is another name for ideas or concepts. (General terms)

• Particulars is another name for objects or individual things that we encounter in the world.

Page 39: Socrates, Plato & The Sophist. The Sophists Protagoras Gorgias Thrasymachus Argued that truth was relative. Taught rhetoric, the art of persuasion, regardless

Ontological Status of Ideas

• Platonic Realism

• Exaggerated Realism

• Conceptualism

• Extreme Nominalism

Page 40: Socrates, Plato & The Sophist. The Sophists Protagoras Gorgias Thrasymachus Argued that truth was relative. Taught rhetoric, the art of persuasion, regardless

Platonic Realism

• Ideas are real. They have independent existence, apart from our thoughts.

• For Plato Universals have Transcendental existence apart from the particulars that participate. The Form is the cause of the essence of a thing, and the particulars are said to imitate or copy the Forms in an imperfect way.

Page 41: Socrates, Plato & The Sophist. The Sophists Protagoras Gorgias Thrasymachus Argued that truth was relative. Taught rhetoric, the art of persuasion, regardless

Exaggerated Realism

• Exaggerated Realism is the notion that Universals exist in the particulars as part of what makes them similar.

• The particulars are a mix or composite of form and matter.

Page 42: Socrates, Plato & The Sophist. The Sophists Protagoras Gorgias Thrasymachus Argued that truth was relative. Taught rhetoric, the art of persuasion, regardless

Aristotle’s Exaggerated Realism

• Aristotle did not accept Plato’s claim that there was a separate realm, or heaven of Forms.

• Aristotle claimed that forms were real, but existed in the objects that we perceive and in our minds.

Page 43: Socrates, Plato & The Sophist. The Sophists Protagoras Gorgias Thrasymachus Argued that truth was relative. Taught rhetoric, the art of persuasion, regardless

St. Anselm’s Exaggerated Realism

• St. Anselm argued that the doctrine of original sin and of the Trinity required this interpretation of what ideas are.

Page 44: Socrates, Plato & The Sophist. The Sophists Protagoras Gorgias Thrasymachus Argued that truth was relative. Taught rhetoric, the art of persuasion, regardless

Conceptualism

• All ideas are real, but the are dependent upon a mind, or thought.

• The function of a universal term is to denote a special relationship between particular objects. Universal are object concepts that we form in our minds by examining particulars.

Page 45: Socrates, Plato & The Sophist. The Sophists Protagoras Gorgias Thrasymachus Argued that truth was relative. Taught rhetoric, the art of persuasion, regardless

Extreme Nominalism

• Ideas are not real objects. They do not have real existence.

• Only particulars or individuals exist in nature. A general term, a universal, such as a word does not refer to anything; it is only a word (voces), or a name (nomen), composed of letters and expressed as a vocal emission and is therefore only air.

Page 46: Socrates, Plato & The Sophist. The Sophists Protagoras Gorgias Thrasymachus Argued that truth was relative. Taught rhetoric, the art of persuasion, regardless

How do we know the Forms

• Why should we accept that there is a separate reality filled with ideas?

• Plato claims that he remembers the Forms.

• According to Plato our Soul is eternal, and once existed in the realm of the Forms.

Page 47: Socrates, Plato & The Sophist. The Sophists Protagoras Gorgias Thrasymachus Argued that truth was relative. Taught rhetoric, the art of persuasion, regardless

Memories of the Soul

• According to Plato our soul is eternal. It comes from the realm of the Forms and is infused with the body during pregnancy.

• All of us had complete access to all the Forms

• We all have within our soul, absolute knowledge.

Page 48: Socrates, Plato & The Sophist. The Sophists Protagoras Gorgias Thrasymachus Argued that truth was relative. Taught rhetoric, the art of persuasion, regardless

Division of the Soul

• According to Plato the soul is divided into three parts.

• Tripartite conception of the soul.

• Reason

• Spirit

• Appetite

Page 49: Socrates, Plato & The Sophist. The Sophists Protagoras Gorgias Thrasymachus Argued that truth was relative. Taught rhetoric, the art of persuasion, regardless

Reason

• Reason guides us rationally towards reasonable goals

Page 50: Socrates, Plato & The Sophist. The Sophists Protagoras Gorgias Thrasymachus Argued that truth was relative. Taught rhetoric, the art of persuasion, regardless

Spirit

• Spirit gives us the ability to comply with reason, to be brave and follow thru with our goals

Page 51: Socrates, Plato & The Sophist. The Sophists Protagoras Gorgias Thrasymachus Argued that truth was relative. Taught rhetoric, the art of persuasion, regardless

Appetite

• The appetitive side of our soul drives our impulses and desires.

• Reason, according to Plato, must keep the desires in check.

• Allowing our passions to make decision will lead to chaos and ruin.

Page 52: Socrates, Plato & The Sophist. The Sophists Protagoras Gorgias Thrasymachus Argued that truth was relative. Taught rhetoric, the art of persuasion, regardless

Plato and ignorance

• Ignorance leads to evil.

• Plato claims that no one knowingly does wrong.

• Akrasia- or weakness of the will, does not exist.

• People simply do not understand the harm they are doing by performing certain actions.

Page 53: Socrates, Plato & The Sophist. The Sophists Protagoras Gorgias Thrasymachus Argued that truth was relative. Taught rhetoric, the art of persuasion, regardless

Philosopher King

• Plato argued that society should be ordered like the soul.

• Reason- Philosopher King

• Spirit- Auxiliaries or Soldiers

• Appetites- workers/ artisans

Page 54: Socrates, Plato & The Sophist. The Sophists Protagoras Gorgias Thrasymachus Argued that truth was relative. Taught rhetoric, the art of persuasion, regardless

Plato’s Ideal Society

• Plato’s ideal society is an intellectual Aristocracy.

• Smart people deciding for everyone the right and the good.

• Because smart people have a true grasp of the world.

Page 55: Socrates, Plato & The Sophist. The Sophists Protagoras Gorgias Thrasymachus Argued that truth was relative. Taught rhetoric, the art of persuasion, regardless

Ranking of Social Structures

• Plato thought an intellectual aristocracy was the best form of government.

• He held that a democracy was the worst.