For Introduction to the Philosophy of Man

7:00 – 9:00 – K+2

9:20 – 11:20 – K+3
12:00 – 2:00 – K+1

Answer the following after reading the hand out entitled “The Life
Which is Unexamined is Not Worth Living” by Socrates:

1. What was Socrates’ greatest contribution to philosophy?

2. In the case of Socrates, why was questioning a dangerous business?
3. Refer to the diagram on page 47. How did Socrates view a “good life”?
What for him are the conditions for a “good life”?
4. Explain the importance of education using the philosophy of Socrates.
<<Wealth is not a matter of entertainment or curiosity—it is the
reason why we exist.>> Relate this to the concept of life-long learning.
5. For Socrates, why was it importance to admit one’s ignorance first?

Activity 1: Yes…And
 Get a partner.
 Choose a topic and talk about it. (Love, justice, loyalty, family, etc…)
 Write a statement about that topic. For example, “Love is an
emotion…”
 Give the paper to your partner. S/he will write a statement beginning
with “Yes, and…”… For example, “Yes, and love can be felt by
anyone…”
 Continue on until each of you has at least seven statements each.

Activity 2: Yes… But

 Follow procedures of Activity 1. But this time, your partner will begin
the cycle and you will use use “Yes, but…” to answer.
 For example: “Love is an emotion.” “Yes, but it more of a
commitment…”
 Answer the following on your shared paper:
 How is the Socratic method used in this activity?
 Does it allow you to realize more things than you knew
before?
 Why are dialogues important?
 What realization did you get from this activity in general?