Arpita Rahman Ripa

ID:21201436
Section:17
1. The Socratic method often referred to as the Elenchus, elenctic, or Socratic discussion is a form of
teaching that involves asking students to respond to critical questions.
The phrase "Socratic method" is used in Platonic dialogues to describe a recognized pattern of inquiry
used by Socrates to reveal an interlocutor's misunderstanding of a specific ethical term and then guide
them toward a new understanding of the term.
This series of questioning, known to philosophers as the Elenchus, rarely yields an acceptable response to
the initial query.
This method of teaching-learning can be summed up as one in which an enthusiastic, engaged teacher
encourages an intellectual analysis and serves as a sort of philosophical coach. Consistently probing,
asking thoughtful questions, and encouraging the learner to delve deeply into their minds in pursuit of
logic and reason not only lecturing or instructing in preparation for a test. One learns to ask questions
like, "What's going on here?" through the Socratic method. What might this indicate? What's necessary?
What is less significant? What could be the driving reasons behind this person's remarks?The Socratic
method involves interrogating everyone involved in the conversation, including the person who is asking
the question. Socrates had a fearless quality in that he probably asked himself the same difficult
questions. To reveal the truth that lies in complexity, not to convince oneself. Questions, responses, and
denials. Through a series of questions, he was able to explain the Pythagorean theorem to a complete
beginner.Socrates would wander around ancient Athens and question anyone he encountered to describe
terms like "courage," "being pious," and "what knowing anything" truly means. He would accept their
initial definition before carefully pursuing them with more questions, which would generally cause them
to make a claim that was completely at odds with what they had previously said (leaving them confused
and embarrassed in front of their friends). In the Socratic method, a person who claims to have some
opinions about a subject is required to respond to a long series of critical questions in order to show that
they are educated about the actual issue. In particular, one must define their concepts and refrain from
circular thinking. Many people do make statements and assertions without giving their claims much
thought. They can thoroughly assess their opinions and identify formulation flaws due to the Socratic
method. The method is effective for adult learning, particularly for subjects enriched by multiple
viewpoints.

Socratic teaching has always been effective. It transcends all chronological, geographic, and thematic
barriers. It still holds true now and is just as significant as it was in the fifth century B.C. It is one thing to
be able to produce an excellent, well-structured essay or to use one's knowledge, skills, and memory to
ace an exam. Still, later in life they will need to be able to mentally organize their thoughts, ideas, and
viewpoints and successfully communicate them. one needs to be able to keep several opposing viewpoints
in his head while critically thinking through a problem. Be able to recognize, evaluate, and synthesize
several points of view to develop someone's particular perspective on the problem at hand.
The elenchos generally follow the same format: Socrates asks his interlocutors to describe an ethical
concept, such as "courage" (the case in Laches). Socrates' interlocutors, Nicias and Laches, virtually
always provide examples of behaviour connected to the concept being discussed, which prompts Socrates
to demand a definition that covers all potential acts connected to the concept. In other words, Socrates
seeks to persuade his opponent to use only one form of the word .The interlocutor then attempts to satisfy
Socrates' demands by providing a broader definition of the term. Socrates then praises the new response
ironically and starts to solicit agreement on a number of ideas that seem unrelated to the term being
debated.
This procedure leads to the interlocutor accepting claims that are either self-contradictory or contradict
the broad response that was just given, demonstrating the falsity of the answer.
After inviting his interlocutor to try again, Socrates receives a third response. The third response has a
logical defect, therefore Socrates goes through the procedure of getting agreement with seemingly
unrelated statements again.
At this point, Socrates' interlocutor frequently becomes frustrated and accuses him of lies and deception,
sometimes using veiled threats. This inability to respond is known as aporia in philosophy, and it marks
the beginning of Socrates' attempt to lead a group search for the solution to the first question.
There are various ways to respond to the initial query, but none of them stand up to Socrates' scrutiny. In
most discussions, the participants give up and break off in frustration.
According to some critics, Socrates' Elenchus is better at illustrating the connections between a person's
many ideas than it is at providing the right answers to ethical dilemmas.
My conclusion is that Plato demonstrates to us through Socrates' approach that knowledge is more
ambiguous and challenging to acquire than most people realize. The Socratic method indicates that the
only genuine knowledge is the awareness of our ignorance.
We may have a general understanding of courage in this situation, but we are unsure of its exact
definition. This matters a lot. Questioning the acquisition is necessary when someone is accused of being
cowardly. In the same way, we must ask for praise for courage when it is given to someone. Military
distinctions would serve as a specific illustration. Fighting is viewed as courageous, whereas running
away is regarded as cowardly.
But is this necessary? What if running away from a battle in a cowardly manner saves lives? Shouldn't
bravery include preserving life? What if displaying courage leads to the loss of life? Why is courage a
virtue if it destroys lives?
Questioning our assumptions and removing ourselves from ignorance through Socratic inquiry is helpful.

2. The school of Confucian thought highlighted the idea that man is perfectible. Confucius stated his
opinion on the inherent resemblance of all people and their capability for improvement and education.
Two prominent successors, Mencius and Hsun Tzu, had contrasting perspectives on human nature.
Mencius said that it contained the seeds of kindness, while Hsun Tzu claimed that, in its undeveloped
stage, human nature leaned toward evil. However, both thought that via ritual and self-cultivation,
humans could be made flawless.
The evolution of the Chinese political system has been strongly influenced by the notion that man is
inherently good and capable of perfection. In the Confucian state, the ruler's primary duty was to uplift
and alter the populace. The best way to do this was not by legal regulation and coercion but through
personal rule, moral authority, and conflict resolution by the emperor and his officials. Confucian political
theory placed more emphasis on the use of mediation to resolve disputes than on impersonal laws to
establish right and wrong and promote societal peace.
Several institutions expressed the idea that the state was the moral guardian of the people. The merit
bureaucracy, or civil service, was the most significant of these; all officials were to be chosen for their
moral character, which would enable them to lead by moral example and reform society in addition to
administering. The Confucian classics had to be studied by potential authorities since Confucianism was
moral philosophy. Not wealth or business ability, but official position and examination degree were
widely acknowledged indicators of rank.
Ren is a Confucian virtue that means humanizing others and the environment so that they recognize one's
humanity and return the favour. Ren is not a selfless display of perfection but a practical two-way street
of mutual improvement. Although Rén focuses a lot on human relationships, he also involves many more
areas. It stands for the internal growth toward an altruistic aim and the realization that everyone has these
relationships to rely on as a member of a family, the state, and the wider community.
Everyone is born with the feeling of Ren, which means that it is not a concept that can be learned. Given
how quickly the world is changing, Confucius thought that thinking constantly was the key to having
long-lasting integrity.
Confucians have always believed that each person is a social being whose identity is derived from his
interactions with and behaviour within the larger human community rather than a morally autonomous
individual. Ren is a quality that people should aim for, and someone who possesses it inspires others to do
the same. The word actually sounds the same as the word for "human being" (Ren). Different
interpretations of Ren have been proposed, some of which are partially reflected in English translations
like "goodness," "benevolence," and "love." All of these interpretations, however, concur on two values:
Ren is a quality that every individual has the potential to possess, and it shows itself when a good person
shows humanity to others.
Confucians believed that the junzi, or cultivated gentleman, represents the humane person and that his
exemplary conduct sets him apart from the petty person. It might be argued that Ren is Ren in the
Confucian worldview: to embody the virtue of humaneness, one must develop into an ethically mature
human being.
According to Confucianism, it will be difficult for the ruler's subjects to act humanely if Rén is lacking.
The foundation of Confucian political thought is Rén, which urges the ruler to treat his people with
respect. The Mandate of Heaven, or the authority to rule, might be taken away from an inhumane ruler. A
ruler without such a mandate is not required to be obeyed, but one who rules compassionately and cares
for the people must be obeyed because the goodness of his dominion demonstrates that he is an agent of
heaven.
Confucius himself didn't have much to say about the people's active will, but he did think that the ruler
should take care of the people and pay attention to their needs and wants. As part of being righteous, Rén
also contains characteristics like hsin, which means to make one's words complement one's actions. Li,
which denotes proper participation in daily rituals, ching, or "seriousness," and yi, denotes right conduct.
One can only be considered a Junzi, or "superior man," or a morally superior person when all these
characteristics are present.
The key principle of Confucianism was that the people who control the government should be morally
superior individuals who are only concerned with their subjects' wellbeing.
Confucian notion known as li is often translated as "ritual," "right behaviour," or "propriety." Li originally
referred to court rituals performed to maintain cosmic and social order. However, Confucians translated it
to refer to formal social duties and institutions that, in their opinion, the ancients had extracted from
cosmic models to organize community life. A new idea of an internalized code of civility that determined
appropriate human behaviour was produced when li, which originally meant conventional patterns,
evolved to imply conventional norms. Li is a fundamental component of Confucian human-centred
religiousness, transcending simple politeness or tradition. Natural order's offshoot, li, gives the human
experience a cosmic quality by bringing it into harmony with nature.
Confucius argued that man is inherently brutish and that the "gentleman" ()* represents the ultimate
human growth because a gentleman could only be the result of cultivation and not by birth.
A person who has been academically and morally developed is known as a junzi. He is a good team
player who embodies generosity, learning, humility, and morality and who has little interest in
accumulating fortune or showing off. He would be well aware of social hierarchy and his place within it.
According to Confucianism, upholding hierarchy and playing one's assigned place in society well are both
examples of righteous action. A Junzi prioritizes unity among his equals over individual interests.
Ren and li are related because Ren denotes a group of virtues, and li denotes how those virtues should be
used in daily life. Li and Ren depended on one another. . There is a proverb that states that without Li,
virtues are useless. On the other side, Li has a range of educational associations with Ren. Ren has two
reckonings: one is the virtue that Ren must possess in order to achieve it, and the other five moral virtues
that Ren, Li, Yi, Zhi, and Xin must cultivate. Ren and Li consequently became entangled and connected
in Confucius' teaching.
It upholds the Ren of Virtue and represents whole worth, moral excellence, and human greatness. As a
result, a person acquires the status of "Junzi," which denotes moral perfection. Ren offered reasons that fit
into the love, benevolence, and human-heartedness categories. Humans are known for having benevolent
and sensitive feelings for others, according to Ren's Affection. Basically, it has two morals. One of them
is Chung. A person who assists others selflessly to become better is referred to as Chang. Another one is
Shu. Shu emphasizes the need to consider others' perspectives. Shu's primary idea is that one must first
comprehend what others are experiencing to become enlightened.
With the guidance of sagacity, one can make sensible decisions and behave morally while avoiding
hurting other community members. As a result, what we know as Ren of Affection emerges from the
goodness of human nature as a sense of kindness. We may also see that the virtues that have been earned
are the most valued in terms of individual aspects, such as human excellence, faultless virtues, and moral
purity. Affection may also help people maintain ties with others for their mutual benefit. The central tenet
of Confucianism emphasizes the person's role as a "community," positioning oneself at various Spectrum
phases.
Therefore, Ren supports both the individual and interpersonal aspects of human nature.
A well-known Indian politician and activist, Mahatma Gandhi. He started a nonviolent anti-colonial
patriotic movement. Gandhi embodies various moral virtues, including self-assurance, perseverance, love,
and truthfulness. Gandhi can therefore be referred to as an "exemplary leader" person.