The Ancient Greek Philosophers

Socrates
Σωκράτης
 Socrates
One of the founders of Western
philosophy

However, he never wrote

anything down!

So, we know about him through

other writers, especially Plato
and Xenophon, and the plays of
his contemporary Aristophanes.
Socrates

Born in 469 B.C.

Father was a
stonemason, mother was
a midwife
Teaching
Socrates had many “students,” but
no formal school, and he never
accepted payment for teaching
because he believed that
knowledge should be free to all
who seek it

He exemplified his beliefs by

walking through the streets of
Athens barefoot year-round in
ragged clothing.
 Marriage
•
He married Xanthippe, who was
rumored to have a terrible temper
•
For example, she once became so
angry at Socrates (probably
because he never worked for
money) that she dumped a pot of
urine on his head!
•
“By all means, marry. If you get a
good wife, you'll become happy; if
you get a bad one, you'll become a
philosopher”
Sophists
During Socrates’ adulthood, many Sophists
came to Athens, promising to teach the
Athenian youth to be wise and virtuous . . .
For a price.

Socrates never missed the opportunity to

publicly match wits with one of these
Sophists, which usually ended with the
Sophist looking like the fool he was and
leaving town.

In fact, the word “sophistry” now refers to

a false, superficial argument.
 Politics
Socrates had a great deal of respect for the laws of Athens, but not so
much for its politicians.

In fact, some scholars

argue that he was against
democracy in general.

He considered himself a
"gadfly."

• While there is not any evidence that he directly confronted politicians the
way he did with Sophists, he had a great deal of power in Athens,
especially with young people.
Oracle at Delphi
• Socrates' friend Chaerephon asked the
oracle at Delphi if anyone was wiser than
Socrates, and the Oracle responded that
none was wiser.

• Socrates believed that what the Oracle

had said was a paradox, because he
believed he possessed no wisdom
whatsoever.

• He proceeded to test the riddle by

approaching men considered wise by the
people of Athens—statesmen, poets, and
artisans—in order to refute the Oracle's
pronouncement.
 Socrates the Gadfly
• Questioning them, however, Socrates concluded that, while each man
thought he knew a great deal and was wise, in fact they knew very
little and were not wise at all.

• Socrates realized while so-called wise men thought themselves wise

and yet were not, he himself knew he was not wise at all, which,
paradoxically, made him the wiser one since he was the only person
aware of his own ignorance.
 Trial
Arrested for corrupting young minds and worshipping false gods

Plato’s Apology tells the story of Socrates’ trial

 Death
Socrates was found guilty and sentenced to death.

He had the opportunity to escape, but chose to stay for several reasons:

He believed such a flight would indicate a fear of death, which he believed no

true philosopher has.

If he fled Athens his teaching would fare no better in another country as he

would continue questioning all he met and undoubtedly incur their displeasure.

Having knowingly agreed to live under the city's laws, he implicitly subjected
himself to the possibility of being accused of crimes by its citizens and judged
guilty by its jury. To do otherwise would have caused him to break his "social
contract" with the state, and so harm the state, an act contrary to Socratic
principle.
 Socrates - Favorite Quotes
"Nature has given us two eyes, two ears, and but one
tongue--to that end, we should see and hear more than we
speak."

"Ignorance is the only evil.“

“Be as you wish to seem.”

“Not life, but good life, is chiefly to be valued.”

“The unexamined life is not worth living.”

“Wisdom begins in wonder.”

 Socrates - Body Biography
A body biography is a combination of artwork and writing, which
can be

Quotes from Socrates

Your own explanations of the Socrates’ traits

Your body biography is not suppose to be a literal representation of

Socrates

It should be more like a giant collage of written ideas, drawings, and

symbols that work together to show us how well you understand
what we have learned about Socrates

BE CREATIVE!
 Body Biography Guidelines

• THE HANDS
THE HEART • What is the work that he does?
• What tools does he use?
Where should you place it to best represent
what Socrates loves most?
What should it look like and what shape, • QUOTATIONS
color, pictures, or symbols should be
included in it? • “Direct” quotations from Socrates
• Things others say about Socrates
THE BACKBONE
• SURROUNDINGS – What other things were going
What is the most important goal for Socrateson in Socrates’ life that influenced him?
What drives his thoughts and actions?
• WRITTEN EXPLANATION
THE FEET • Write a paragraph explaining your design
What is the foundation for his beliefs? • Explain each of the symbols you used and why
What does he stand for?
 Other Helpful Links
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=GmHAdgDkcCw&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=U1hIU1iZG7o&feature=related