Socrates (Russell)

(Originally written July 7, 2006 in Book 4)

It seems that this book has not been touched since February. It will get much more use now as I continue The History of Western Philosophy by Bertrand Russell. (By the way I had been up for 20 hours at the time of that poor sentence.)

The History of Western Philosophy
Bertrand Russell

Book I - Ancient Philosophy
Part II - Socrates, Plato & Aristotle

Chapter XI - Socrates

-Little or much is known of him.

- Certainly he was an Athenian of 'moderate means' who disputed, taught, was tried, condemned to die, and executed in 399 B.C. at about 70 years old.

- All other knowledge of him came from his pupils, Xenophon and Plato (who disagree).

- Xenophon paints Socrates as pious and whlesome, whose teachings were dull and commonplace.

Side note - "I would rather be reported by my bitterest enemy among philosophers, than by my friend innocent of philosophy" (Russell, 83).

- Whenever Xenophon states of Socrates involving difficult concepts or defends him, cannot be trusted.

- Socrates was concerned with getting competent men into power.

- The difficulty of Plato's description of Socrates is that it is hard to judge if it is Socrates of history or Plato's mouth speaking through Socrates.

- Plato's talent as a writer throws doubt on him as a historian.

- Plato's Apology is said to be an accurate depiction of the real Socrates, as it is Socrates' defense in his own trial.

- Socrates was charged with not worshipping the state gods and corrupting the youth. He was found guilty by a majority and then sentenced to death by a greater majority when he proposed an annoying counter sentence (which he undoubtedly did on purpose).

-Socrates was very sure of himself, high-minded, indifferent to worldly success, believing that he is guided by a divine voice, and persuaded that clear thinking is the most important requisite for right living.

- He definitely believes in the immortality of the soul.

"Joan of Arc was inspired by voices, which are a common form of insanity" (Russell, 90).

Linehan - of course! anyone who hears a voice must be crazy. it's crazy that God may actually speak! (sarcasm) ... (obviously) ...

- Socrates would fall deep in a trance like thought from time to time.

- He was very ugly, dressed in shabby clothes and was always barefoot.

- He was amazingly indifferent to heat, cold, hunger and thirst.

- He was the Orphic saint, having a soul that mastered all bodily passions.

- He was indifferent even to death.

- He was more concerned with ethical considerations than physical ones.

- Believed that the search for knowledge was of the utmost importance.

- Believed that no man sinned knowingly; thus, knowledge prevents sin.

-Greek philosophy (especially Plato and Socrates) believed virtue and knowledge was connected. Christian philosophy believes that a pure heart is at least as likely to be found in the ignorant as in the knowledgeable.

Dialectic - the method of seeking knowledge by question and answer

Socrates used the dialectic, but it seems to have been taught to him by Zeno (a disciple of Parmenides). Socrates seems to have developed it.

The dialectical method is suited best to find logical errors. Exposing these gives us a chance at logical cohesiveness.