Plato's Excerpts

What is an interlocutor?

The person you are talking to in a dialogue.

What is the main method used by Socrates in Plato’s dialogues?

He asks questions and examines/refutes proposed answers to get closer to the truth.

What is the purpose of Socratic questioning?

To question assumptions and expose weaknesses in people’s answers.

Who is the main interlocutor in Euthyphro?

Euthyphro

Where does the Euthyphro take place?

Outside a courthouse.

What are Socrates and Euthyphro dicussing?

The true definition of piety/holiness.

What is the main question of Euthyphro?

What is holiness/piety?

What is Euthyphro’s first definition of holiness?

Holiness is doing what he is doing — prosecuting someone who is guilty, even if that person is his father.

Why does Socrates reject Euthyphro’s first asnwer?

Euthyphro gives an example of holiness rather than explaining what holiness itself is.

What definition does Euthyphro eventually give for holiness?

Something is holy because it is loved by the gods.

What problem does Socrates find with “the gods love it, therefore it is holy”?

The gods can disagree about what they love.

What is Euthyphro’s Dilemma?

Are things holy because the gods love them or do the gods love them because they are already holy?

Why is Euthyphro’s Dilemma important?

It questions whether goodness/holiness comes from divine approval or exists for another reason.

what happens to Euthyphro’s definitions throughout the dialogue?

Socrates questions and refutes them one by one.

Does Socrates give a final definition of holiness?

No. The dialogue mainly shows what holiness is not.

What is the main question of The Republic excerpt?

What is justice?

Who are the main interlocutors in The Republic?

Socrates, Glaucon and Adeimantus.

Who are some of the other interlocutors?

Cephalus, Polemarchus and Thrasymachus.

What do the characters do in The Republic?

They debate the meaning of justice and discuss/design an imaginary ideal city.

What does Thrasymachus initially argue about justice?

Justice is what benefits the powerful/rulers.

What does Socrates do with Thrasymachus’ argument?

He questions it and points out problems with the idea that justice simply means following the interests of the powerful.

What does Thrasymachus admit about rulers?

Rulers can make mistakes and create laws that do not benefit themselves.

What question does Socrates ask about rulers and justice?

If rulers can make mistakes can justice simply mean obeying whatever rulers say?

What is the overall purpose of the Republic dicussion?

To investigate what justice really is rather than simply accepting common opinions about it.

What is the Apology?

Socrates defence speech at his trial.

Who is Socrates speaking to in the Apology?

A jury.

Does the Apology have an interlocutor?

No. It is a monologue where Socrates speaks to a silent jury.

What was Socrates accused of?

Corrupting the youth and opposing/impiety toward the gods/religion.

What is an important question in the Apology?

Is philosophy valuable? / What is the best way to live?

What does Socrates believe about the unexamined life?

The unexamined life is not worth living.

What does Socrates believe about wisdom?

He recognizes that he does not know everything.

What does Socrates discover when questioning people who claim to be wise?

Sime people believe they are wise even though they do not actually understand what they claim to know.

Why does Socrates continue philosophizing despite being criticized?

He believes questioning people and examining beliefs is an important part of living properly.

What does Socrates prioritize over fear of death?

Living according to what he believes is right.

Who are the itnerlocutors in Crito?

Crito and Socrates.

Where does Crito take place?

In Socrates’ prison cell.

What is the main question of Crito?

Should we always follow the law?

Why does Crito visit Socrates?

He wants to convince Socrates to escape from prison before his execution.

What does Socrates decide to do?

He decides to stay and accept his sentence.

Why doesn’t Socrates escape?

He believes it would be wrong to break the laws after having lived under them and accepted them.

What does Socrates say about the opinions of the majority?

We should not simply follow the opinion of the majority; what matter is whether something is right or wrong.

What principle does Socrates use when deciding whether to escape?

We should never intentionally do wrong, even if doing so would benefit us.

What does Socrates think would happen if everyone broke laws whenever they disagreed with them?

The laws and government would be undetermined.

What is Socrates’ final decision in Crito?

He does not escape and accepts his execution.