Philosophy Plato Exam

Euthyphro, Apology, Crito, Meno

Euthyphro’s Dilemma

Is something pious because the gods love it or do the gods love it because it is pious?

Divine Command Theory

Morality is determined by the will or commands of God(s)

What is Plato’s critique to Euthyphro’s dilemma?

Plato suggests this leads to redundancy and erraticism.

What is Socrates argument to Euthyphro’s dilemma?

Divine approval is a consequence, not a definition, of piety.

Essential Definition

A definition that captures the essence of the concept, not just examples or consequences.

What is the “socratic method?”

Asking a series of questions to challenge assumptions, clarify thinking, and reveal contradictions.

What is the irony present in Euthyphro?

Euthyphro claims he’s an expert on piety but fails to define it multiple times.

Meno’s Paradox

How can you search for something when you don’t know what it is? And if you don’t know, why search?

Theory of Recollection

Learning is remembering because it is just recollecting knowledge the soul already held.

Social Contract Theory

Citizens implicitly agree to obey laws by living in the state. When you break a law, you’re breaking a contract.

Why does Socrates refuse to escape prison in Crito?

He respects the city of Athens and it’s laws, so he abides to Social Contract Theory.

Where is “essential definition” present in Meno?

Socrates rejects Meno’s examples of virtue (e.g. man’s virtue, women’s virtue, child/slave’s virtue) because they don’t define virtue itself.

Where is “essential definition” present in Euthyphro?

Socrates seeks for Euthyphro to find the essential definition of piety, not just instances or examples.

Socratic Wisdom

Knowing that one does not know.

What is Socrates being charged with?

Corrupting the youth, impiety

What is the “divine mission” present in Apology?

Socrates claims divine calling to question and examine.

What is evident about Socrates values in Apology?

He values the soul’s improvement over material gain.

The unexamined life…

is not worth living.

In Apology, how does Socrates view death?

Socrates views death as either a peaceful sleep or a journey to another world - neither to be feared.

In Crito, what is the toss up with justice and benefit?

Socrates refuses to act unjustly even if it benefits him.

What does Euthyphro and Meno have in common?

Socrates rejects their versions of the definitions they are seeking.

What question is present in Meno?

Is virtue innate, taught, or acquired by practice?

How does Socrates conclude the question of how virtue is established?

Divine gift

What is the difference between knowledge and true belief?

True beliefs can guide action but lack the permanence of knowledge.

Piety

Morality

What is the other term for piety?

Hosion

Theos

Greek for Gods

Euthyphro’s first definition of piety

Prosecute the wrong-doer, doing what he’s doing now.

Euthyphro’s second definition of piety

What is loved by the gods

Euthyphro’s third definition of piety

When all Gods agree on a thing, that thing is pious.

What are relational properties?

characteristic something has in relation to something else

intrinsic properties

the features that something has in and of itself, regardless of anything else in the world.

Logos in Socrates terms

Acts like a God and lives by it

God in Socrates terms

Things out of our control

Logos

reason or logical thinking—the way we understand and explain things clearly.

Hubris

Excessive pride, which usually leads to downfall

Sophist

wise person, taught subjects like rhetoric and virtue—often for money

Deductive argument

From the premises, you are forced to accept the conclusion.

validity structure

validity has nothing to do with the truth.

Valid argument

an argument such that if the premises are true, the conclusion must be true.

What does Socrates do with his defense time during the Apology?

Turns attention to Meletus, and “exposes his bad behavior”

What is the outcome of the Apology?

Socrates is voted for execution

Who is Crito and what does he do in the text?

A close friend/listener of Socrates, visits him in jail to attempt to help him escape.

Instrumental rationality

End/goal is assumed w/ reasonable means to the end.

Substantive rationality

reasonable ends as well as means.

Arete

Virtue

What is Meno’s first definition of Virtue?

Virtue varies by role (men’s virtue = politics/arguing, women’s virtue = housewife, child/slave’s virtue = subordinate)

What is Meno’s second definition of Virtue?

Virtue is the ability to rule over people.

What are some issues with Meno’s definition where virtue is the ability to rule over people?

Children and slaves shouldn’t rule (would be seen as absurd), and ruling must be done justly, not just ruling.

What is Meno’s third definition of Virtue?

Virtue is to desire beautiful/good things and have the power to acquire them.

What is the socratic dismantling of Meno’s definition of virtue, to desire beautiful/good things and have the power to acquire them?

All men desire good things when desiring good is universal, the difference lies in acquiring them justly but then justice is again part of virtue, not its essence.

Aporia

perplexity

What is the importance of Aporia/perplexity?

recognition of ignorance is the first step towards wisdom.

What are the main points to the socratic solution of Meno’s paradox?

The soul is immortal, knowledge is the recollection of truths the soul once knew, questioning awakens memory, recalling one truth can lead to discovering others.

How is the Socratic solution to Meno’s paradox applied in the text?

Demonstrating how the slave boy brought himself to find how to double the area of a square without necessarily being taught.

In Plato's Euthyphro, what is the main question Socrates wants Euthyphro to answer?

What is piety?

According to Socrates in the Apology, why should he not fear death?

Because death is either a peaceful sleep or a journey to another world, neither to be scared of.

In the Meno, what paradox does Meno present to Socrates?

The paradox of learning.

What is Socrates' proposed solution to Meno’s paradox?

The theory of recollection

In the Crito, why does Socrates refuse to escape from prison?

He believes it would be unjust to break the law.

True or False: In the Apology, Socrates claims he is the wisest because he knows that he knows nothing.

True

What method does Socrates use to help the slave boy in Meno discover geometric truths?

Socratic questioning

In Euthyphro, what problem does Socrates find with the definition 'piety is what is loved by the gods'?

The gods may disagree on what they love.

True or False: In the Crito, Socrates argues that public opinion should guide moral decisions.

False

What does Socrates say is his divine mission in the Apology?

To serve the gods by questioning others and seeking truth.

In Meno, what does Socrates say about virtue at the beginning of the dialogue?

He admits he does not know what virtue is.

What does Socrates argue about harming others in the Apology?

It is never just to harm anyone.

True or False: In Euthyphro, Socrates accepts Euthyphro’s definition of piety without question.

false

In the Crito, what does Socrates say about the importance of living a good life?

It is more important than simply living.

What does Socrates say about knowledge and opinion in Meno?

Knowledge and true opinion are both useful, but knowledge is more stable.

In Euthyphro, why does Socrates reject the idea that piety is simply prosecuting wrongdoers?

Socrates is looking for an essential definition, not an example.

True or False: In the Apology, Socrates claims that avoiding injustice is more important than avoiding death.

True

What does Socrates say about the role of a philosopher in society, according to the Apology?

To challenge people to examine their lives and current knowledge.

In Meno, how does Socrates distinguish between knowledge and true belief?

Knowledge is tied to reasoning and justification.

True or False: In Crito, Socrates argues that escaping prison would honor his commitment to philosophy.

False, because Socrates believes escaping would betray his principles and the laws he respects.

What does Socrates use to argue that the laws of Athens must be obeyed, even if they lead to his death?

The metaphor of social contract theory.

In Euthyphro, what philosophical problem arises from the definition “piety is what all the gods love”?

Socrates questions whether the gods love piety because it is pious, or if it is pious because they love it.

Which of the following best describes Socrates’ attitude toward political power in the Apology?

He avoids politics to stay true to philosophy.

True or False: In Meno, Socrates claims that virtue is the same for men, women, and children.

False

What does Socrates imply about the reliability of public opinion in Crito?

it is often misguided and should not determine justice.

In the Apology, what does Socrates say about his financial status?

He refuses to accept payment for his philosophy.

What is Socrates’ final request to the jury in the Apology?

Socrates asks the jury to challenge his sons if they stray from virtue.

True or False: In Meno, Socrates claims that virtue can be taught if it is knowledge.

True, based on the theory of recollection.

In Euthyphro, what does Socrates suggest about the relationship between piety and justice?

Piety is a part of justice.

In Euthyphro, what does Socrates suggest is the problem with defining piety by divine approval?

It makes piety dependent on changing divine moods.

In the Apology, what does Socrates say about the value of self-examination?

It is essential for a meaningful life.

In Meno, why does Socrates use geometry in his conversation with the slave boy?

To demonstrate that learning is recollection.

In Crito, what does Socrates say about the role of agreement in obeying laws?

Citizens agree to follow laws by choosing to live in the city (Athens).

True or False: In the Apology, Socrates claims that his wisdom comes from divine inspiration.

False

In Meno, what does Socrates say about the difference between teaching and recollection?

Recollection reveals knowledge already within the soul.

In Euthyphro, what does Socrates imply about the relationship between morality and divine command?

Divine command depends on moral truth.

In Crito, how does Socrates describe the consequences of unjust actions?

They harm the soul and corrupt the character.

True or False: In Meno, Socrates concludes that virtue must be taught by skilled educators.

False

In the Apology, what does Socrates say about his role in Athens?

He is a gadfly sent to stir the city.

In Euthyphro, what does Socrates say about using examples to define concepts?

Examples help clarify but don’t define essence.

In Crito, what does Socrates say about the importance of living rightly?

Living rightly is more important than living at all.

True or False: In the Apology, Socrates says he would stop philosophizing if the state ordered him to.

False

In Meno, what does Socrates say about the soul’s ability to learn?

The soul remembers knowledge from past lives.

In Euthyphro, what does Socrates say about the gods’ disagreements?

They make defining piety difficult.