Chapter 3 - Socrates: An Examined Life

From Vaughn Textbook, Topics: The Philosophical Gadfly; The Socratic Method; Knowledge and Ignorance; and Socrates' Trial and Death

Who was Socrates?

One of philosophy’s greatest minds who changed the course of philosophical inquiry and influenced both Plato and Aristotle

Why was Socrates so impressive?

He was charismatic, inspiring, brilliant, and persuasive

What was the most important thing for Socrates?

The care of one’s soul that could only be nurtured through philosophical reflection

What major thing did Socrates introduce?

The Socratic method, a way to apply critical thinking to statements that may seem out of a person’s reach

What was often the outcome of Socrates’ use of his method?

He demonstrated that people were not as wise as they thought and that their beliefs were unfounded

What form does the Socratic method most often take?

Reductio ad absurdum

What things did Socrates think impacted the soul?

He thought doing wrong damages the soul and doing good benefits it

What link did Socrates see between virtue and knowledge?

He thought that to know a virtue was to have it → people tend to pursue good if they know it, to not pursue good is to be ignorant

What was a clear sign of an unhealthy soul for Socrates?

The exclusive pursuit of social status, wealth, power, and pleasure instead of the soul’s wellbeing

How did Socrates think the soul could be nurtured?

Through an uncompromising search for what is true and real as well as the wisdom to see what is most vital in life

With what was Socrates charged?

Disrespecting the gods approved by the state, acknowledging new gods, and corrupting the youth of the city

How was Socrates sentenced?

He was tried in front of 500 jurors, most of whom voted to convict him with a sentence of either death or exile → Socrates chose death by poison rather than leaving Athens

How did Socrates contest in his trial?

He maintained that he did not teach metaphysics and did not misrepresent bad arguments, as well as contending that he had done Athenians a service by arguing with them

What is the Socratic method?

Question-and-answer dialogue in which propositions are methodically scrutinised to uncover the truth

What is reductio ad absurdum?

An argument form in which a set of statements is assumed, and absurd or false statements are derived from the set, showing that at least one of the original statements must be rejected

What was different between Socrates and the Sophists?

Socrates thought of his method as a way to pursue truth, not win rhetorical victories, did not charge people for his conversations, and was not a relativist

What reason did Socrates give for his ‘evil name’?

While trying to refute a claim that Socrates was the wisest man, he sought out a politician who was thought to be wise and spoke with him, realising that he was not as wise as he seemed, and he told this man so