The Meaning of Life - Socrates – Euthyphro/Apology

Exam 1

2 Views of the Euthyphro Dilemma

View1: Goodness exists independently; God loves what is good because it is good.

View 2: Goodness is created by God’s loves/preferences; moral facts depend on God’s will. (Socrates thinks this one is right)

Socrates holds that we do not learn morality from our religion. Why not?

The gods' actions were not always models of goodness, and determining morality based on their potentially conflicting commands was problematic. (actions are not good simply because the gods love them)

Where does morality come from, according to Socrates? Why?

Comes from Within, stemming from the human mind's inherent capacity to apprehend absolute and eternal principles of Goodness, Truth, and Beauty.

The Horse Breeder Analogy

Just as there are few true horse breeders with the knowledge to improve horses, there are few people with the true knowledge to improve the character of young people. The average citizen, like an amateur horse handler, lacks the skill to properly raise and guide a young person's soul and can do more harm than good, even unintentionally.

The Soda Can Analogy

Which suggests that just as you would investigate the contents and origin of an unknown soda can before drinking it. You should question things like the cultural practices, traditions, and ideas you readily accept into your "soul" to ensure they are beneficial and not harmful. The idea is to apply intellectual scrutiny to your own beliefs and societal norms.

“The Unexamined Life is Not Worth Living…”

Life lacks true value without constant self-reflection, philosophical inquiry, and questioning of one's beliefs, morals, and purpose. For Socrates, an "unexamined life" is one spent in ignorance, driven by base needs and without introspection

Socrates as gadfly

A stinging insect sent by God to the sluggish horse of the Athenian state. His purpose, he explains, is to continually provoke, question, and challenge the Athenians to examine their lives, prevent societal complacency, and pursue virtue and wisdom rather than drifting into comfort and moral stagnation

Can we explain how thinking is produced by our bodies/brains? How is this relevant?

Reality consists of two separate elements: the physical body and the non-physical soul. For them, thinking, reasoning, and knowledge originate in the immortal soul, not in the mortal body