Lydia Thomas ICPH-302
12/13/15 Dr. Grasso
UNIT 8: Final Exam
1. Wisdom as defined by the Merriam-Webster Dictionary is the knowledge that is gained by having many experiences in life, and the natural ability to understand things that most others cannot. After the Oracle at Delphi, Socrates was proclaimed to be the wisest man. According to Socrates, his theory on finding wisdom stems inwardly. To become wise, you must understand yourself, and who you are as a human. There is no way to start understanding the world, without discovering yourself first. Socrates believed that nothing else in the world mattered, other than humans. According to Socrates, “the first step in our quest for understanding must involve an introspective …show more content…
Socrates main method of analyzing language, the mind and soul was through analyzing others. He did this through simply having conversations with them about things like ethics and morals, ideas like happiness and piety. For Socrates, the only important thing to him in life “has always been the examination of moral values, his own and those of others” (The Adventure, 46). He thought that life was meaningless without searching for wisdom. He truly believed that “the only wisdom accessible to us is the ability to turn the eye of the soul inwards in order to examine ourselves, recognize our limitations, and live a virtuous life. All the rest is sheer nonsense” (The Adventure, 40-41). Today, it becomes very hard for us to do what Socrates did then. With school, work, our family and friends, we become busy to take a moment to stop and even look into ourselves. According to Socrates, many of the things the world seeks after currently would all probably be a complete waste of time for him. If we looked into every single thing we did each day, and looked inward, would we be able to say that we are living a virtuous life? If we were to follow the Socratic journey, it “assumes the form of a carefully contrived analysis of language in which the dialogue serves as the essential instrument for the acquisition of self-knowledge” (Socrates …show more content…
The Socratic method, also known as elenchus, is a form of analysis and conversation among a group of individuals, somewhat like a debate. Socrates is known for doing this with many of the people he would meet. A main reason for this is because after the oracle at Delphi, Socrates was on a quest to find someone who was wise. As he didn’t have much luck through all his conversing, he said that he would pay people, if he had the means, to just be able to converse with them! One example of a talk he had with a colleague was the famous one with Euthyphro. Socrates comes to talking to Euthyphro about holiness versus unholiness regarding Euthyphro suing his own father. As Socrates and Euthyphro go back and forth, Socrates attempts to help Euthyphro come to a clear definition on what holiness really is. Through their conversation we soon see that Euthyphro really isn’t clear on what the concept of holiness even is. Through interrogation he was able to conclude that some of those he conversed with, like Euthyphro, knew nothing about what they were talking about, and ultimately made them to look like a fool. As Navia states, “the Platonic Socrates pursues everybody around him, as if intent on finding something of great importance…he appears as a wrestler who competes with others in intellectual contests, disputing the meanings of words…as a hungry hound, sniffing around for any bits of spiritual worth among his contemporaries” (The Adventure,
12/13/15 Dr. Grasso
UNIT 8: Final Exam
1. Wisdom as defined by the Merriam-Webster Dictionary is the knowledge that is gained by having many experiences in life, and the natural ability to understand things that most others cannot. After the Oracle at Delphi, Socrates was proclaimed to be the wisest man. According to Socrates, his theory on finding wisdom stems inwardly. To become wise, you must understand yourself, and who you are as a human. There is no way to start understanding the world, without discovering yourself first. Socrates believed that nothing else in the world mattered, other than humans. According to Socrates, “the first step in our quest for understanding must involve an introspective …show more content…
Socrates main method of analyzing language, the mind and soul was through analyzing others. He did this through simply having conversations with them about things like ethics and morals, ideas like happiness and piety. For Socrates, the only important thing to him in life “has always been the examination of moral values, his own and those of others” (The Adventure, 46). He thought that life was meaningless without searching for wisdom. He truly believed that “the only wisdom accessible to us is the ability to turn the eye of the soul inwards in order to examine ourselves, recognize our limitations, and live a virtuous life. All the rest is sheer nonsense” (The Adventure, 40-41). Today, it becomes very hard for us to do what Socrates did then. With school, work, our family and friends, we become busy to take a moment to stop and even look into ourselves. According to Socrates, many of the things the world seeks after currently would all probably be a complete waste of time for him. If we looked into every single thing we did each day, and looked inward, would we be able to say that we are living a virtuous life? If we were to follow the Socratic journey, it “assumes the form of a carefully contrived analysis of language in which the dialogue serves as the essential instrument for the acquisition of self-knowledge” (Socrates …show more content…
The Socratic method, also known as elenchus, is a form of analysis and conversation among a group of individuals, somewhat like a debate. Socrates is known for doing this with many of the people he would meet. A main reason for this is because after the oracle at Delphi, Socrates was on a quest to find someone who was wise. As he didn’t have much luck through all his conversing, he said that he would pay people, if he had the means, to just be able to converse with them! One example of a talk he had with a colleague was the famous one with Euthyphro. Socrates comes to talking to Euthyphro about holiness versus unholiness regarding Euthyphro suing his own father. As Socrates and Euthyphro go back and forth, Socrates attempts to help Euthyphro come to a clear definition on what holiness really is. Through their conversation we soon see that Euthyphro really isn’t clear on what the concept of holiness even is. Through interrogation he was able to conclude that some of those he conversed with, like Euthyphro, knew nothing about what they were talking about, and ultimately made them to look like a fool. As Navia states, “the Platonic Socrates pursues everybody around him, as if intent on finding something of great importance…he appears as a wrestler who competes with others in intellectual contests, disputing the meanings of words…as a hungry hound, sniffing around for any bits of spiritual worth among his contemporaries” (The Adventure,