Philosophy Course: Socrates and the Foundation of Western Philosophy

Philosophy. Study the fundamental nature of knowledge, reality and existence.

The enigmatic Ancient Greek philosopher, Socrates, is considered to be the founder of Western philosophy. His ideas have had a profound influence on philosophical history, yet he left no written record of them. 

Throughout this course, we will review material from sources attempting to reconstruct Socrates. Our earliest extant source—and the only one who can claim to have known Socrates in his early years—is the playwright Aristophanes. His comedy, The Clouds, was produced in 423, when the other two writers of our extant sources, Xenophon and Plato, were only infants. We will also consider Socrates as he appears in Plato’s dialogues, many of which feature him as the main character. Moreover, we will discuss how to unravel the contribution of the teacher from the pupil by discussing the changes between Plato’s early, middle, and late works.

Lastly, we will look at the ‘idea’ of Socrates through philosophical history. Famous quotes attributed to him such as: "Wonder is the beginning of wisdom"; "The unexamined life is not worth living"; and "To know what you do not know is the first step to knowledge", along with the ‘Socratic Method’, make up a body of philosophical ideas with a distinctive approach, attitude and method. Socrates’ place in the history of philosophy is so important that the Western tradition before him was named Pre-Socratic.

Outcomes

By the end of this course, you should be able to:

• identify the main events of Socrates’ life and times
• discuss important concepts in Socrates’ philosophy
• use the Socratic Method as a tool in discussion
• relate Socrates’ theory to contemporary arguments in ethics and politics
• discuss the Socratic attitude towards matters of ordinary life, and what constituted a life of arête.

Content

Introduction

What does Socrates stand for?

The historical Socrates

We will look at sources such as Aristophanes’ play about Socrates: The Clouds, and the writings of Xenophon.

Plato’s Socrates

Generally, the works which are most often assigned to Plato's early years are considered to be Socratic dialogues (written from 399 to 387). Many of his Middle dialogues (written from 387 to 361, after the establishment of his Academy), and later dialogues (written in the period between 361 and his death in 347) incorporate Socrates as a character but are considered to be Platonic. We will begin with some of the early Socratic dialogues: Euthyphro, Crito, The Apology.

The Socratic Method

The Socratic Method requires a dialogical approach in which both parties to the discussion are brought closer to understanding. Two terms in this method are: Elenchus and Aporia.

Eros

The role of Eros in a number of the Socratic Dialogues, particularly the Symposium.

Socrates’ famous quote: "The unexamined life is not worth living"

This is a proposition by Socrates, which in the dialogues is both epistemological and moral. It concerns the questions of how to live a life of ‘arête’.

Socrates on happiness

"He who is not contented with what he has, would not be contented with what he would like to have."

We will argue that the ‘Socratic’ approach to knowledge is important still in our contemporary world and can contribute to working through some of our contemporary problems. Socrates, in his own time, challenged the beliefs of the establishment around him; he was renowned for taking on high priests, politicians and generals on issues such as: the meaning of justice, law and courage. The art of Socratic questioning is intimately connected with critical thinking.

Intended audience

Anyone with a general interest in philosophy and the course themes.

Delivery style

Lecture/seminar

Materials

Course notes are distributed electronically.

Recommended reading

Ahbel-Rappe, Sara, and Rachana Kamtekar (eds.), 2005, A Companion to Socrates, Oxford: Blackwell Publishers.

Bussanich, John, and Nicholas D. Smith (eds.), 2013, The Bloomsbury Companion to Socrates, London: Bloomsbury Publishing.

Morrison, Donald R., 2010, The Cambridge Companion to Socrates, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Nails, Debra, 2002, The People of Plato: A Prosopography of Plato and Other Socratics, Indianapolis: Hackett Publishing.

Plato, 2015, Early Socratic Dialogues, Penguin Classics.

Rudebusch, George, 2009, Socrates, Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell.

Thesleff, Holger, 2009, Platonic Patterns: A Collection of Studies, Las Vegas: Parmenides Publishing.