Essays on Socrates

The Cave

Plato’s The Cave is an allegorical story which Socrates was telling one of his followers Glaucon to explain to him the difference between a philosopher who seeks wisdom and others who aim to remain in ignorance. In the story, Socrates tells of a group of people who have been chained facing an empty wall their entire lives. They are unable to look anywhere, except the wall. Right behind them is an assembly line of items that are constantly going by which are reflected onto the wall by the light which comes from the fire that is behind the ...

Philosophy, by definition, is not only the pursuit of knowledge and wisdom but also asking questions that seemingly have no answers. Ancient Greece had no shortage of wise men called the Sophists. While they taught young men wisdom for money, their objective was to prove themselves wiser than their opponents by making their arguments appear stronger than it really was. To them, the truth was relative and arguments, as Protagoras admitted, could be distorted to their advantage. Of course, Socrates, being part of the Sophists, did differently by using their reasoning techniques in order arrive at the indisputable truth ...

In 399 BC, one of the greatest ancient thinkers, Socrates, faced the trial upon the accusations of his corrupting influence on the Athenian youth, rejection of gods recognized by the Athenian state and invention of new gods. In the course of the trial, the philosopher was given an opportunity to defend himself, and his speech interpreted by Plato under the title Apology has survived until nowadays as a prominent example of rhetoric and argumentation. Socrates moves from explanations of his actions to critique of the values and misconceptions of his accusers (particularly, Meletus). Although one would expect a person ...

In the modern world, the term “The Good life” is usually defined in a variety of ways by different people as every individual has his or her own perspective on what the term is all about. Basically, “The Good Life” can be termed as a desirable state of life that is predominantly characterized by high living standards or rather adherence to moral as well as ethical laws. “The Good Life” is an important issue to the society due to the fact that it involves individual’s lives which are not wasted with what can be regarded as mundane activities ...

Plato held the belief, illustrated by his use of the analogy of the Cave, that we live in a world of illusions, with the true forms of the everyday objects which surround us being shrouded behind said illusions. According to his own philosophy, every object or concept (such as beauty or goodness) has a truth behind it; one which is perfect in every way. Furthering this idea, Plato believed that behind the world of illusions we live in which clouds our ability to see the true world, is a world which is populated by all those perfect forms of ...

Does the Theory of the Tripartite Soul Give Us Good Reason to be Just?

Introduction The well-known philosopher of Ancient Greece, Plato, presented the theory of the tripartite soul. However, the ideas, which consider the components of the soul to depend on the social system or have an impact on the human behavior, can as well belong to another genius of the same time, Socrates. Plato and Socrates, as two of the most prominent minds of the ancient times, questioned the features of the human personality under the terms of the natural instincts and the characteristics, which all people get with birth. In fact, all the thoughts of these two masters stand on ...

Dr. Elizabeth Sikes

UCOR-2500-13 Close Reading of Plato’s Allegory of the Cave “There would, therefore,” I said, “be an art of this turning around, concerned with the way in which this power can most easily and efficiently be turned around, not an art of producing sight in it. Rather, this art takes as given that sight is there, but not rightly turned nor looking at what it ought to look at, and accomplishes this object” (Republic 518D-E). The foregoing quote in the Allegory of the Cave provides insight into the importance of proper education and balanced teachings that would enable people ...

Alcibiades, a young man who wants to enter politics, enters a dialogue with Socrates about the qualities of a good political leader. While he believes that his education and experiential knowledge are enough to make him a good politician, Socrates proves to him that he needs to learn about the true meaning of abstract and controversial concepts, such as justice or goodness before being able to counsel others about it. In particular, Socrates shows young Alcibiades that he does not have self-knowledge and persuades Alcibiades that a man who wants to enter politics first needs sufficient self- knowledge in ...

I. Introduction- The Life of Socrates (Perdue, 2014)

Overview of the Hierarchy- A brief overview of who mentored whom, and their greatest contribution to the study of Philosophy.

Brief biography of Socrates- An overview of some of the most significant information about the life of Socrates. II. Body- The Apology of Socrates (Plato) The Accusation and the Accusers (17a to 19a)– Narrates the accusation against Socrates, and how he addressed these accusations. He also recognized the difficulty of convincing the youth of his innocence. The Oracle at Delphi (19a to 24e0- Socrates addressed his Meletus, and his accusation about his misuse of his wisdom. As he tried to disprove the oracle in Delphi, he then proved that it is ...

Euthyphro

. The argument in Euthyphro sounds in line 5 section 7 as follows: «what is dear to the gods is pious, what is not is impious.» . Euthyphro consists of a dialogue between Socrates and EuthyphroEuthyphro argues that the pious was what he was doing then, to prosecute the wrongdoer. Socrates has opposite position and supposes that what is loved by the gods is also hated by them. Socrates is arguing against prosecuting Euthyphro’s father for murder. Socrates concludes that people recognize that the pious is loved because it is pious, not pious because it is loved. On the other ...

Philosophy

Explain some of the benefits a student may gain by studying philosophy. Philosophy enables one to reason and it represents almost every aspect of one’s life. Studying philosophy enables one to understand themselves better, understand the purpose of their lives and be in a position to account for most happenings in their daily lives.

Explain the Socratic Method of Teaching. Is this a useful way for students to learn?

Socratic Method of teaching is a technique that involves a dialogue between the student and the teacher where the teacher poses questions at the students continuously. It is an efficient method of learning because the teacher is able to shape the student’s outlooks ...

Introduction

I have often thought critical thinking is simply my opinion, or generating ideas and opinion through mental exercise, i.e. I can do critical thinking without external help or interaction. Yet, it is so different, because as I searched the literature and in studying in this course, I found that critical thinking involves the individual’s ability to use the mind actively to sense the surrounding environment and realize opportunities and potential hazards by generating innovative ideas (Ruggiero, 2009 as cited in Bruning, 2016). Critical thinking needs knowledge, and knowledge is learned and experienced. Precisely, critical thinking is borne out ...

Justice is something which underlies our own society – without it, indeed, some people posit that there can be no such thing as society. While many people state that justice is the same thing as the law, with Plato being the most visible proponent of this theory, others, such as Socrates, hold the two to be very different things. As we shall see below, while Socrates and Plato disagree on whether or not justice and law are the same, they both agree when it comes to addressing the role that justice takes in internal adherence to the values of the ...

Critical Thinking and Clinical Reasoning

Introduction Critical thinking is the process by which nurses define clients’ problems, examine evidence-based practice and make a rational choice in the delivery of care. The fact that health care is a systematic process that involves the assessment of the current health situation, planning interventions and evaluating the outcome calls for critical thinking and clinical reasoning. Critical thinking is necessary since it makes nurses rely on facts in their efforts to promote positive patient care outcomes.

The article examines the teaching in class and the way it addresses the need for nurses to engage in critical thinking as the ...

In Plato's "Apology", Socrates' series of dialogues in the period preceding, during, and after his trial provide an insight into his mastery of rhetoric. That is especially true given his ability to arrange his arguments in a judicious manner. While not overly successful in persuading the jury, the final judgment appears to be as a result of bias and prejudice rather than having a weak argument in the various passages of the "Apology." Socrates makes a persuasive claim that it is not possible to separate wisdom from moral virtue. Therefore, by being a man of wisdom, he could not ...

II. Short Answer Questions Answer each of the following 4 questions with a 3-5 sentence paragraph. Write legibly and in full sentences. You may write on the back of the sheet. (12 points each: 48 total) 1. What philosopher used the idea of Tetrapharmakon? What does this word mean? What is the purpose of this teaching? List and describe the different parts of this idea. It was philosopher Philodemus who first used the idea of Tetrapharmakon. The word Tetrapharmakon means the Four Cures, which are the summary of the four basic doctrines: - Do not fear the god - ...

Ethics is the philosophical study of morality. If a person begins with a description and proceeds directly to a normative (moral) judgment, what fallacy has one committed? Use your critical thinking skills to determine how a person would create a valid argument about morality (hint: it has to do with premises)—that is, an argument that does not commit this type of fallacy. Explain the notion of just deserts. Under what kinds of conditions is this notion reasonable? Under what kinds of conditions is it not? That is, explain and discuss the applicability of the notion of just deserts.

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The topic of Piety has been best discussed and covered by Plato in the dialogue between Socrates and Euthyphro. The two speakers engage in a verbal discussion on the applicability as well as the meaning of the word Piety. This essay will start out with a brief overview of the dialogue and will proceed to critically examine the concepts discussed between Euthyphro and Socrates. Lastly, the essay would also briefly discuss Plato’s view from my own viewpoint, while also examining my own notions of Piety.

Overview

The story starts out as a dialogue between Plato and Euthyphro. While Plato ...

Socrates sets off his apology by accusing his accusers of lying about him. He holds that the accusations levelled against him have almost made him forget who he really is. He persuades the crowd to look deeper into the accusations levelled against him and to listen to that he has to say. Socrates begins by addressing the first lot of his accusers. He believes that he knows why there is so much enmity levelled against him. The main reason why Socrates is hated by the young and old is that he is wise and believed so ("The Apology Of ...

Socrates can be justly named the father of Western philosophy and as a consequence of the science itself. Even given that we have no factual evidence, except literary sources, of his existence at all, he still is regarded as one of the greatest if not the greatest philosopher in the history of Western thought. He is given such credits not without a reason. Despite his claim that he only knows that he knows nothing when reading his dialogs written by Plato, his most notable disciple, I got stunned and impressed with his wisdom and insight. In Euthyphro, the story ...

Every individual is unique. This is not the most outstanding statement, but the one people know from their childhood. This is actually true; human beings have different characters, habits and reactions to the same events. A lot of personal qualities are determined in the early years of each individual. The character is formed in the childhood and a lot depends on the way the parents bring their son or daughter up. The environment, friends, relatives and even country, everything is essential to influence the future of adult man or woman. The surprising thing is that in spite of the ...

Introduction

Socrates is considered one of the greatest philosophers in the history of Western Europe. Virtually every person that goes through the education system must come across his name, his works, or his demise story. Greek official had previously put Socrates in jail for the charges of ‘corrupting the mind' of the Athens' youth. In the eyes of the wealthy and the influential, Socrates was making a fool of them by empowering the young people with new information about the society and its leadership among other things. When put to jail, he was scheduled for death in a few days, ...

BODY AND SOUL RELATIONSHIP FROM GREAT THINKERS

Body and Soul relationship The relationship between body and soul has been the main concern for many thinkers since the beginning of the history of philosophy. In this paper, we will be exploring this relationship from the perspective of three great thinkers: Plato, Aristotle, and Saint Agustin. They were all interested in this relationship, and as they do have common views, they also differ in many areas. The main concern that these three thinkers have is that the humans are made of both body and soul. They can see and touch the body, but they cannot touch the soul. ...

The Divine Command theory also known as Theological Voluntarism is a theory that holds the view that morality is dependent on the commands of God and that moral obligations mean obedience to God’s Word (Divine Command). In other words, for an action to be considered morally right, it must be in line with the commands of God or the character of God. The viewpoint of these commands is not static and as such is different from one religion to another. Philosophers hold different opinions on this theory; as a result, it has been defended by some and opposed ...

VOICES OF THE UNDERREPRESENTED IN ANCIENT ATHENS:

Voices of the Underrepresented in Ancient Athens: Women Ancient Athens was the center of the Ancient Greece and the marvelous and outstanding city that brought us democracy and important values of Western Civilization. Nowadays, due to works of famous Greek scholars and writers, we have enough information about how the Athens’ government was organized and who were the main rulers of the city, and we know that such social groups as metics, slaves, children, and women were underrepresented there. The aim of this paper is to study the role of women in Ancient Athens and the views Athenians had ...

In the middle of all the Socratic philosophizing there are questions about moral virtues, qualities, knowledge and wisdom of the person. In essence the teachings of Socrates are the philosophy of morality and ethics. Moral and ethical meaning of human search for truth and the acquisition of knowledge is predetermined by the fact that the sources, wisdom, and morality, according to Socrates, connected with the gods. A measure of human true virtue is a measure of his initiation to the divine wisdom, and knowledge of the process acquires the character of moral action. The path of knowledge is his ...

One of the most common characteristics of human societies is that they have established a distinct separation between what is good and what is bad. Nevertheless, throughout the different cultures, people have come to various conclusions as to what these entail. It is then logical to ask for the basis of morality, the main issue at stake in one of Plato’s great dialogues, Euthyphro. The two people that interact are Socrates and the eponymous character, the latter of which claims to know about morality. Nevertheless, by employing his maieutic, Socrates leads Euthyphro to make two arguments, neither of ...

The Apology chronicles a speech given by Socrates in response to charges brought against him in Athens Greece. Socrates was brought to trial around 399 BC for a myriad of charges. This hearing was recorded by his student Plato and is believed to be the most accurate, even though Xenophon's Memorabilia gives an account of the proceedings. The modern day connotation of the word apology, derived from the Greek word apologia is defined as “a regretful acknowledgement of an offence or failure” (Oxford Dictionaries). Where this definition is concerned, and with careful analysis, one cannot refer to this hearing ...

Introduction

Virtue ethics are the theories that gives importance to our moral values that effect our mind and our character. It not only helps us to decide what is rightness or wrongness in our decision but also provides a guidance to be a good person that we wish to achieve .Virtual ethic was prevalent from the time old civilizations started. The philosophers always guided the rulers and the common people to follow the path of virtue ethics. Among the famous philosophers whose ethics are followed till date are Aristotle, father of Greek philosophy and Confucius, father of Chinese philosophy. Virtue ...

Philosophy on Tyranny

Socrates on tyrants and Orators. Socrates had reasons to argue that oratory skills were just flattery and tyrants were largely unintelligent. Perhaps, comparing to the modern day set up, one can say that oratory, as to Socrates understanding, was public relations, or the act of dressing things up to look perfect or better than they actually are. Orators and tyrants did things that suited them best, as opposed to what they wanted to do. That made them powerless people with low regard in the society, despite being able to do anything they felt like, including excommunicating people and giving ...

P1 Socrates in Plato’s Gorgias criticizes Orators who are public speakers and tyrants who are rulers and oppressors as unintelligent groups of people in the society. He further says of oration as a type of flattery. This claim by Socrates seems unfair and harsh, but he comes to a conclusion that Tyrants and Orators are unintelligent because, according to Socrates, having power translates to having something good for who has it. Therefore, Socrates views orators and tyrants as having power in the society that they think it is good for them. It is from this definition of a ...

Question. What is Thrasymachus's view of justice in Book I of the Republic? Explain the story of Gyges Ring. What is this story meant to establish? Do you think that Thrasymachus's view of justice is correct? Why or why not? Answer. Thrasymachus philosophy on justice was exactly opposite to that of Socrates’ position. Socrates believed that justice was the important good and all the just persons were good persons. Socrates view on justice considered it to be the strength of the society’s ethical foundations as it was meant to protect the interests for the common good of the ...

Introduction.

The famous philosophers such as Polemarchus, Thrasymachus and Socrates occasionally met together to discuss such important matters concerning life. The subject concerning the exercise of justice and the consequences of being just or unjust is the subject matter of one such discussion as shown in this paper. The core values that accompany being just or unjust, such as happiness and sadness respectively. The self-justification involved when we do something that is unjust and yet continue in the same line and end up being the tyrants that we know today. How sure are we that we are making the right ...

Justice is one of the most complex ethical categories, affecting a wide scope of human relations. The content of this concept reflects the economic, political and legal conditions of social life and their development trends. Particular attention to consideration of justice was paid by Socrates, who called it the subject more precious than all the gold and sought to prove the existence of a single and common notion of justice, linking it with morality and knowledge. Injustice is unnatural, because it is the result of ignorance and delusion. Claiming connection between virtue and wisdom, praising the beauty of the ...

Bad Internet Philosophy Paper

Broad topic gives the opportunity to show the deep knowledge of the history of philosophy. But not many know how to express their opinion correctly, which further causes errors in their articles. I have reviewed a lot of articles and decided to choose one of them where I disagree with the author’s point of view. Answering the question the author argues that: One (but by no means the only) way of answering this question is to suggest that Socrates' ethical assertions are not really assertions of fact. They are maxims more than substantial claims, and cannot really be ...

RE: Memorandum of Justice

In The Republic, Plato engages in a dialogue with his teacher Socrates, and in their discussion, they raise the principle of justice and how it is defined. There are so many questions to ask like why should people be just? Socrates asks what justice is, and he tries to object or to show a sign of discontent but at the end of the discussion, he does not give a definition of his own. Book 1 opens when Socrates and Plato’s brother are returning home from a religious duty and meets Adeimantus who takes them to a house which ...

In the Euthyphro dialogue, Plato considers the question “what is piety?” (Grube, 1991). By so doing, he wants to establish whether piety is living as gods in Greek want or if what gods will and want good and pious. Plato observes that choosing any of the options is inconclusive since it ends up in a dilemma. According to Plato in this dialogue, piety can be defined as “that which is dear to the gods” or what the gods love (Grube, 1991). For the purposes of this paper, piety will be substituted for morality. This essay is a philosophical analysis ...

View of Justice

Thrasymachus believes that there is no justice in the society. He gives an allegory of a shepherd; why a shepherd looks after the cattle to ensure that they are fat. It is not that the shepherd cares about the cattle, but he does so for purposes of the masters and the people who eat meat. In the same vein, he argues that justice means differed things to different individuals. The perfect example of an unjust person to Thrasymachus is the tyrant because he uses “by stealth and force takes away what belongs to others, both what is sacred and ...

Question 1

Morality is at the center of the discussion in the assigned reading and this is evidenced by the fact that Socrates tries to distinguish right and wrong. In the course of his dialogue with Crito, he observes that injustice often harms and shames the offender, hence believes that harm is usually a consequence of wrongdoing. In this regard, Plato insinuates that disagreements usually arise because an individual fails to treat another in the proper manner and that harm then arises when people hold different opinions regarding each other’s beliefs thereby causing individuals to do things in their own ...

Philosophy

Introduction “So far, about morals, I know only that what is moral is what you feel good after and what is immoral is what you feel bad after.”- Ernest Hemingway. The above quote by an eminent American writer speaks volume of the involvement of perception of different individuals in deciding any action, morally right or wrong. Some philosophers also had this belief that every individual has an inner voice, which can never encourage you to do anything wrong. However, it is necessary to listen to the same extremely attentively. They refer this inner voice as the voice of ...

There were two major objectives of Descartes in his mediation research; these objectives include provision of a foundation for scientific methods, and to prove an association of religion and science. Descartes wanted to provide a proof that the scientific knowledge source was deeply linked with the mind and not with sense. In the dream argument Descartes considered two different aspects. Firstly, he explained that if someone pinched him while he was dreaming, he will wake up. Secondly, if he thought that he was dreaming, and someone punched him in a dream then he would be capable of saying he ...

Philosophy

Compare Views: Obligations of the Citizen

In his ‘letter from Birmingham Jail”, Martin Luther King wrote to eight white clergymen, addressing their disapproval over his nonviolent protests against racial inequality. Martin Luther King answered the charges of him being an outsider, by claiming that anything that happened anywhere in the United States affected everyone else, and that no one was an ‘outsider in the United States. King further addresses the clergymen’s opposition to the black demonstrations. King’s central idea regarding the obligations of the citizen is that it is the duty of the citizen to oppose all ...

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There is no denying the fact that Ancient Greek’s philosophers brought a lot of useful and sufficient ideas, thoughts, and decisions to the people’s society. Plato was one of the brightest mind of that time. His works inspire people from all over the world. Moreover, his scientific approach and writing manner help many students to understand the core of philosophy, the structure, and basics of our society. Therefore, in order to see and evaluate several important issues such as good and justice, the Plato’s Allegory of the Cave is presented in this paper. ...

Plato, who is a famous individual even today, came from a very good background of an Athenian Family. His family had very critical political connections. Socrates was the main person who was an influence on Plato’s life. The uncle to Plato named Charmides knew Socrates very well, and he might have been the one who introduced Plato to him (Socrates). More essentially, Socrates was always observed in action by Plato. It was very risky to spend time with Socrates because he used to offend those that had a desire to be elite members. In addition, he used to ...

Abstract

This paper is a wiki page entry on rhetorical theory and concept. The introduction provides the definition of the concept rhetoric by two scholars - Aristotle and Kenneth Burke. According to the scholars, rhetoric is an art of communicating effectively by persuading the audience. Aristotle, the proponent of the concept, highlights three important elements that should be present for rhetoric. These elements are identified as ethos, logos, and Pathos. The entry further presents the history of the concept by looking at the different views of the concept of the ancient Greek philosophers such as Plato, Aristotle, and Socrates. The ...

The philosophical ideas of Socrates have the capability to wake up Athenians in a manner that is useful for the society. It can be considered from the fact that philosophical ideas of Socrates were meant to seek wisdom, excellence, virtue, and human excellence of highest rank. Socrates’ philosophical ideas helped Athenians to get knowledge and wisdom. Socrates played an essential role in educating youth in order to improve their moral as well as intellectual character, which provided benefit to the society. Socrates’ philosophical ideas also helped people to ponder on the importance of material goods so that they become ...

This assessment meets the following course Learning Outcomes:

1. Demonstrate knowledge of the basic principles of critical thinking. 2. Identify the things that stop us from thinking critically. 3. Recognize argument structures and begin to evaluate and construct valid arguments. 4. Identify the key fallacies people make in their reasoning. 5. Apply the concepts/principles studied during the course. Academic Honesty: Breaches of Academic Honesty will be treated with the utmost seriousness. You are reminded the penalties for cheating or plagiarism include dismissal from the HCT. (for more information please refer to Academic and Student Regulations, HCT Academic Honesty Policy, Student Handbook)

For Examiner’s Use Only

SupervisorApproved Date LSH-2203 Critical Thinking Socratic ...

Philosophy Final Exam

4. (a) How does Locke describe the state of nature? Locke describes the state of nature as a logical abstraction developed by man himself. He does not entirely accept it as the outcome of historical developments. He describes nature from two perspectives. The first view sees nature as a free environment where everyone has the liberty to do what pleases them as long as their actions do not have an adverse impact on others. Nature makes every man equal. No man has power over another and everyone is free. Every man has some power which lets him act with ...

Introduction

At the first glance, The Matrix seems to be a cinematographic work of science fiction which is based on the clash of men and machines in a virtual world. The film was an unbeaten success in the 1990s and saw record-breaking revenues across the worlds. However, it is also true that there some specific manifestations of the renowned philosophical theories in this film. The core theme of the film is based on the notion that the world is an illusion and this concept has been used by many philosophers in this world to express their theories of philosophy. This ...

“Is Google Making Us Stupid?”

Since its creation in the 1990s, the internet has been an immense tool in acquiring knowledge in an instant. To help with the pursuit of knowledge, search engines, such as Google, have continuously been created in hopes of being the better way of finding specific information. Recently, there has been some concern about the constant use of Google and how it affects peoples’ mentality. The people who are against using Google on every search claim that the engine is making people stupid by replacing learning knowledge and critical thinking skills with simply obtaining information at the quickest convenience. It ...

Introduction

Everyone would like to live his or her life in the best way possible. This notion goes without saying, although there has been contemplation of the question since time immemorial. Which is the best possible kind of life to lead. As a result, philosopher and sages from all walks of life started devoting their lives to establishing the right answer. These philosophers, started writing books to demonstrate to the world their versions of how to live the good life. The two philosophers whose perceptions of living the best possible life are widely known are Plato and Lao Tzu. In ...

The academic field of philosophy provides the much need knowledge and introspection about the self, the society and the world. Among the many eminent philosophers of the world, Greek philosophers were among the most influential with all of their vision, knowledge and explication. Their works are still hailed as impeccable and commendable by the modern day philosophers and critics. There can be no denial of the fact that Plato is one of the foremost figures in the domain of philosophy in the entire timeline of human history of this world. Plato has been successful in leaving an immortal mark ...

The trial and execution of Socrates took place in Athens and to date, it still puzzles the world. The trial remains the most significant amongst all trials. We are left wondering why an old man was convicted to death because of his philosophical teachings. The puzzle is significant since Socrates conducted his teachings in his entire adult life despite the molestations. The trial remains the most significant because it has remained difficult to locate the answers connected to the mystery of Socrates trial. The trial is complicated because of the two surviving versions of the defense or apology of ...

In the real world of today, one can illustrate Socrates argument for content, knowledge and facts against mere fantasies, fictions, and even straight lies. In our political scenarios today, politicians have employed the use of rhetoric to try and persuade the public, they do not care to provide facts and lay bare truths. These are also common in social media and blogs and these have managed to strengthen the art or rhetoric even with no knowledge or rational reasoning behind what is presented. Socrates opposed false rhetoric which he explained that was mere sophistry. Sophistry, as Socrates explained, is ...

Introduction

In the year nineteen ninety-seven, the world chess champion Garry Kasparov was defeated by the IBM supercomputer, Deep Blue. The occurrence was considered a significant breakthrough in artificial intelligent technology. Thus, as the complicated as chess is, its rules were to be transformed into algorithms so that when computers finally got enough processing power, might crux through millions of possible games as well as moves. Hence, Clive Thompson, who has been writing journals based on the technology utilized this tale to write his “Smarter than You Think” book, which is sensible as well as insightful towards both human and ...

A.N. Whitehead famously claimed that all Western Philosophy was nothing more than footnotes to Plato. But long before Plato or Socrates, there were many Greek thinkers who looked for answers to many of the same questions that Plato had asked. Two of the most famous of these thinkers were Heraclitus and Parmenides. Both of these philosophers were thinkers were pre-Socratic metaphysicians and asked questions related to the nature of reality. Since they were both two of the oldest philosophers in Europe, many of their ideas seem quite strange to modern readers and the fact that their works only exist ...

Determining What is Good

A day before his execution, Socrates is visited in prison by his friend Crito to try and convince him to escape. Crito tells Socrates that if he is executed people will think that Crito could have helped Socrates if he was willing to give money but he did not care. Crito says that people will think he values money more than a friend’s life since no one will believe he tried to convince Socrates to escape, and he refused. Socrates tells Critos that the opinions of many people do not matter. Socrates says that the only the only ...

Plato describes how drunken Alcibiades surrounded by the lush gang of revelers suddenly breaks into a banquet. The audience somehow explains to him the essence of the ongoing negotiations, and also offers to give a speech in honor of Eros. But after learning the contents of the Socrates words, Alcibiades fully agrees with them. Since he has nothing to add about Eros, he decides to make a speech in honor of Socrates (Gill). Originate from the aristocratic families, with the gift of beauty, passing through all stages of public recognition, learned from Socrates, Alcibiades did not adjust to the ...

Concepts are often controversial to define. This has been evident in Western philosophy since its inception, as Socrates, its founder, had a method of asking about people’s theories in order to demonstrate that they were illogical or flawed in some way. One can find an example of this, among many, in Plato’s Republic, where Socrates puts into discussion the word justice. After presenting his own account, he contradicts that of Thrasymachus, who believes that justice is related to the interest of those who are in power. An analysis of this proves that it is important to be ...

How does reading influence our personality and how can it be changed by reading electronic books? These issues are crucial in Sven Birkerts’ book “The Gutenberg Elegies: the Fate of Reading in an Electronic Age”. Through a series of biographical and anecdotal essays the author shares with us his nostalgia for normal books written on paper and opposes normal reading to technologies which prevent people from self-development and self-making. Birkerts holds that only books written on paper may give us a unique opportunity to pause, re-read, memorize and think of what we have just read while digital words destroy ...