First Five

• According to Socrates, what kind of life is not worth living?

• What were the charges the Athenians leveled against Socrates

• What is the name of Plato’s dialogue that discusses Socrates’ trial?

Greece-The Classical Period II

Plato (428-348 BCE)

• Spent ten years as a student of Socrates

• Founded his own academy at 40 years old– Eleven years after the death of Socrates– First real university in the Western world– Lasted for 1,915 years

The Republic

The Republic

• Plato writes dialogues– Conversations, often involving Socrates– Our records of Socrates and his work

• The Republic is, perhaps, the most famous– Concerned with the ideal society– How can you make the perfect world?

The Republic: The Cave

• Like Socrates, Plato thinks we are ignorant– We don’t even know it

• Imagine a cave– Prisoners are inside, chained, with their heads

stuck facing the wall in front of them– Shadows appear on the wall– People assume the shadows are real– It’s all they’ve ever known

Plato’s Cave

Plato’s Cave• The light is from fire outside

• The shadows are from people carrying things

• We know that, but the prisoners don’t

• Imagine somebody frees one prisoner

• What would be his reaction?– He would probably freak out and run back into

the cave– But over time, he would adjust

Plato’s Cave• Imagine the prisoner goes back into the cave

• Explains what he saw to the others

• They probably wouldn’t believe him

• They’d think he was crazy

• They’d attack anybody who tried to free them

• This idea is used in movies and films all the time

Thomas Anderson

Thinks his life is normal

Wakes up

Realizes he’s ignorantAnd living in a fake world

We are all prisoners• Our ordinary lives are like the cave

– Socrates understood this

• We don’t test what we believe

• We only believe what we already know– We’re not willing to explore or believe more

• Before you judge somebody, think about whether or not they’ve been outside the cave

Plato and reason

• Beware of “Groupthink”

• Use reason, not opinions– Not feelings– Not senses

• Using reason is what makes you a person– Nobody who sees the good will reject it– If people do wrong, it’s because they don’t know

or understand what is truly right

Plato Combines the 3 Branches

• What is real?

• What do we know?

• How should we live?

• The first philosopher to combine Metaphysics, Epistemology, and Axiology

Discussion Questions• If people know that stealing is wrong, why do they

do it anyways?

• Describe the ideal high school– School rules– Teachers– Subjects– Classrooms– Students– Layout

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