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Socrates on the Life of Philosophical InquirySocrates’ Proposed Methodology (184d5–187b7)

Socrates on the Life of Philosophical Inquiry: Socrates’ Proposed Methodology (184d5–187b7) [Socrates directly criticizes democratic practice: he argues that a simple vote of the majority must not play the most important role as regards the rightness or soundness of an opinionOpinion/glory (doxa). The opinion of the manyLysimachusthe opinion of the many/others—and the praise resulting from it—does not, in the end, have the importance that his interlocutor attributes to it. This can be deduced from the impasse SocratesSocrates’ interlocutors are led into, an impasse skillfully devised by Plato. Therefore, a shift in focus is required away from this impasse, to something more secure and solid. However, what will offer this kind of stability? Stability is provided exclusively by knowledge. Thus, Socrates is quick to establish the importance of the concept of knowledge by using an example drawn from everyday life in Athens. Plato wittily prepares the reader to receive the end of the dialogue as a declaration of the true good manTruegood man, Socrates, who first avows his ignoranceIgnorance, and then, as a savior of humankind, shines the light up towards the way leading to the greatest benefitBeneficial, benefit, namely a life dedicated to philosophical examination with the aim of attaining to the knowledge of goodVirtue (aretē)knowledge of virtue/knowledge of good/of exercising virtue and evil.] http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png

Socrates on the Life of Philosophical InquirySocrates’ Proposed Methodology (184d5–187b7)

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Publisher
Springer International Publishing
Copyright
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2018
ISBN
978-3-030-04187-8
Pages
27 –37
DOI
10.1007/978-3-030-04188-5_3
Publisher site
See Chapter on Publisher Site

Abstract

[Socrates directly criticizes democratic practice: he argues that a simple vote of the majority must not play the most important role as regards the rightness or soundness of an opinionOpinion/glory (doxa). The opinion of the manyLysimachusthe opinion of the many/others—and the praise resulting from it—does not, in the end, have the importance that his interlocutor attributes to it. This can be deduced from the impasse SocratesSocrates’ interlocutors are led into, an impasse skillfully devised by Plato. Therefore, a shift in focus is required away from this impasse, to something more secure and solid. However, what will offer this kind of stability? Stability is provided exclusively by knowledge. Thus, Socrates is quick to establish the importance of the concept of knowledge by using an example drawn from everyday life in Athens. Plato wittily prepares the reader to receive the end of the dialogue as a declaration of the true good manTruegood man, Socrates, who first avows his ignoranceIgnorance, and then, as a savior of humankind, shines the light up towards the way leading to the greatest benefitBeneficial, benefit, namely a life dedicated to philosophical examination with the aim of attaining to the knowledge of goodVirtue (aretē)knowledge of virtue/knowledge of good/of exercising virtue and evil.]

Published: Nov 29, 2018

Keywords: Democratic practice; Dialectical impasse; Knowledge of good and evil

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