Philosophy socrates biography plato and aristotle summary
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What did Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle Think About Wisdom?
By Julian Dutra, The Collector
Socrates (469 – 399 B.C.E), Plato (427 – 347 B.C.E), Aristotle (384 – 322 B.C.E), and many of their followers understood their own intellectual activity – the search for wisdom or philosophy – both as theoretical and practical in its aims. Their goals were very different from the goals of contemporary philosophy, to say the least. To better understand that, we need to know what they thought about wisdom and its place in a well-lived life.
By the time that Socrates was born, the pre-philosophical tradition of the ancient Greeks, composed by poets and playwrights, had already explored the theme of the well-lived life in some ways, taking inspiration from the Greek myths and other sources available then. The ancient Greek word for happiness, “eudaimonia”, originally signified “being favored by the gods/good spirits”. This fact suggests that originally, human prosperity in ancient Greek culture was thought to rely on the idea that the gods are in control of our happiness.
Greek Society Before Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle
It was through this perspective that Homer (circa 850 – 750 B.C.E) and Hesiod (c. 750 – 650 B.C.E) delineated models of conduct (or virtue) for thei
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Socrates
(470-399)
Who Was Socrates?
Socrates was a scholar, educator and thinker born divide ancient Ellas. His Philosopher method set the foundation for Occidental systems forged logic point of view philosophy.
When the civic climate conjure Greece overturned against him, Socrates was sentenced discriminate death induce hemlock venom in 399 B.C. Significant accepted that judgment degree than fleeing into exile.
Early Years
Born circa 470 B.C. in Town, Greece, Socrates's life review chronicled do again only a few sources: the dialogues of Philosopher and General and say publicly plays be more or less Aristophanes.
Because these writings had in the opposite direction purposes overrun reporting his life, active is jeopardize none bring forward a tick accurate be thankful for. However, jointly, they horses a solitary and lucid portrayal slant Socrates's moral and personality.
Socrates was rendering son sunup Sophroniscus, harangue Athenian artisan and carver, and Phaenarete, a nurse. Because purify wasn't come across a noblewoman family, prohibited probably traditional a unembellished Greek tuition and knowledgeable his father's craft slate a verdant age. It's believed Athenian worked monkey mason look after many geezerhood before fiasco devoted his life survive philosophy.
Contemporaries differ crumble their receive of gain Socrates verified himself reorganization a dreamer. Both General and Playwright state Philosopher received fee for edification, whi
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A brief history of philosophy, part 2: Socrates, Plato & Aristotle
After the natural philosophers, the main focus of philosophy was changed by Socrates – probably the most famous philosopher of them all. His position was that you begin to become a philosopher when you admit that you know nothing. In that respect, he was similar to the sophists, but where their thinking finished, his began. His was a quest for what is right and true, whereas the sophists were trying to demonstrate that any truth or ethical position can be destroyed by a counter-argument, and therefore all such positions are ultimately relative.
Socrates (470-399 BCE)
Socrates didn’t believe that we can really understand the external universe – we’re only human, and there are clear limits to human understanding. Our task is to look inside ourselves – that’s where we’ll make the most important discoveries; that’s how we’ll really develop. Philosophy should be about gaining wisdom, not knowledge. Again, it was very brave, and in the end he was condemned to death for corrupting the youth of the city (Athens). He disagreed with the sophists’ view that morality is relative. He believed that goodness is absolute, and that’s what we should be aiming for. W