Questions pertaining to the assigned reading will normally be posted the day before each class. Try to find the answers in the text, and post your thoughts in the comments space below. Some of these questions will be on the exam. Questions pertaining to the recommended texts will appear as bonus questions, with correct answers also earning full credit (a point for each correct answer, up to a total possible of 25).
LHP
1. What kind of conversation was a success, for Socrates, and what did he mean by wisdom?
2. What theory is Plato's story of the cave connected with? Do you think some or all humans are naturally, in some allegorical sense, stuck in a cave?
3. What did Socrates say his inner voice told him? Do you think "inner voice" is literal?
Weiner
- "Philosopher" means what? Philosophy was what, in ancient Athens? (Introduction)
- What did Camus say is the one truly serious philosophical problem? Do you agree?
- What did Marcus Aurelius need, at dawn, to remind himself of? (And ask me about his morning mantra, which I daily remind myself of.)
- What was the first question young Needleman experienced? Have you experienced it? Do you think it is a good question? How do you answer it?
- What kinds of questions most interested Socrates?
- The Socratic dialogues consisted of what kinds of conversations? Do you enjoy participating in such conversations?
- What did Socrates say about the unexamined life? What corollaries does Weiner propose? Do you think Socrates was wrong?
And check out:
Rec-
HWT
- What's one of the great unexplained wonders of human history?
- Do you agree that we cannot understand ourselves if we do not understand others?
- What was Descartes's "still pertinent" conclusion?
- Why did the Buddha think speculation about ultimate reality was fruitless?
- What aspects of western thought have most influenced global philosophy?
- What do Africans not have, according to Kwame Appiah?
FL
1. What statement by Karl Rove began to "crystallize" Fantasyland, in Kurt Andersen's mind?
2. What are half of Americans "absolutely certain" about? What do a quarter believe about vaccines?
3. What is Andersen trying to do with this book?
LHP #1 - A conversation in which Socrates left everyone around him feeling as if they knew very little was a success for Socrates. By wisdom, Socrates meant understanding the true nature of existence. - Nat Shunk H01
ReplyDeleteDo you think he was right?
Delete^in response to Nat, I believe that socrates saw wisdom as the ability to recognize how little you know rather than trying to reach any sense of understanding. All of his questions were rebuttals to certainty, contrarian to the notion of Truth. -Sean Willis H03
ReplyDeleteWell, he always said the point of his insistence on our NOT knowing was to advance the quest for truth and understanding. He wasn't an extreme skeptic, he was a moderate and modest one: he thought there was real value in the search for truth, knowledge, and wisdom. He just wanted to take down the pretenders to truth etc.
DeletePlato's theory of forms outlines his vision for the proper way to examine any concept: to analyze the idea at its root rather than any worldly application. I think the allegory of the cave can be applied to any human, but for a range of reasons. Everyone has a lens, something that is keeping them in the dark. The dark may be politics, religion, or even science. When one can recognize their own lens, then they begin to see the light.
ReplyDeleteKant will tell us a different story about our "lenses," that it's only through them that we can possibly begin to know anything. Plato thought we were deluded by the "visible" world, blinded to the "intelligible" one. This is one of the points, as we'll discuss, where Aristotle came to differ with his teacher Plato.
DeleteMy own favorite modern version of Plato's cave is a sports bar, where the patrons are all lined up transfixed by the "shadows" on the cave wall (the tv monitors). They're in the dark, chained by their lack of curiosity about the real world outside the cave (the bar, the sports arena). And I say that as a baseball fan, aware of my own attraction to the cave. I think all humans are subject to the seductions of their amusements, something we must work to keep in balance and perspective. We should enjoy our games, but not to the exclusion of all else.
Socrates' inner voice told him to keep questioning everything. Inner voice is not so much literal as it is figurative, meaning he was so sound and passionate in his beliefs that he would much rather die than bend to the will of the Athenians, and give up his pursuit of knowledge.
ReplyDeleteLHP #2
ReplyDeleteThe cave analogy is related to "Plato's Theory of Forms" which suggest that most people are limited to their own perspectives and cannot think past what they can physically see or have experienced. I believe that today majority of people are "stuck in a cave", because our focus is on the digital world or money or other manmade ideas that distract us from thinking philosophically about anything or connecting to the real world.
HWT #2
ReplyDeleteYes, I agree with that statement. I believe we need to understand others, their beliefs, and how they think in order to better understand ourselves and our beliefs. Otherwise, how do you know that what you believe is right if you haven’t observed/explored anything else?
Your comment makes me think of the allegory of the cave and how people who only experienced a very narrow version of reality only had the cave shadows as reference. Perhaps understanding others in relation to understanding ourselves relates to this in some way. If you were to compare the understanding of others to the world outside the cave that the man who broke free experienced, you could say that understanding others and their beliefs can lead us to understand more about ourselves.
DeleteWeiner #2
ReplyDeleteAlbert Camus said that suicide is the one truly serious philosophical problem.
I disagree with Camus, but I agree with Weiner on this subject. I believe whether or not you should get out of bed is the more serious philosophical problem because, even if you don’t think that life is worth living, you don’t automatically think suicide. However, you do consider not getting out of bed.
Plato’s story of the cave is connected with “Plato’s Theory of Forms” which, put simply, means to focus on the form of something as opposed to something you may witness as your defining answer. Symbolically, yes, I do think that some humans are stuck in a cave. There are many people around us that either don’t care what’s behind them or don’t know that they should be looking. It’s easy to get stuck in routines as life gets busy, get sucked into negative news, etc., and to me, that reflects the chains that the people had in the cave. Further, as the man comes back to the cave to share what he has found, the others do not believe him. I think this could be representative of our natural comfort zones. When we fall into the patterns of life, we may not want to come out of them for fear of many things: rejection, social interaction, safety, etc. However, while we do often fall into the patterns of life, we also fall out of them. In this sense, one could say that Plato’s symbol of the cave could be something that people enter and exit as the tides of their lives change. Personally, I think that while it may not be everyone, it is definitely a vast majority of people that get stuck in symbolic caves, but I believe said caves do have entrances and exits. -Shelby Baltimore H03
ReplyDeleteWeiner 1: According to the text, philosopher means lover of wisdom. In ancient Athens, the point of philosophy was self-transformation.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete5, Weiner: What did Socrates say about the unexamined life? What corollaries does Weiner propose? Do you think Socrates was wrong?
ReplyDeleteSocrates said the unexamined life was not worth living.
Weiner proposes the corollaries that 1) the examined life that doesn’t produce practical results isn’t worth living and 2) the unexamined life may not be worth living, but neither is the overexamined one.
I think that Socrates was wrong, because I don’t see anything wrong with living an unexamined life. I guess it depends on what he means by “examined”. I mean, I don’t think you should just float along doing whatever you want and feel like doing just ‘cause, but I agree with Weiner in that I don’t think you should overanalyze your life either. I think that can lead to paralysis. I don’t see anything wrong with living life without examining a single thing, if that’s what makes you happy. I enjoy thinking about Socrates’ view on things, but I don’t see why his questions are necessary for life.
2, LHP:
DeletePlato’s story of the cave is connected with his Theory of Forms.
I think that humans are allegorically stuck in a cave, yes. All humans. I don’t think this is necessarily a bad thing. Since we’re trapped in it, and we can’t get out, why stress over it? But yeah, I think we can never really see things as they are because everything we see, or at least our interpretations of everything, are colored by our own past experience and human instincts and stuff. The reason I say “all people” is that I just don’t buy the notion that one person or group of people could achieve enlightenment and just see everything the way it “truly” is. I don’t think there is any “true” way everything is, or if there is, we can’t access it.
Oops, H2.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteAlly Gibbons-H01 (I answered several just because)
ReplyDeleteA Little History of Philosophy:
1. What kind of conversation was a success, for Socrates, and what did he mean by wisdom?
Socrates loved to debate with people in the streets and felt accomplished when he made the other person leave thinking that they knew a lot less than they had originally thought. He believed that wisdom was understanding the limits of what a person knows but at the same time trying their best to understand their existence.
2. What theory is Plato's story of the cave connected with? Do you think some or all humans are naturally, in some allegorical sense, stuck in a cave?
Plato's Theory of Forms uses the cave analogy. I do think that some people are naturally inclined to stick with what they know and have trouble accepting that there is something different out there than what exists within their own "cave."
3. What did Socrates say his inner voice told him? Do you think "inner voice" is literal?
Socrates inner voice told him to "keep questioning everything" (16). I interpret his "inner voice" as being the literal inner dialogue that all people have and I believe that Socrates was very in tune with himself and his inclinations.
The Socrates Express:
1. "Philosopher" means what? Philosophy was what, in ancient Athens? (Introduction)
A philosopher is a "lover of wisdom" and in ancient Athens, philosophy was a way of "self-transformation . . .practical . . .therapy [and]. . . Medicine for the soul" for all Athenians (6).
2. What did Camus say is the one truly serious philosophical problem? Do you agree?
Camus believed that the question "is life worth living or not?" was the most important philosophical problem, a belief that I would disagree with (14). I would contest that life does not have to have a worth or meaning attached to it, it (life) just is. Life exists and will persist whether we put a meaning to it or not. I do think that people can, and will find enjoyment if they do, find meaningful things to do in life.
3. What did Marcus Aurelius need, at dawn, to remind himself of?
Marcus Aurelius would remind himself every morning that he has to go to work "as a human being" and he separated himself from his titles and duty(23).
Keira warren HO2 - Your comment about life not having worth or meaning is actually a very eye opening thing to say. In the world today I feel like people have pushed so hard to find the meaning of life and place a worth on people's head but by doing that it's only made the world harder to simply exist in. I know this sint text related but its nice to see that someone is like minded.
DeleteSocrates wanted to leave each person he questioned realizing they did not truly know what they thought they did. He was trying to draw attention to the fact that many simply go about life without taking a moment to think about the broader questions about why they live life the way they do. It is well and good to live life honestly without telling lies but many never stop to wonder why that be true. Socrates believed that without this deeper understanding of life we were missing the purpose of it. That is why it he chose to die before betraying that voice, that drive within him to question and think.
ReplyDeleteThis was posted by Wyatt Andrews H01
DeleteWeiner 2-Camus said that the only important philosophical problem is weather life is or is not worth living. While I do agree that that is probably the most important one I definitely disagree that that is the only important one.
ReplyDeleteHO2
DeleteWhat kinds of questions most interested Socrates?
ReplyDeleteSocrates, unlike the so-called philosophers before him like Thales who asked "what" and "why" questions often about the cosmos, asked "how" questions like "How can I know myself?" The questions Socrates asked reflected inward.
My thoughts: I thoroughly enjoyed the assigned reading this week. The LHP laid out the story of Socrates in a very accessible way. In LHP, something that really stuck out was Plato’s Theory of Forms and how understanding goodness comes down to the focusing on an abstract idea: the Form of goodness rather than what we observe from our sense. In the intro for “The Socrates Express,” something that stuck out to me was how the author mentioned that schools nowadays don’t teach the how of philosophy but about philosophies. I wonder why this is the case. I suppose it could be because in a society where jobs are the end all be all for most people, teaching philosophy seems insignificant even though the opposite is true. I also enjoyed reading about the Great Bed Question - I never would’ve realized there could be so much thought behind something so small as simply getting out of bed.
DeletePhilosopher means lover of wisdom. In ancient Greek Athens, philosophy was medicine for the soul. It had a self-transformative purpose, and was considered a sort of enlightenment. It is fascinating, then, to consider how the modern financial lens has warped our view of a philosopher from "lover of wisdom" to "failed career choice." I wish not to do a disservice to modern philosophers and therefore feel the need to clarify that I say "our" in reference to a collective or widespread consensus. In no way am I implying that I am in agreement.
ReplyDeleteSpencer Whitney- H02
DeleteWeiner 1
H02 Weiner #4: The question that Needleman was asked was, "Who created God?" (Page 18). I have asked myself this question several times as someone that isn't particularly religious now despite having been raised in a very religious environment and being extremely religious when I was younger. I personally believe that this question is a very good question to ask, whether that be you asking yourself or someone else. I believe that this question can lead to very interesting discussions about religion as a whole and a moment of self-reflection on what you personally believe. I've personally experienced this through various conversations with my Christian friends over the last few years, and I truly love having a chance to hear the viewpoints of other people. My personal response to this question is that God is a concept that was created by man.
ReplyDeleteWeiner #3
ReplyDeleteMarcus Aurelius would remind himself that, "I have to go to work-as a human being." He also reminded himself that he had a "duty" to get out of bed whereas if he continues to stay in bed he is, "thinking of only myself."
LHP
ReplyDelete1. What kind of conversation was a success, for Socrates, and what did he mean by wisdom?
A debate that left the other party questioning the topic was a success for Socrates. Wisdom to Socrates was understanding the nature of our existence, including the limits of what we can know.
2. What theory is Plato's story of the cave connected with? Do you think some or all humans are naturally, in some allegorical sense, stuck in a cave?
The cave allegory us connected with Plato's theory of Forms. I think that we are all stuck in our own caves. We all have different perceptions of what is real, and theres no way everyone can have the same perspective of the world. Therefore, their must be something hindering people from seeing a completely true reality.
3. What did Socrates say his inner voice told him? Do you think "inner voice" is literal?
Socrates inner voice told him not to get involved with certain things when they could do harm such as involving himself in politics (paragraph 22 http://seaver-faculty.pepperdine.edu/mgose/GBQuarterly/winter00/whoissocrates.html). I believe that Socrates was just very aware of himself and that his inner voice was more like his conscience/gut instinct.
Weiner
1 "Philosopher" means what? Philosophy was what, in ancient Athens? (Introduction)
Philosophy means "lover of wisdom." Philosophy in ancient Athens was "self-transformation," "practical," "therapy," and "medicine for the soul". I guess in today's terms it could be considered self-care.
^^^written by Carly Coleman
DeleteHannah Ferreira H01 - Weiner #4: The first question he experienced was "Who created God?" I have experienced this question at numerous points during my life. I think it is a good question, definitely one you need to ask yourself if you believe in God. I wouldn't know how to answer it off the bat because the question assumes God was created. But I would say that God simply isn't in the category of things that could have been created. Nothing can't turn into everything, and so there has to always have been something, and I would argue that that something is God, who created everything else.
ReplyDeleteKwira warren HO2 - LHP
ReplyDelete1. What kind of conversation was a success, for Socrates, and what did he mean by wisdom?
One that lead to the truth. Through questioning and self examination one could find wisdom and live a good life.
In response to Keira, I believe the text inferred that Socrates did not find success within a conversation leading to truth but rather a conversation that allowed the other person to continue to question everything just as Socrates did.
Delete^^ from Katelin Burch, H02
DeleteLHP 1) A conversation in which people walked away realizing the limits of what they know, basically they understand what they do not know as well as what they do know. Wisdom to Socrates was understanding how the world truly is and the limits of our knowledge of it
ReplyDeleteLHP 2) Platos cave allegory is part of theory of forms; and the allegory of the cave is about how the true knowledge and understanding of the world would give freedom to those who had it. However not everyone wants that freedom, it is more work to try to understand the world as it is rather than just to stay in one's own cave.
Weiner 2) Weiner said that the only true serious question in life is suicide, whether or not someone should kill themselves. and i thoroughly disagree, for whether one should choose to live or die (live hopefully), why they chose that answer is of far greater importance. For the reasoning behind their answer to that question would reveal much about that person and how they think and operate, how they view the world.
h02
H03
ReplyDelete1. What kind of conversation was a success, for Socrates, and what did he mean by wisdom?
A conversation that Socrates would consider a success would be one that gets a person to understand how little they know. He believed that was better than continuing to believe you know something when you actually don't.
Wisdom to Socrates was knowing the true nature of our existence and our limits of what we know.
2. What theory is Plato's story of the cave connected with? Do you think some or all humans are naturally, in some allegorical sense, stuck in a cave?
The cave story is connected to Plato's Theory of Forms. I do think that some people are stuck in a cave. For some their perception of how the world behaves is the only one and they don't want to explore further than that.
3. What did Socrates say his inner voice told him? Do you think "inner voice" is literal?
Socrates inner voice told him to keep questioning everything. I think the inner voice was just the internal monologue that everyone has.
HO2
ReplyDeleteLHP 1. To socrates, a successful conversation ended with the person he was covering with leaving with the realization that they know less than they thought, and there is always more to know and understand. This reflects his idea of wisdom is which he believes is the understanding of the limits of our knowledge, as well as the nature of our universe and existence.
LHP 2. The allegory of the cave is connected to Platos theory of the forms. In my opinion, a lot of people are stuck in a cave out of habit. Humans are creatures of routine and habit, it seems that often people are scared to learn and discover what occurs outside of their cave.
LHP 3. Socrates inner voice inclined him to continue to question everything. I think he was likely being literal with his inner voice, meaning his internal monologue and thoughts.
Adriana Ramirez Speis H03 - LHP 2 “What theory is Plato's story of the cave connected with? Do you think some or all humans are naturally, in some allegorical sense, stuck in a cave?”
ReplyDeletePlato’s Allegory of the Cave is connected with his theory of the forms. The forms are like the Sun. You can never look directly at it and all the drawings you see are imperfect imitations. You can never draw a perfect triangle but you can capture and study the essence of the triangle. The allegory of the cave suggests that most people spend their lives not seeing the world how it truly is - that they worship and believe in shadows being manipulated by others. I don’t believe that most people are ignorant to the true nature of the universe. I think there are loud extremists who shout that the earth is flat and that vaccines cause autism, but the majority are intelligent and aware. People are influenced by the beliefs of others, especially those they have grown up around, but people are capable of change. It may take some help and suggestion to venture into new theories and ideas but I, unlike Plato, don’t believe that most people are incapable of ‘leaving the cave.’ I think people are smarter than they get credit for and deep down do want to understand life’s great philosophical questions - ‘who am I’ and ‘why am I here.’
Adriana Ramirez Speis H03 - LHP 3 “What did Socrates say his inner voice told him? Do you think "inner voice" is literal?”
ReplyDeleteSocrates’ inner voice told him to question everything hence the famous phrase “the only thing I know is that I know nothing.” Socrates would question others about their beliefs and challenge them asking how they know what they know. I hope his “inner voice” was not literal in the sense that he did not hear voices, but I believe it was more of a feeling. I think he may have felt an intrinsic desire to question things and learn as much as he could.
Tessa Wallace section H03 His inner voice told him that he would rather die than not have philosophy or question things. I think he could have meant inner voice literally because some people have a voice in their head when they are thinking like a conversation with themselves.
ReplyDelete