DISCUSSION QUESTION

The ancient Greek philosopher Socrates is known for a technique called the Socratic Method, in which the teacher leads the student through a process of questioning to come to a logically valid conclusion.

Born in 469 B.C.E., Socrates is considered one of the founding fathers of Western philosophy, even though he left no writings behind and very little is known about him. Everything that is known of his teachings is found in the works of his students, like Plato. Much of Plato’s writings are dialogues between Socrates and his students.

Using the Socratic method, answer the following questions:

Part 1

• What do you think of Socrates’ conclusion that no person knowingly does evil, and therefore, all evil is ignorance?
• Do you agree or disagree, and why?

Part 2

• If people accepted that all evil is ignorance, what implications would that have on the justice system?
• How would prison sentencing or the death penalty be affected?
• Discuss with 2 or more classmates their opinions and whether or not you agree or disagree with their statements.