Discussion

Meno

Discussion

At the end of the

Meno

(around 100b) Socrates says that if Meno can convince Anytus

of the things they have concluded in the dialogue he will provide a benefit to the

At

henians. Given the background of the

Apology

what do you think Socrates means by

this. What is the overall topic of the

Meno

? and how is it relevant to the Athenians or to

us for that matter?

Phaedo

Discussion

In the

Phaedo

Socrates is preparing for his death and consoling his friends that death is

not a bad thing. There are echoes of the end of the

Apology

here. Much of the dialogue

deals with arguments for the survival of the soul after death. We have already seen in

the

Me

no

the famous argument for the pre

-

existence of the soul to explain the puzzle of

learning (cf

Meno

81e ff); Aristotle in his

Posterior Analytics

(76a ff) will provide another

solution to this puzzle that doesn't require the preexistence of the soul. My qu

estion

here regards Plato's general conception of the body in the the

Phaedo

. He famously

states that the proper aim of philosophy is the practice of dying and death (64a). He

goes on to claim that only the philosopher (lover of wisdom) can have genuine vi

rtues;

non

-

philosophers overcome fear by greater fears and overcome desires by stronger

desires (69a

-

c); virtues require knowledge and only the philosopher has real knowledge

so only the philosopher can actually be virtuous. What is Plato's underlying atti

tude

towards the body in this dialogue as you see it? What essentially is the human being for

Plato as you can gather from this dialogue? is he correct in this? why or why not?

(address any or all of the above in your posting and end your posting with a qu

estion of

your own).

Meno Discussion

At the end of the Meno (around 100b) Socrates says that if Meno can convince Anytus

of the things they have concluded in the dialogue he will provide a benefit to the

Athenians. Given the background of the Apology what do you think Socrates means by

this. What is the overall topic of the Meno? and how is it relevant to the Athenians or to

us for that matter?

Phaedo Discussion

In the Phaedo Socrates is preparing for his death and consoling his friends that death is

not a bad thing. There are echoes of the end of the Apology here. Much of the dialogue

deals with arguments for the survival of the soul after death. We have already seen in

the Meno the famous argument for the pre-existence of the soul to explain the puzzle of

learning (cf Meno 81e ff); Aristotle in his Posterior Analytics (76a ff) will provide another

solution to this puzzle that doesn't require the preexistence of the soul. My question

here regards Plato's general conception of the body in the the Phaedo. He famously

states that the proper aim of philosophy is the practice of dying and death (64a). He

goes on to claim that only the philosopher (lover of wisdom) can have genuine virtues;

non-philosophers overcome fear by greater fears and overcome desires by stronger

desires (69a-c); virtues require knowledge and only the philosopher has real knowledge

so only the philosopher can actually be virtuous. What is Plato's underlying attitude

towards the body in this dialogue as you see it? What essentially is the human being for

Plato as you can gather from this dialogue? is he correct in this? why or why not?

(address any or all of the above in your posting and end your posting with a question of

your own).