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4th century BC philosophy

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Overview

Philosophy in the 4th Century was an epoch which hosted a series of philosophical pioneers and their respective ideologies and edicts. During this time, such individuals as Aristotle (Aristotélēs), Plato (Plátōn) and Socrates (Sōkrátēs) forged the framework of the ideological world that proceeded them and let their own ideals be left to their inheritors. As such their philosophical ideas have left an imprint on the philosophical world as a whole.[1]


Ancient philosophical ideals (such as Aristotelian philosophy) had a creditable influence to the origins of later western philosophy and religious ideals (for example: Judaeo-Christian theology and medieval Islam) during the classical period.[2]

Socrates (Sōkrátēs)

"However his teachings were interpreted, it seems clear that Socrates' main focus was on how to live a good and virtuous life"[3]

Socratic Irony

As defined in the Collins English Dictionary, Socratic Irony is defined as 'a means by which the pretended ignorance of a skilful questioner leads the person answering to expose his or her own ignorance'.[4]

Socrates statue at the Louvre.

Socratic Irony is categorised as a tradition in the mostly spoken form: the basis of the school of thought is based on knowledge. The philosophical idea is seen as a notable one, since Socrates made use of it on so many occasions, according to his ideological successors, including Plato and Quintilian, noting that: "Socrates's whole life is a game of irony".[5][6]

The teachings of Socrates were mostly spoken, leaving his contemporaries to document the ideologies that had been placed unto them. Plato categorised his mentor's edicts as "the mental equivalent of sleights of hand".[7]

Elenchus (Socratic Method)

The Collins English Dictionary defines Elenchus (or Socratic Method) as the 'refutation of an argument by proving the contrary of its conclusion'.[8]

Most notably, Elenchus was practices by an incarnation of Socrates that was famously portrayed within Plato's own philosophical dramas. However this was neither the term nor activity originated with Plato or his character. Rather it was the historical Socrates who presented it as a philosophical and non-philosophical methodology.[9]

In Parmenides Fragment 7, the definition of Elenchus is told through that of a short story from the perspectives of an unnamed Goddess and a youth (named Parmenides). According to Gary Alan Scott's Does Socrates Have a Method?, in Socrates' work (through Plato) the adaptation of Fragment 7 presents the idea that an argument should be refuted on the basis that an individual is yet to make their own judgement through facts and firsthand experience and, until they do so, Socrates claimed that they 'must resist the pull of a conventional view of what there is—a view gained largely through sense experience and the testimony of others.'[10]

Plato (Plátōn)

"Behold! Human beings in an underground den ... like ourselves ... they see only their shadows, or the shadows of one another, which the fire throws on the opposite wall of the cave." - Plato, c379BC [11]

Plato's Cave

In Ben Dupre, 50 Ideas You Really Need To Know: Philosophy, the allegory of Plato's Cave is summarised as such:

An Illustration of The Allegory of the Cave, from Plato’s Republic.

'Imagine you have been imprisoned all your life in a dark cave. Your hands and feet are shackled and your head restrained so that you can only look at the wall straight in front of you. Behind you is a blazing fire, and between you and the fire a walkway on which your captors carry statues and all sorts of objects.The shadows cast on the wall by these objects are the only things you and your fellow prisoners have ever seen, all you have ever thought and talked about.'[12]

The allegory of the Cave is found within the opening of the seventh book of Plato's Republic. The Cave introduces a grouping of four stages of knowledge, where human beings are illustrated as lacking exposure to the outside world. The mind of Plato is accredited with being one of visionary status, through the influence of the Cave on his other philosophical works.[13]

Plato's Cave has garnered other depictions surrounding its meaning, with Alvin B. Kernan noting that 'all the darkness of Plato's cave of illusions would burn away in the bright sun of understanding.'[14]

Philosophical Dramas

As a means of conveying the teachings and philosophies created by himself and his predecessors, Plato created a series of philosophical dramas (or dialogues). Often the leading character in these works was a fictional interpretation of Socrates that acted as Plato's mouth-piece throughout.

Painting of Plato, by renaissance artist Raphael.

The teachings of Plato's dramas/dialogues, Socrates' teachings are reflected in many of Plato's philosophical dramas (Apology, Crito and Euthyphro). Particularly, Euthyphro makes light of the concept of holiness and the presence of strife, in finding a better way (regarding both philosophy and ethics) through a conflict between Plato's incarnation of Socrates, as well as the eponymous character of Euthyphro.[15]

Platonic Love

Plato's theory of Platonic Love, originates from the concept of erôs.[16] Defined in the Oxford Dictionary as '(of love or friendship) intimate and affectionate but not sexual.'[17]

The theory focuses on tiers of love, beauty and power, with the Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy citing that 'Unless it channels its power of love into "higher pursuits," which culminate in the knowledge of the Form of Beauty, erôs is doomed to frustration. For this reason, Plato thinks that most people sadly squander the real power of love by limiting themselves to the mere pleasures of physical beauty.'[18]


Theorising that physical beauty is a shallow layer, Plato's belief was that of a lack of desire. Lydia Amir's study on Plato's philosophy in her work 'Plato's theory of Love: Rationality as Passion', states that 'Love being ephemeral at this stage, the lover will move from one beautiful person to another. Realising that physical beauty is not limited to any one beloved, he will become a lover of all physical beauty.'[19]

Theory of Forms

The theory of forms is a series of concepts and ideals which encompass a range of properties, and, when utilised, Plato's forms represent his perception of his most theoretical reality. The theory maintains that there is two distinct levels of reality: the physical world with which we inhabit and the intelligible World of Forms which stands above our physical world and gives it being. A number of his theoretical forms appear in Plato's "Phaedo".[20]

Plato's Forms are noted as a representation of the mind's innate perception of reality and the information that is available to them. The allegory of the Cave depicts Plato's notion of an innate perception of reality within the closeted parameters of the analogy itself, being described as 'forms that constitute the reality of all things',[21] with the forms occupying the mind and body in tandem alongside this reality.

Immortality and Reincarnation

As defined by the Oxford Dictionary, Immortality denotes 'the ability to live forever; eternal life.'[22]

The Cambridge Dictionary defines Reincarnation as 'the belief that a dead person's spirit returns to life in another body.'[23]

Statue at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, of the 4th Century BC Philosopher Aristotle.

References

  1. ^ "Socrates". Ancient History Encyclopedia. Retrieved 2019-05-13.
  2. ^ Delius, Christoph; Gatzemeier, Matthias; Sertcan, Deniz; Wünscher, Kathleen (2013). The Story of Philosophy from Antiquity to Present (PDF). China: h.f.ullmann. p. 6. ISBN 978-3-8480-0428-7.
  3. ^ "Socrates". Ancient History Encyclopedia. Retrieved 2019-05-13.
  4. ^ "Socratic irony definition and meaning | Collins English Dictionary". www.collinsdictionary.com. Retrieved 2019-05-13.
  5. ^ Vasiliou, Iakovos. "Socrates' reverse irony". The Classical Quarterly. 52 (1): 220–230. doi:10.1093/cq/52.1.220. ISSN 1471-6844.
  6. ^ Sedley, David (2008-05-29). Oxford Studies in Ancient Philosophy : Volume XXXIV. OUP Oxford. ISBN 9780191562662.
  7. ^ Gellrich, Michelle (1994). "Socratic Magic: Enchantment, Irony, and Persuasion in Plato's Dialogues". The Classical World. 87 (4): 275–307. doi:10.2307/4351494. ISSN 0009-8418.
  8. ^ "Elenchus definition and meaning | Collins English Dictionary". www.collinsdictionary.com. Retrieved 2019-05-13.
  9. ^ Scott, Gary Alan, 1952- (2002). Does Socrates have a method? : rethinking the elenchus in Plato's dialogues and beyond. Pennsylvania State University Press. ISBN 0271023473. OCLC 450448705.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  10. ^ Scott, Gary Alan, 1952- (2002). Does Socrates have a method? : rethinking the elenchus in Plato's dialogues and beyond. Pennsylvania State University Press. ISBN 0271023473. OCLC 450448705.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  11. ^ Dupre, Ben (31 July 2014). 50 Ideas You Really Need to Know: Philosophy. London: Quercus; UK ed. edition (31 July 2014). pp. Pp 8, 9. ISBN 9781848667358. {{cite book}}: |pages= has extra text (help)CS1 maint: year (link)
  12. ^ Dupre, Ben (31 July 2014). 50 Ideas You Really Need To Know: Philosophy. London: Quercus. pp. Pg 8. ISBN 9781848667358. {{cite book}}: |pages= has extra text (help)CS1 maint: year (link)
  13. ^ Wright, John Henry (1906). "The Origin of Plato's Cave". Harvard Studies in Classical Philology. 17: 131–142. doi:10.2307/310313. ISSN 0073-0688.
  14. ^ Kernan, Alvin B. (2000-04-10). In Plato's Cave. Yale University Press. ISBN 9780300082678.
  15. ^ Weiss, Roslyn (1994-07-01). "Virtue without Knowledge: Socrates' Conception of Holiness in Plato's Euthyphro". Ancient Philosophy. Retrieved 2019-05-13.
  16. ^ Brickhouse, Thomas. "Plato (427—347 B.C.E.)". Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  17. ^ "platonic | Definition of platonic in English by Oxford Dictionaries". Oxford Dictionaries | English. Retrieved 2019-05-14.
  18. ^ Brickhouse, Thomas. "Plato (427—347 B.C.E.)". Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  19. ^ Amir, Lydia (November 2001). "Plato's theory of Love: Rationality as Passion" (PDF). Practical Philosophy: pp9. {{cite journal}}: |pages= has extra text (help)
  20. ^ "An Introduction to Plato's Theory of Forms". Owlcation. Retrieved 2019-05-14.
  21. ^ "Plato and Forms". Philosophy & Philosophers. 2012-04-08. Retrieved 2019-05-14.
  22. ^ "immortality | Definition of immortality in English by Oxford Dictionaries". Oxford Dictionaries | English. Retrieved 2019-05-14.
  23. ^ "REINCARNATION | meaning in the Cambridge English Dictionary". dictionary.cambridge.org. Retrieved 2019-05-14.
  1. https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/contemporary
  2. https://books.google.co.uk/books?hl=en&lr=&id=qEaaCgAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PP1&dq=elenchus&ots=jtQi0hNEAt&sig=8zjpMpIG8BP4srWG2-FWDxtWOGo#v=onepage&q=elenchus&f=false
  3. https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=y0KWoAEACAAJ&source=gbs_book_other_versions
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