Reflective WritingEven with it's cultural limits and biases, philosophy is perhaps the most open of all subjects. Writing this paper was a really awesome experience, and getting to know Socrates better and his way of thinking. We use the term philosophy in a similar sense when we think of a person's beliefs by which someone lives. I find a lot of these philosophers ways of thinking are off the wall but the more you study them, the more it will make sense. In all, philosophy in and of it's self is something everyone should have and learned about. Philosophical issues concern ultimate values, general principles, God, happiness, truth, and morality. This being the first philosophy class i've have ever taken I find that the teacher was vary good and made the study of philosophy easy and fun. |
Paper The purpose of this paper is to discuss Socrates. Socrates is quoted saying, “The unexamined life is not worth living”. Using this statement, I will also explain the ideas of Psyche, Techne, and Virtue as excellence of function and his views of intellectualism. And tie these into his motto of “Know Thyself”.
Socrates (470-399 B.C.E) is powerful, intriguing, and widely known. Although Socrates never wrote down any of his philosophy, he taught and inspired on of the two most influential philosophers in history. At the end of facing a long life Socrates uttered on of the most famous statements in history ideas “The unexamined life is not worth living”. By this he meant, “Among other things that a life devoid of philosophical speculation is hardly a human life”. (“Archetypes of Wisdom” 102) Socrates lived his life teaching people to question everything, and also exposing the ignorance of subjective thinkers. What has made Socrates the best known of all philosophers is that it was he who began the relentless questioning of our basic concepts that has been a characteristic of philosophy ever since. I see this as, if you live your life doing what other tell you to do, or join the “bandwagon” you have not lived a life, without reflection or speculation, an unexamined life is a life that takes the Psyche for granted. One of Socrates terms is the Psyche, the Psyche can be defined as one’s excellence of our functions. From the Greek word Arete, meaning “that at which something excels,” or “excellence of functions.” This being centered on our soul as the true self. A good example of this could be, not living an ordinary life without making mistakes you have not lived a life. The word Psyche is Greek for “soul” and in todays terms, it is a combination of mind and soul, which includes capacity for reflective thinking. Socrates entire teaching mission centered on his conviction the true self is not the body, but the soul being Psyche. True beauty, or spirt and character derives from within. The Psyche is a combination of what we think of as the mind and soul, therefor consciousness, the capacity to reason, and the ability to reflect, known as reflective thinking. (“Archetypes of Wisdom” 102) Reflective thinking involves personal consideration of ones own learning. It considers personal achievements and failures. Therefore making the person think about his/her own thinking. (Given 2002) Socrates would most likely consider reflective thinking as knowing the “true” self. Socrates thought that the “unexamined” life, is a life that would take for granted the Psyche, and one would therefore live life at a minimal level. Thinking would never arise above practical concerns, which in todays thinking may be considered mediocrity. One would never push themselves further than what is expected. A good example for this would be, waking up every day doing the same routine day in day out. If the true self is on the inside, we come to “know” the Psyche through examination. The though examination we will “know ourselves” and know that the ugly body we have is not who we really are. What we really are is the Psyche. Socrates concept of Techne, or knowledge come from the Greek for art, skill, craft, technique, trade, and system or method of doing something. For example, according to Socrates, “ A knowledgeable physician has both theoretical understanding and practical skill.” (“Archetypes of Wisdom” 109) We live in a world of Techne, we rely on experts or teachers to lead us and be experts in knowledge. According to Socrates, we should be able to tell the expert and or teacher by their credentials and expert knowledge. therefore, expert knowledge must be rational in it’s “ability” to account for what it does, also making the knowledgeable person virtuous. Socrates believed that knowledge always produces behavioral results because our behavior is guided by beliefs. If I believe drinking alcohol is bad for me, then I won’t drink it, unless I believe drunk is better then being sober. If I believe that by not putting my knowledge into my work and not fully doing my job by cutting corners and slacking off all day is the best for me and not my company. But I know my knowledge and Techne are a requirement do fully do my work. A lot of Techne, is a lot like Virtue. Virtue combines technical understanding with skill and character to apply knowledge. Socrates believed that the best way for people to live was to focus on being the best they could be. Develop oneself apposed to material gain or greed. He encouraged people to work together as a populace and concentrate more on friendship and a true sense of community. Socrates held that Virtue was innate, and that a person could not be taught Virtue. If Virtue is a type of knowledge, then Virtue should be teachable, and it would be techne. If you want to be a good teacher then you would learn from a good teacher, if Virtue is a Techne then he who wants to be virtuous needs to learn from a virtuous person. I believe that virtue is the knowledge of right from wrong. and can be taught to a person if they desire to learn right from wrong, those who teach themselves learn through studying others through techniques, observation, experience, and personal reflection. Some people need an expert or teacher to specifically guide them to practice in virtuous ways learning techniques. Socrates defines intellectualism as a theory that reasons rather bases it’s conclusions on beliefs or religious response. “Socrates intellectualism was part of his claim that no one knowingly does wrong.” (“Archetypes of Wisdom” 109) Intellectualism is a term used to refer to the claim that behavior is always controlled by beliefs about what is good and our means to that good. Socrates intellectualism was part of his unusual claim that no one knowingly does wrong. For socrates, the good harm in question is always determined by what benefits or harms the soul. To seek my soul’s welfare I have to “know myself.” One of Socrates most famous mottos, “know myself” ties Psyche, Techne, and Virtue into one. Without knowing the meaning to these words you can not truly understand the motto. Probably no other philosopher had more influence than Socrates in thought of being true to yourself. In addition to this Socrates did more than any other individual to establish the principle that everything must be an open question. There can be no cut and dried answers, because the answers, like everything else, are themselves an open question. (“The Story of Philosophy” 23) Socrate’s believed if he was unable to examine life, he would not rally be living. To Socrate living meant to be able to ask questions, speculate and analyze the world around him. Being able to examine life gives one knowledge, and knowledge gives one freedom. Unfortunately, most people live a life void of looking at where they have been or where their lives my be going. Living a life the way someone tells you is best based on their own perspective or following the bandwagon, only because everyone else is. By truly knowing oneself there is a sense of “knowing” where you belong in the world. A person is able to make choices that will bring truer happiness, and perhaps be better able to understand the destination of their future. To know ones self is to take control of your life. Socrates lived his life teaching people to question everything, and also exposing the ignorance of subjective thinkers. What has made Socrates the best known of all philosophers, is it was he who began the relentless question of our basic concepts that has been characteristic of philosophy ever since . I see this as, if you live your life doing what others tell you to do, or join the “bandwagon” you have not lived a life, without reflection or speculation, an unexamined life is a life that takes the Psyche for granted. For many of us, the fundamental question is, “what should I do?” Or “how should I act?” Ethics is supposed to provide us with “moral principles” or universal rules that tell us what to do. Many people for example, read passionate adherents of the moral principle of utilitarianism. Others are just as devoted to the basic principle of Immanuel Kant: Everyone is obligated to act only in ways that respect the human dignity and moral rights of all persons. We “apply” them by asking what these principles require of us in particular circumstances, when considering whether to lie or to commit suicide. We also apply them when we ask what they require of us as professionals, lawyers, doctors, or business ethics, legal, medical, and ethics in public. These centers are designed to give us a better understanding of “Know Thyself”. Citation “The story of Philosophy” Bryan Magee. DK Publishing, Inc. New York. “Archetypes of Wisdom” Douglas J. Soccio. Macmillan Publishing, Belmont California. |