Overview
This lecture examines Socrates's concept of the self, highlighting its connection to the soul, knowledge, virtue, and the examined life.
Socrates and His Influence
- Socrates was an ancient Greek philosopher who laid the foundation for Western philosophy.
- He used the Socratic method of questioning to promote critical thinking and logic.
- Socrates did not write his teachings; Plato, his student, documented them through dialogues.
- He was sentenced to death for allegedly corrupting the youth of Athens and chose to die rather than go into exile.
Socratic Concept of the Self and Soul
- Socrates believed philosophy must produce practical results for the betterment of society.
- The first step to achieving this is acquiring wisdom through self-knowledge.
- For Socrates, the self is closely linked to the soul, which he viewed as a thinking and willing subject (not religious in the Christian sense).
- The soul is the intellectual and moral personality of a person, responsible for acting rightly or wrongly.
- The soul is the seat of knowledge, ignorance, goodness, and badness, and thus, the essence of the human person.
Self-Knowledge, Virtue, and the Good Life
- Socrates taught that we discover our true self through inward examination and self-knowledge.
- Taking care of the soul is essential to attaining the good life, which means being wise and virtuous.
- Knowledge of the good life is gained internally (endogenously), not from external sources.
- The unexamined life is not worth living, emphasizing the need for self-examination.
- Virtue is knowledge; to know what is right is to do what is right, according to Socrates.
The Problem of Evil and True Self
- Socrates believed that evil acts stem from ignorance, not knowing the good.
- Self-examination is necessary to gain the knowledge needed to live rightly.
- The true self is not defined by possessions, status, or the body, but by the state of the soul.
Key Terms & Definitions
- Socratic Method — a way of questioning to stimulate critical thinking and illuminate ideas.
- Soul — the thinking and willing subject; the intellectual and moral personality of a human.
- Virtue — moral excellence, identified by Socrates as knowledge and wisdom.
- The Good Life — a life guided by knowledge, wisdom, and virtue.
- Examined Life — a life in which one continuously reflects on and seeks knowledge about oneself.
Action Items / Next Steps
- Reflect on the concept of self according to Socrates and consider how self-examination contributes to living a virtuous life.