INTRODUCTION TO
PHILOSOPHY
EXAM #2 REVIEW
Exam Date: 4/25/03
I) CONTENT
A. Socrates (469-399 BCE) and Socratic Method in
the Euthyphro
Anthropological, ethical, and pedagogical
focus of Socrates’ philosophical project
Socrates’ divine mission:
-
Proclamation
of the Delphic oracle: Socrates is wisest among men
-
Cross-examination (Greek: elenchus) of “the wise”: politicians,
poets, and artisans
-
Wisdom/ignorance distinction and relationship
-
Socratic
midwifery and enlightenment (awareness of ignorance, “Know thyself”)
“What is value?” exercise: inductive reasoning,
abstract generality, types of value, etc.
Socratic Method
Historical testimony on Socratic method:
Aristotle, Mill, and Schopenhauer
General traits of Socratic definition:
-
Dialectic
-
Irony and
ignorance
-
Cross-examination (elenchus) as method of enlightenment (awareness
of ignorance)
-
Methodical
correspondence between Socratic irony and the interlocutor’s intellectual
arrogance
-
Confusion with
Sophists
-
Maieutic:
intellectual midwifery (i.e., assisting in the intellectual birth
of his interlocutors through dialectical cross-examination (elenchus)
Logical Requirements and Characteristics of Socratic Definition:
-
Conceptual,
general, formal, or universal (i.e., not a particular example, instance,
or case)
-
Principle of
self-identity and the logical exclusion of opposites
-
Essentiality =
real, independent, objective, essential common characteristic (eidos)
-
Distinction
between real/nominal types of definitions
-
Relation to the general Greek philosophical problem of the
One and the Many
-
Aims of
Socratic definition: theoretical (definition of essence), practical
(standard for judgment)
-
Inductive
reasoning (epagōgē): searching for the universal concept on the
basis of particular instances
Euthyphro (the dialogue):
-
Model
definitional dialogue: What is X?
-
Aporetic:
without resolution; no satisfactory definition (Greek = aporia)
-
First three
(3) definitions of piety: violation of logical requirements, dialectical
correction of definitions
-
Third
definition: relation between the gods’ love and piety: issue of cause or
effect, essential character or secondary quality, metaphysical
independence or dependence, arbitrary authority or rational justification
Euthyphro (the character in the dialogue of the
same name):
-
Self-deluded
and arrogant expert on the gods, myth, and piety
-
Represents the
mythical mindset: authoritarianism, literalism, traditionalism,
conservatism
II) Format
1) 10 T/F questions (20 points)
2) 25 multiple-choice questions (50 points)
3) 4 short answer questions (20 points)
4) 1 essay question (10 points)
5) Extra credit? |
