Socrates thought that we should question absolutely everything, and even held that “the unexamined life is not worth living”. In this class, we’ll consider Socrates’ approach to the good life. And we’ll ask whether there are any beliefs we shouldn’t question.
Key Concepts:
- Socratic ignorance
- The elenchus
Have questions or thoughts about the reading? Post them on PollEverywhere, and upvote any classmates’ responses that you’d like to cover in class. We’ll address the most upvoted responses during the Q&A part of class.
Do This:
- Complete Activity #1 of Map to the Good Life before your next dialogue meeting. (See Canvas for instructions.)
Pre-Class Questions
Your responses to the following questions are due on Canvas before class. Your top 15 scores of the semester will count toward your final grade.
- In your own words, explain why Socrates thinks the oracle identified him as the wisest of all people.
- Try out the elenchus for yourself! Choose any concept you like (other than “sandwich”, which is the example in our reading) and look up its definition in any dictionary. Give a counterexample that challenges the dictionary’s definition, and then revise or replace the definition to overcome the challenge.
Map to the Good Life
This prompt will be one of your options to address in Activity #2 of Map to the Good Life, which will be due on March 7.
Think of someone you know who deeply values the truth. In what ways does this person remind you of Socrates? What significant differences do you notice? (To help you answer these questions, you may want to have a conversation with the person about what motivates them to value the truth as they do.) Based on these observations, what conclusions can you draw about the role the pursuit of truth should play in a good life? Explain your reasoning.
