Ideas from 'reports of career' by Socrates [420 BCE], by Theme Structure

[found in 'Early Greek Phil VIII: the Sophists, Socrates' by Socrates (ed/tr Laks,A/Most,G) [Harvard Loeb 2016,978-0-674-99709-7]].

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1. Philosophy / C. History of Philosophy / 2. Ancient Philosophy / c. Classical philosophy

13773

For the truth you need Prodicus's fifty-drachma course, not his one-drachma course

1. Philosophy / D. Nature of Philosophy / 3. Philosophy Defined

7421	A philosopher is one who cares about what other people care about [Foucault]

1. Philosophy / D. Nature of Philosophy / 6. Hopes for Philosophy

1649	Socrates opened philosophy to all, but Plato confined moral enquiry to a tiny elite [Vlastos]

1. Philosophy / F. Analytic Philosophy / 1. Nature of Analysis

5842	Philosophical discussion involves dividing subject-matter into categories [Xenophon]

1. Philosophy / F. Analytic Philosophy / 2. Analysis by Division

648	Socrates began the quest for something universal with his definitions, but he didn't make them separate [Aristotle]

2. Reason / C. Styles of Reason / 1. Dialectic

164	It is legitimate to play the devil's advocate

2. Reason / C. Styles of Reason / 2. Elenchus

1647	In Socratic dialogue you must say what you believe, so unasserted premises are not debated [Vlastos]

115	Socrates was pleased if his mistakes were proved wrong

22099

The method of Socrates shows the student is discovering the truth within himself [Carlisle]

5844	Socrates always proceeded in argument by general agreement at each stage [Xenophon]

2. Reason / D. Definition / 6. Definition by Essence

11389

Socrates sought essences, which are the basis of formal logic [Aristotle]

4. Formal Logic / A. Syllogistic Logic / 1. Aristotelian Logic

639	Socrates developed definitions as the basis of syllogisms, and also inductive arguments [Aristotle]

8. Modes of Existence / D. Universals / 6. Platonic Forms / a. Platonic Forms

1652	Socrates did not consider universals or definitions as having separate existence, but Plato made Forms of them [Aristotle]

16. Persons / D. Continuity of the Self / 2. Mental Continuity / b. Self as mental continuity

1650	For Socrates our soul, though hard to define, is our self [Vlastos]

18. Thought / A. Modes of Thought / 5. Rationality / b. Human rationality

23252

Socrates first proposed that we are run by mind or reason [Frede,M]

20. Action / B. Preliminaries of Action / 2. Willed Action / d. Weakness of will

5843	People do what they think they should do, and only ever do what they think they should do [Xenophon]

5253	Socrates was shocked by the idea of akrasia, but observation shows that it happens [Aristotle]

195	No one willingly commits an evil or base act

199	The common belief is that people can know the best without acting on it

1653	Socrates did not accept the tripartite soul (which permits akrasia) [Vlastos]

20. Action / C. Motives for Action / 3. Acting on Reason / a. Practical reason

5839	For Socrates, wisdom and prudence were the same thing [Xenophon]

20. Action / C. Motives for Action / 3. Acting on Reason / b. Intellectualism

5867	For Socrates, virtues are forms of knowledge, so knowing justice produces justice [Aristotle]

5069	Socrates was the first to base ethics upon reason, and use reason to explain it [Taylor,R]

5836	All human virtues are increased by study and practice [Xenophon]

5840	The wise perform good actions, and people fail to be good without wisdom [Xenophon]

21. Aesthetics / A. Aesthetic Experience / 5. Natural Beauty

185	Socrates despised good looks [Plato]

22. Metaethics / A. Ethics Foundations / 2. Source of Ethics / j. Ethics by convention

5070	Socrates conservatively assumed that Athenian conventions were natural and true [Taylor,R]

22. Metaethics / B. Value / 2. Values / b. Successful function

5838	A well-made dung basket is fine, and a badly-made gold shield is base, because of function [Xenophon]

22. Metaethics / B. Value / 2. Values / h. Fine deeds

5837	Things are both good and fine by the same standard [Xenophon]

22. Metaethics / C. The Good / 1. Goodness / e. Good as knowledge

3017	The only good is knowledge, and the only evil is ignorance [Diog. Laertius]

22. Metaethics / C. The Good / 2. Happiness / b. Eudaimonia

1646	Socrates was the first to put 'eudaimonia' at the centre of ethics [Vlastos]

23. Ethics / C. Virtue Theory / 1. Virtue Theory / a. Nature of virtue

1663	By 'areté' Socrates means just what we mean by moral virtue [Vlastos]

23. Ethics / C. Virtue Theory / 2. Elements of Virtue Theory / d. Teaching virtue

4323	Socrates is torn between intellectual virtue, which is united and teachable, and natural virtue, which isn't [PG]

8003	Socrates agrees that virtue is teachable, but then denies that there are teachers [MacIntyre]

23. Ethics / C. Virtue Theory / 2. Elements of Virtue Theory / e. Character

126	We should ask what sort of people we want to be

23. Ethics / C. Virtue Theory / 2. Elements of Virtue Theory / j. Unity of virtue

4111	Socrates believed that basically there is only one virtue, the power of right judgement [Williams,B]

23. Ethics / C. Virtue Theory / 3. Virtues / a. Virtues

7808	Socrates made the civic values of justice and friendship paramount [Grayling]

23. Ethics / C. Virtue Theory / 3. Virtues / d. Courage

23907

Courage is scientific knowledge [Aristotle]

23. Ethics / F. Existentialism / 1. Existentialism

7585	Socrates emphasises that the knower is an existing individual, with existence his main task [Kierkegaard]

24. Political Theory / D. Ideologies / 7. Communitarianism / a. Communitarianism

5841	Obedience to the law gives the best life, and success in war [Xenophon]

25. Social Practice / D. Justice / 3. Punishment / b. Retribution for crime

1661	Socrates was the first to grasp that a cruelty is not justified by another cruelty [Vlastos]

25. Social Practice / F. Life Issues / 5. Sexual Morality

5846	A lover using force is a villain, but a seducer is much worse, because he corrupts character [Xenophon]

28. God / A. Divine Nature / 6. Divine Morality / b. Euthyphro question

1657	Socrates holds that right reason entails virtue, and this must also apply to the gods [Vlastos]

28. God / A. Divine Nature / 6. Divine Morality / c. God is the good

1662	A new concept of God as unswerving goodness emerges from Socrates' commitment to virtue [Vlastos]