Socrates and Plato
Greek philosophy held a preeminent place in the middle ages among scholastics like Thomas Aquinas, whose Summa Theologica was an attempt to reconcile faith and reason. The faith aspect was supplied by the Church, but the reason came from classical (pagan) ecclesiology -- notably from Greek philosophers like Plato and Aristotle. The latter was the pupil of the former, and the former was the pupil of the first great Greek philosopher, Socrates. Socrates, like Christ, left behind no written work of his own. In fact, all of his words come down to us now, as recorded by Plato, who carried on and elaborated upon the teachings of Socrates. This paper will give an overview of the life and teachings of both Socrates and Plato.
Socrates: Life and Teaching
Socrates (469 BC) was an Athenian by birth. His father was a sculptor, from whom Socrates, as a boy, learned the craft. Ironically, while he made beautiful statues, the soon-to-be philosopher was actually one of the ugliest men in all of Greece. According to John Haaren and A.B. Poland, "His nose was flat, his lips were thick, his eyes were bulging, and his face was like a comic mask; yet he is thought by many to have been one of the best and wisest men that ever lived" (95).
At the time, Athens was embroiled in a bitter war with another Greek city-state, Sparta. Earlier that century, both city-states had fought against the invading Persian army, repelling various attacks and preserving the autonomy of the Greece. Athens, in celebration of the great victory over the mighty Persian nation, flooded itself with wealth and brought all of the best poets, artists, and architects into the city to rebuild itself in a great display of power and splendor. The effort caused its rival, Sparta, to bridle, and soon the two cities were fighting in what became known as the Peloponnesian War.
When Spartan invaded neighboring Attica and other cities that were allies of Athens, many young men of Athens, including Socrates, went off to help fight Sparta. Socrates abandoned his chisel and hammer for a spear and shield and his reputation as a soldier and good man of character was exceeded by none. He fought as far away as Thrace, and spent the winter camping out doors, barefoot and in the same loose clothing as he wore in the summer. However, of all these hardships he never complained and, in fact, bore them all cheerfully.
Socrates fought for several years before finally returning to his home in Athens. But he did not return to his job as sculptor. He had acquired a love for a new profession -- teaching. Oddly enough, however, he had no formal school:
His school was wherever he met persons who were willing to listen to him. It might be in the marketplace or at the street corners. On a hot summer day he would go to the harbor of Athens and chat with people who were sitting there in the shade…He talked to the young as well as the old, and often he might be seen with a crowd of children around him. (Haaren & Poland 95)
His talks were always geared toward attaining a higher wisdom and they were centered on how to live as well as possible. Socrates taught philosophy -- a word that means love of wisdom. His students ranged from the heroic, such as Xenophon, whose fame would come from leading an army of Greeks out from enemy territory in a botched mercenary expedition; to the rebellious but popular Alcibiades, whose wildness was tempered only by his talks with Socrates, "who was very fond of him" (Haaren & Poland 90).
One feature that distinguished Socrates from nearly every other teacher in Athens was that he charged nothing for his lessons -- a fact which made him very poor and caused much bitterness in his wife, Xanthippe. Xanthippe often accused her husband of being idle, harangued him horribly, and, it is reported, even launched a pitcher of water at his head as he departed one day for his daily excursions. Socrates, however, kept his mildness of temper and simply stated, "I have often noticed, Xanthippe, that rain comes after thunder" (Haaren & Poland 96).
Xanthippe was not the only person in Athens who disliked Socrates. Though he had many friends who considered him to be a very good man, Socrates also had bitter enemies -- and these were people who were usually led to admit that the life they were living was not good. These enemies were to Socrates very much like what the Pharisees were to...
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