Jacob Jaroszewski & Josh Biggs

Time Period & Location• Socrates was born in 469 BC and died in 399 BC. Socrates

lived his 70 year of life in Athens Greece.

Time Period & Location

• For Socrates, philosophy & the love of wisdom, was itself a sacred path, a “holy quest and not a game to be taken lightly. ”

• According to the “ dialog Meno”, Socrates believed in the reincarnation of an eternal soul which contained all knowledge.  Though Unfortunately at birth, it is said we lose touch with that knowledge, and now we need to be reminded of what we already know (rather than learning something new). So we re-teach ourselves in our new life.

• Not everyone in Athens loved Socrates, due to his “ unorthodox political and religious views” it gave the people of Athens a solid reason to sentence him

• Socrates died because he was accused of refusing to recognize the gods that were recognized by the state and was also accused of “Corrupting the mind of the youth. ”

• The Athenian jury sentenced Socrates to death by drinking a cup of poison hemlock. He was not forced by other men to drink it. He drank the entire cup himself.

• Socrates wrote nothing because he felt that knowledge was a living, interactive thing. And accurate information on him can only be found through people he has influenced.

• Socrates was against democracy and he thought the smartest people should make the decisions for everyone.

• Since Socrates searched for knowledge rather than victory over an opponent, his purpose was to pursuit truth.

• He called everything into question and he had a determination to accept nothing less than an adequate account of the nature of things.

PHILISOPHICAL BELIEFS

• Socrates substantially demonstrates that positive law must be grounded in natural law.

• Socrates put his efforts into basing all positive law within natural law.

• So Socrates believes that ethical decisions should be made considering natural law. the base at which positive law will grow.

• He put most effort into ethics (what is right and wrong) and logic (study of reasoning).

• the necessity of doing what one thinks is right even in the face of universal opposition.

views on law

• Socrates was against democracy and he thought the smartest people should make the decisions for everyone

• Socrates says “that ideals belong in a world that only the wise man can understand.” He believed the only people who could fairly govern a society would be philosophers.

• Socrates had strong beliefs between law and morality.

• Socrates is clear that most laws need to be followed by the people, and disobedience of these laws is rarely justified.

• He believes humans should conduct life to not increase material or natural wealth (family, money) but concentrate on how to increase the welfare of your soul or virtue. (the quality of doing what is right and avoiding what is wrong)

• He believed that behaving wrongly towards the people is behaving wrongly towards the city, and its laws.

• Believes that to wrong against the law is to wrong against everybody who abides by the law.

• That city laws should be respected even to equal the laws of thy own father and mother.

• Believes someone should not obey a law because it is a law but because it is the moral thing to do.

• Believes it is an immoral life to follow others opinions on morality.

APPLICABILITY OF SOCRATES’ THINKING TO PRESENT DAY• Socrates teachings of absolute truth will always apply to mankind. But truth requires knowledge. And that what is taught by law or parents is not always what is right in terms of your moral life. But to find this truth you first must explore and consciously make decisions based on your moral reasoning. • Socrates’ teachings of truth, are very applicable to the science world, religious world, and political world of today.

“Modern Philosophy”