1. THE 3 GREAT GREEK
TRIUMVIRATES
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Introduction to Philosophy
Prepared by:
IS-VNU
Mr. Mike
Lecture 3
PRESENTED and EDITED BY: RAIZZA P. CORPUZ

2. Socrates
No Writings
What we know of
Socrates comes
from the writings of
others such as Plato
and Xenophon.
A Native of Athens,
Greece

3. Socrates
Oracle of Delphi
Priestess of Apollo gifted in
prophecy
She was asked, “Is there
anyone wiser than Socrates?”
She answered no.
Socrates felt this we wrong
because he knew that he
didn't know anything.
Socrates tried to refute the
Oracle by questioning the
Wise Men of Athens.

4. Socrates
Oracle of Delphi
Socrates learned that the men
who “claimed” to be wise
really knew very little but were
ignorant about their lack of
knowledge.
Though Socrates knew very
little he was aware of his
ignorance and was therefore
wiser.
Socrates' paradoxical wisdom
comes from realizing his own
lack of knowledge.

5. Socrates
Trial and Death
Socrates public questioning
of Athen's elite caused those
in power to look foolish.
Social and Moral critic of
Athens.
Criticized the common
notion that “might is right”
in Athens.
Accused of corrupting the
youth and not believing in
the gods of the state.
Sentenced to drink poison
hemlock.

6. Socrates
The Socratic Method
What is Justice?

7. Socrates
The Socratic Method
What is Love?

8. Socrates
The Socratic Method
DIALECTIC: A method of seeking truth through a
series of questions and answers.
The Socratic method is a “dialectic” method teaching.
To solve a problem, it is broken down into a series of
questions, the answers to which gradually distill the
answer a person would seek.

9. Socrates
Ethics
Socrates' primary
concern in philosophy
was, “How should we
live?”
3 Questions
What is good?
What is right?
What is just (justice)?

10. Socrates
Ethics
Socrates' ethics
assumes that Education
is the key to living an
ethical life.
No one desires evil.
No one errs or does wrong
willingly or knowingly.
Virtue—all virtue—is
knowledge.
Virtue = positive moral
behavior

11. Socrates
Ethics
The worst thing for a
person is the corruption
of his/her soul.
It is better to suffer
injustice than to commit
injustice.

12. Socrates
“Justice”
Metaphysics
Common Properties
universal characteristics of
words (meanings)
Example:
Behind the word “justice”
is a common property
about justice that has an
existence apart from our
understanding.

13. Socrates
“Justice”
Metaphysics
Common Properties
Universal characteristics of
words (meanings)
An aspect of reality
Non-physical (abstract)

14. Plato
Socrates' Student
Founded the Academy –
First institution for higher education
First Western philosopher
whose writings have survived
Most of what we know about
Socrates comes from Plato's
writings
Agreed with Pythagoras that
Mathematics were essential in
understanding the world

15. Plato
Ethics
Agreed with Socrates that
the only real harm to a
human is corruption of the
soul – it is better to suffer
wrong than to commit wrong
Disagreed with Socrates
that virtue is simply a matter
of knowing what is right

16. Plato
Ethics
INTELLECT
PASSIONS
Humans are made of 3
conflicting elements:
Passions
Intellect
Will
WILL
Most people live life
allowing the PASSIONS,
INTELLECT and WILL to be
in conflict with one another.

17. Plato
INTELLECT
WILL
PASSIONS
Ethics
Ideal living is when the
INTELLECT controls
the PASSIONS through
the WILL

18. Plato
Metaphysics
Reality can be divided
into two realms:
The Visible World
Forms - Ideas

19. Plato
Metaphysics
The Visible World
Lower - Imperfect
World experienced by our
senses
Physical
Bound by Space and
Time
Always changing
Always “becoming”

20. Plato
Metaphysics
HORSE
Ream of Forms-Ideas
Higher - Perfect
ULTIMATE REALITY
Not accessible to our
senses
Non-Physical
Not Bound by Space and
Time
Never Changing
Always “is”

21. Plato's Cave

22. Plato
Bod
y
S oul
Metaphysics
Body
Physical
Mortal
Changes (Birth, Growth, Death)
Imperfect
Non-material
Soul
Our permanent FORM
Timeless – Spaceless
Perfect
Immortal
The REAL You

23. Plato
Bod
y
S oul
Metaphysics
Physical Life is
Rehearal for Death
The purpose of this life is to
achieve enlightenment –
Penetrate the Ultimate
Reality
Death releases the Soul
from bondage to the physical
body

24. Plato
Aesthetics
Opposed the Arts
The Arts attempt to represent
Physical Reality
The Physical Reality is an
imperfect representation of
Ultimate Reality (Forms)
Therefore, the Arts are twice
as deceptive at Physical
Reality
The Arts only further confuse
people about Ultimate Reality

25. Plato
Politics: The Ideal Republic
Philosophically Aware Rulers
(Governing Class)
Police Class
(Protective Class)
General Population
(Worker Class)

26. Aristotle
Area of Studies
Biology
Metaphysics
Logic
Politics
Ethics
Aesthetics
Psychology

27. Aristotle
Logic
3 Areas of Learning
Theoretical
Practical
Productive
Logic is a Tool
underlying all learning

28. Logic
Aristotle
Categories
Sets the boundary of terms
Essential in forming an argument
Animals
Dogs
Pugs

29. Aristotle
Logic
Aristotle mapped out and
developed the system of
Western Logic
Propositions
Syllogism
Basic Fallacies

30. Aristotle
The 4 Causes
To really “know” something
you need to know the causes
of it.
Example:
What is a house?

31. Aristotle
Material Cause
The “materials” that make up
the thing.
Bricks are the material cause of
a Brick House

32. Aristotle
Material Cause
Insufficiency of the Material Cause
The materials that make up a thing are not
the same as the thing itself.
A pile of Bricks is not a House
Some things can be made of different
materials.
Houses can be made of Bricks or Wood
or Metal.

33. Formal Cause
Aristotle
The FORM of the thing.
The pattern, shape,
characteristics of a thing.
Not the same as Plato's
idea of Forms, i.e. no realm
of forms.
The Form does not have
an existence apart from the
thing as in Plato's concept
of Forms

34. Aristotle
Efficient Cause
The cause that changes
the materials into the
thing.
The Tools/Instruments
used to create the thing.

35. Final Cause
Aristotle
The reason, purpose or
goal of a thing.
Ex. The purpose of a house
is to shelter a people.
Final Cause is evidence
of an Intelligent Designer
who provides things
with purpose
Teleology – Nature
Intelligent Design

36. Friendships
Aristotle
Close Friends
Must be Equals
Of Good Virtue
Selfless in the
friendship
Wants what's best
and good for the
other
Mutual respect for
each others strengths

37. Aristotle
Ethics: Virtues
Acquired by Habit
Not innate
Habit develops a disposition to act virtuously
The Golden Mean: Mid-point between 2
extremes
Courage
Cowardice
RECKLESNESS

38. Aristotle
Ethics: Virtuous Life
Know what is Right
Do what is Right
Practical Wisdom - Make
Right Decisions based on
Good Reasons
Contemplation of the Best
things NOT just Good things
– Good is the enemy of the
Best
Motivation for Doing
Anything is Flourishing (Full Meaningful)

39. ARISTOTLE
• Eudaimonia
or
Happiness
“We are what we repeatedly do.
Excellence, then, is not an
act, but a habit. ... At his
best, man is the noblest of all
animals; separated from law
and justice he is the worst.”
(Aristotle, 384 - 322 B.C.)
A key theme in
Aristotle's thought is
that happiness is the
goal of life.