Golden Age of Greece Study Guide PDF

Golden Age of Greece Study Guide Topics: The Golden Age of Greece NOTES: Intro to unit: Aristotle thought that women are to not be as naturally as smart as men -​ Time has evolved though, in the 1950s there was something called “ideal” family” where women were in the kitchen because...

Golden Age of Greece Study Guide Topics: The Golden Age of Greece NOTES: Intro to unit: Aristotle thought that women are to not be as naturally as smart as men -​ Time has evolved though, in the 1950s there was something called “ideal” family” where women were in the kitchen because they couldn't really do anything else. In 2024, women work and spend time cooking/family. One reason that many women have to work is because of money. Monarchy: Pro: ​ Qualified person ​ More efficient decision making ​ older/wiser/mature Cons: ​ One person has all power ​ Can’t always relate to other people’s problems Small group of elite people (oligarchy) Pros: ​ They have the highest amount of wise and smart ​ Able to inspire others to try to be elite ​ Can't relate better to the common people Cons: ​ Book smart does not equal street smart ​ The elite do not represent everyone All (direct Democracy: Pros: ​ Most inclusive ​ Foster community building ​ ownership/accountability Cons: ​ Chaos ​ Decisions would take too long ​ Popularity basis The growth of city states in Greece led to the development of several political systems, molding democracy. Demos: the common people Kratia: power/authority Polis: City state (in plural Polas) AcroPolis = highest point of the city state -​ Temples were built there Definitions: Military: ​ Everyone had to serve -​ Members in Sparta = Hoplight (foot soldier) Cuirass: Chest protector plate Greaves: Shin Guards Hoplon (wood and bronze): Shield Helmet: So they couldn’t get shot there All these above parts of the armor inspired intimidations Phalanx: ​ Form that the Greeks fought in ​ Intimidating ​ Looks like a porcupine ​ Protect from back and offense was in the front ​ The shields covered half of you and the person next to you (like scales on a fish) Greeks Vs. Persians ​ Persia launches a 2 prong (land and naval) attack - they go all out all out ​ Athens (Greeks) now have two choices: 1. Fight 2. Surrender ​ So Athens do something that has never been done before: A DEMOCRACY -​ Instead of a ruler commanding all of Athens to fight, Athens had a vote where they all decided Greek Warriors Hoplite Vs Persian Warriors Have more armor Had no armor (payamas)  Headpiece = Cuirass No helmet Intimidation Has a shield (hoplon) Wicker Shield (easily smashable) More viscous, strong Lighter/peaceful Home court advantage Phalanx Vid. Mankind the Story of all of us; Birth of Democracy ​ Athens decided that instead of having people tell us what to do, we are going to decide what to do. ​ Athens went by “Live life the way you wished it to be or die trying” ​ Athens went to war knowing that they were severely outnumbered but believed that they had right, faith, and motivation on their side ​ Athens had a vote: They used rocks of different colors for “No” and “Yes.” Afterwords, they would count the stones. ​ In Athens, primarily only male landholders were able to vote. (Nonetheless it is still different than having a ruler command you) ​ When you decided (vote) to go to war, you are no longer fighting for some king, rather you are fighting for yourself, for your family, for your fears ​ Athenians had everything at stake, while the Persians were only fighting because they were told to… Q. What does voting change about the motivation of Athens? A.​ When you choose to fight, you are fighting for yourself, for your life Each person voting = Direct Democracy -​ (America has indirect voting, since we have representatives who vote on our behalf) Greeks WINNN!!!!!! -​ This victory fuels Golden Age of Greece AKA age of Pericles Fun fact about Pericles: He was self conscious about the back of his head so he covered it with a helmet Pericles Goals: 1.​ Goal 1: Strengthen Democracy -​ What's the problem to begin with? A.​ The Political Positions in Athens were not paid jobs, meaning that only the really rich were able to have much power -​ How does Perciles deal with this? A.​ Increased the number of paid positions → now even the poorest could serve ❖​ Athens then had more citizens engaged in self-government then any other polis (city) -​ Pericles wanted to make the Athenian Democracy so inclusive that he is going to beat any other Greek State in participation Athenian Democracy U.S Democracy Both male (18 years) and male or female born in Power was exercised by born citizen of citizen US or do citizenship the people father process Laws voted on and Elected Officials Legislative branch that proposed directly by passes laws citizens Leaders chosen by a Leaders chosen by Leaders chosen by lottery voting people Executive branch = 500 Made up of a president, Executive branch carries man vice president, and a out laws cabinet Juries varied in size Juries had 12 ppl Judicial branch conducts trials with Jurors -​ Analogy mentioned in class comparing the two democracies: “Trees might look different but the function is the same” Pericles’s Speech: ​ Not recorded by Heorditus, but by Thucydides ​ Gave Eulogy for Greeks who fell in battle vs Persians -​ Funeral Oration Speech: ​ Last line = “We will not keep anyone from being active in democracy.” ❖​ Joes Schmoes even without a ton of money could participate  ​ “Power is not in the hands of a minority but of a people.” -​ But when looking the people (citizens) are a minority ❖​ Women, children, slaves cannot vote ❖​ Women r not considered ppl according to the above speech ❖​ Despite Women not voting, they were able to influence their husbands ​ Lesson: Don't trust politicians. They will say something to get you to elect them. Only sometimes they actually do what they say -​ Democracy was not in the hands of ALL the people, only the small group (10% at one point) ​ Vid: A day in the life of an Ancient Anthenien -​ 427 bce -​ Worst internal conflict in Ancient Greece: War between Athen and Sparta (and their allies.) -​ Athenians are not able to combat the Spartan army on land, so they abandoned the country side and moved inside the walls surrounding their city and port -​ Painters (men) were well off in Athens -​ Many parents see daughters as a liability since they require dowries -​ Many Athenians owned slaves who were captured in war -​ The slaves do a lot of housework and raise the children -​ Paidagogos - someone who supervises the son’s education -​ Ekklesia - Assembly of citizens -​ Agora - civic and commercial heart of the city -​ Presiding officer will ask “Who would like to address the assembly?” - then one by one men are able to go up and present ideas -​ When an idea is suggested, you raise your hand to vote in favor -​ The women often consult with their husbands and influence their opinions 2. Goal 2: Glorify Athens ​ How to achieve Glory: 1.​ Honor won by notable achievements 2.​ Magnificence of great beauty ★​ Architecture Where does Pericles get the money for this? A.​ Delian league - set up after Persiands defeated ❖​ If Persians ever attack again, they (Athens, Agean islands..ect.) need a defense fund ➔​ Communal Fund  ❖​ Athens is not so far from where money is stored ➔​ This is convenient, because he needed money to glorify ➔​ Pericles essentially stole money (embezzlement) Marble: ​ A lot of money is spent on it to create three types of columns: 1.​ Doric -​ Basic column -​ Beginning of evolution: It is the first type of column, Athens still trying to make better columns -​ Fluted -​ Cultural Diffusion: These can be found in houses, justice hall, Washington DC 2.​ Ionic -​ Fluted -​ More detailed - greeks are getting better -​ Scrolls on the sides of the Ionic (look on pictures) -​ Cultural Diffusion: Treasury Department 3.​ Corinthium -​ Most detailed - greeks got better -​ All hammer and chisel -​ Cultueral Diffusion: NYU, Supreme Court Vid: How do you recognize Ancient Greek Architecture (start from :18) Why do you need more than one type of column? -​ Variety = Beauty Athens Mysterious Building: ​ Highest point in the city = Acropolis ​ What might this building have been used for? -​ Parthenon - temple to Athena with scenes relating to gods ❖​ Athena Parthenos - Athena the Patron ❖​ Carved into the top of the temple are engravings ❖​ Metopes - Scenes where many were fighting scenes from Persian war (originally in color) ❖​ Athena is holding a shield because Athena had military wisdom ❖​ Athena was holding the Nike God (yes the nike shoes are based off of shape of her wing) ❖​ Vid. A day in the life of an Ancient Greek Architect Ted Ed -​ Pheidias is the architect of the Parthenon  -​ Pheidas is accused of embezzling gold and has until sundown to come up with the funds -​ Phedias isn’t surprised because Pericles has many enemies in city government and this project is controversial -​ The public is expecting a simple Parthenon, whereas Phedias designs has doric columns with an ionic freeze and murals -​ This was a very expensive approach -​ THE REST OF THE VIDEO IS ABOUT HOW PHIDEAS PROVES HIS FUNDS. PLEASE WATCH Archaic Period: -​ “Earliest Style” -​ Sculptures: ★​ No emotion ★​ stiff /unnatural pose ★​ Unrealistic placement of muscles ★​ Archaic sculptures are considered equivalent to egyptian sculpting Classical Style -​ Discus Figure - fluid dynamic sculpture -​ Discus is also an American Sport → Athens were very Athletic -​ This time was focused on sports not war (it was more peaceful) -​ Captures emotion/dynamic -​ Even see a veins + ribs in these sculptures Theatre of Epidaurus: ​ No ceiling ​ Stadium seating ​ Cosmic Math - this is how they rounded it so that noise would project ​ How were voices projected? A.​ Echo - there were great acoustics in the uneven surfaces of the seating ​ Vid: Seven Wonders of Ancient Greece -​ Everything was done to honor the gods: ❖​ Olympics - Zeus ❖​ The theatre was made to honor the god Dionysus ❖​ The theare was the greatest in the western world ❖​ Theatre and wine - Dionysus ❖​ The theatre had 14,000 seats ❖​ 55 rows of stone seats, with precision that the theatre has perfect acoustics ❖​ Next to the theatre was a healing center, and to the Greeks music helped with healing  ❖​ Music was used for therapy, people who were distressed would calm down after listening to certain types of music ❖​ The healing center healed many people, the god of metzin, acepios and his magic snakes worked miracles on the people. Many people from across the empire came to heal any disability. The money collected from patients was used for the theatre ❖​ The placement of the theatre faced west, so the sun would lighten up the landscape ❖​ The seating area was known as the gazing space ❖​ 32 rows were built originally, but 23 were added later ❖​ Scanere, which was the two story backdrop for the play and enabled for special effects (the word scene comes from this word) ❖​ Polyclidus = architect of theatre ❖​ A coin dropped at the center of the performance center could be heard in the backroads ❖​ The design of the theatre enhances the sounds of voices, when someone speaks or sings, since the walls are uneven and not flat, when the sound hits them, it goes in many different directions ❖​ Resistor: a bowl shaped object that they would turn towards the resonances and sounds that they wanted to take out Two Types of Drama: 1.​ Tragedy - a serious form of drama dealing with the downfall of a heroic or noble character -​ Hero often possesses a tragic flaw 9an error in judgment or personality) ❖​ Hubris - arrogance a hero has ❖​ A hero becomes arrogant after doing much great ❖​ A hero almost always accepts responsibilities for his mistakes in the end -​ Why would you want to Watch a Tragedy? ❖​ Catharsis - The purpose of tragedy is to purify the spectator from fear and pity through the imitation of acts that arouse such emotions. At the end of each play, the protagonist has a catharsis, a realization that his ‘damnation’ was bought about by his own actions and how to improve from that moment on. Catharsis is tragedy’s ultimate goal -​ Why tragedies are alluring - David E. Rivas Vid. ❖​ Royal rich individual who is like us will make a mistake that sends the lives around him into ruin - this is a common story pattern for Greek Tragedy ❖​ For thousands of years, many use this pattern ❖​ Using Aristotle’s poetics we can understand the allure of tragedies ❖​ The tragic hero should be elevated in rank/ability but also relatable who has one particular tragic flaw (harmentia) that causes him to make one critical mistake  ❖​ Sophocles “Oedipus Rex” - A man who doesn’t know he is adopted is warned by an oracle that he is destined to kill his father and marry his mother. He then kills a man that won’t get out of the way at a crossroad, answers riddles of the sphinx (freeing the kingdom of thebes from a plague.) He then married the widowed queen. He soon learns that the man that he killed is his father and the queen was his mother, Odepis gouges out his eyes and retreats to the wilderness ❖​ Odepis is elevated in rank, not unusually evil or unusually good. He goes from once a king to homeless and blind. ❖​ Odepis’s tragic flaw was Hubris (excessive pride) which caused him to try to avoid his fate which is exactly what makes it happen. ❖​ The mistake of killing his father and marrying his mother is done with ignorance. ❖​ Shakespear uses this pattern in Macbeth - where Macbeth’s ambition catapults him to the top but then sends him back down to his grave ❖​ According to Aristotle - a good tragedy will make pity and fear arise in the audience. Fear of falling victim to the same thing, and pity for the hero's downfall. Afterwards, audience feels catharsis (relief or emotional purification) ❖​ Some ppl say that relief happens because emphasizing with the hero lets us release pent up emotions and some ppl just say that the tragedy makes people forget what is happening in their own life 2.​ Comedy - a humorous form of drama that includes slapstick -​ Athenians loved slapstick comedy in particular (Jim Carey = master in Slapstick especially in his movie clip Liar Liar….men love slapstick, and women find it stupid) -​ Slapstick: Physical comedy - hurting others as well as themselves (often, political leaders would be made fun of in this way.) Peloponnesian War ​ Athens Vs. Sparta -​ Athens loses the war and is sent into a spiral of “how did this happen, we are better” and started questioning “why me” which led to… PHILOSPHY - LOVE OF WISDOM Philosophers - thinkers who investigate the nature of the universe, human society, and morality ​ Assumptions/given: 1.​ The Universe is put together in an orderly way and judged to absolute and unchanging -​ Ex. If I drop a pen, it will always drop, this is true now and in 1 million years 2.​ People can understand these laws through logic and reasons: “Rational Thought” MORAL DILLEMAS: 1.​ Someone robs and gives money to needy ppl. Report him and then the money must be returned to the rightful owner. Stealing cannot be justified. -​ This reminds us of Vid. Heinz Dilemma Kohlberg's Stages Animation ❖​ Heinz’s wife is dying and there is only one drug to save her. The drug is very expensive and the company is charging 10 times the production cost. Heinz is unable to come up with the money, and even tries to ask the CEO if he could pay the rest later. What should happen next? Should Heinz steal the drug (he will probably go to jail) or should he not steal the drug? 2.​ Trolley Dilemma: Sacrifice one to save five. -​ Vid. Would you sacrifice one person to save five? ❖​ Same trolley dilemma written later in notes ❖​ Filippa Foot devised this dilemma ❖​ It is a good dilemma because it raises a question - would you go for the best outcome, or the moral outcome. ❖​ In a survey: 90% say that it is ok to flip the switch ❖​ This supports Utilitarianism which argues that the morally correct decision is the one that maximizes well being for the greatest number of people. The five lives outweigh one even if it means killing that one person ❖​ But sometimes people’s answers can change like in this example: You are on a bridge above the speeding train. You have the option to push a heavy/big man in front of you which will stop the train from killing the five people. But you will be killing the man. To Utilitarianism, you would have to throw the man on the tracks. BUTTT…only 10% of people would throw the man ❖​ This is because: our instincts tell us that deliberating causing someone's death feels different than allowing someone to die as collateral damage. ❖​ This intersection between ethics and psychology is what makes this trolley and it’s variations so interesting ❖​ What we think might be right or wrong, depends on factors other than weighing pros against cons: Ex. Men are more likely than women to sacrifice the big man. Ex. More people are willing to sacrifice men than women. ❖​ Both scenarios activate areas of the brain involved in conscience decision making and emotional responses (in the bridge version, emotional response is much stronger) ❖​ Why? Pushing someone to their death feels more personal, but it makes us feel conflicted because we know it is the right choice. ❖​ Some people argue that the trolley examples are stupid because they are so unrealistic that people don’t take them seriously. But due to new  technology, these examples are very relevant. LIKE: driverless cars might go for a lesser accident to avoid a bigger one. ❖​ If we want these actions to be ethical we have to address the value of human life into these driverless and robotic objects. U need to install ethics into AI. -​ Utilitarianism - Utilitarianism is an ethical theory that advocates actions that foster happiness or pleasure and opposes actions that cause unhappiness or harm. Philosophers: a person engaged or learned in philosophy, especially as an academic discipline. Sophists: a paid teacher of philosophy and rhetoric in ancient Greece, associated in popular thought with moral skepticism and specious reasoning. Pre Socratic: Time Before Socrates ​ They (sophists) believed: 1.​ There are no standards for truth and justice 2.​ Success is more important than moral truths 3.​ Urged students to develop skills in rhetoric (art of skillful speaking) Socrates: ​ Rips on the Sophists ​ Of course there are standards for truth and justice, you just have to find them → hence the Socratic method What is the purpose of the Socratic Method: To Engage Students (Rabbi Samuels does this) Cons of Socratic Method: ​ Causes frustration and anxiety -​ The person being asked questions is being put right on the spot to come up with an answer to a question (this is done a lot in law school) -​ Socrates would go out to the people who were living their lives and would ask questions like, “What is the meaning of life?” and “Why does life happen?” Vid. Ancient Greek Philosophy ​ What is justice? What should we teach the young? These are questions that all wise men thought should be answered. ​ Philosophy - pursuit of knowledge is one of the lasting achievements of Ancient Greek Civilization. ​ “The unexamined life is not worth living” - Socrates (he would be on the roads of Athens, asking questions to others) ​ Socratic Method = Question & Answer Method  ​ To talk to Socrates was to be taken down a garden path that one finds at the end that they have no idea what they are talking about ​ Socrates is the master at question and answer ​ Socrates made many enemies as he upset them by tipping them up with his sharp questioning ​ IN 339 BC, the 69 year old philosopher was brought for a trial. He was offered freedom if he would stop asking questions ​ But Socrates lives on because of his student Plato who made Socrates the main subject in over 20 of his books (ex. The republic) ​ Plato was born during the golden age ​ Golden age was also the time of devastating loss as the first 23 years of Plato’s life was during the peloponnesian war ​ In Plato's book he thinks of a utopian society (he wanted a better society without war: perfection) where everyone gets one job for life and is assigned a social rank. There is no war because philosophers are kings. Children are only allowed to hear heroic tales (homer and the odyssey would be banned, as the gods were bad) ​ Plato liked his ideas as he made a school called the Academy. His best student there was Aristotle ​ The writing of the philosophers might have been loss when the Roman empire collapsed, but the students translated the books into Arabic and other languages and sent them to dfiferent areas ​ “Philosophy begins in wonder.” We still wonder about the questions that Socrates asked. ​ Socrates only asked questions but never answered theme The Gadfly: A fly that goes around flowers -​ Socrates is revolving around people ​ Most information that we know about Socrates, we know from Plato since Socrates didn’t write anything down -​ Plato shares a story: Socrates challenged his friend Euthyphro. This is how their conversation went: Socrates: “What is holy” Euthyphro: “Whatever is pleasing to gods?” Socrates: “Then, wouldn’t the many gods disagree on what is holy?” -​ Socrates makes you think -​ Socrates lowers your ego, making sure that you realize that you don’t know everything ​ Eventually, Socrates gets charged for corrupting the youth and neglecting the gods, so he must go on trial ​ During the Trial: -​ Socrates told the court, “Do not kill me, you will never find another like me,” ❖​ The Jurors found that this was arrogant and decide to execute him (condemn him to death)  ​ After trial: -​ Socrates is in his jail cell, and is given Hemlock (traditionaal way of Athenian killing) which is poison that causes a slow death -​ BUT Socrates also wants to die, and is willing to take the poison -​ IN THE PHOTO THAT WE SAW WE SEE: 1.​ Plato giving Socrates the drink 2.​ Distraught Disciples - his students that don’t want him to die 3.​ Socrates’s wife leaving, she can’t watch him die 4.​ Citro is sitting in front of Socrates 5.​ Socrates continues to speak while reaching for the cup Vid. Socrates and the Fall of Athens: 29:10 - 34:04 -​ “Not for his glory/fame/honor but for principles” -​ Socrates was taken to Athen’s prison -​ The site of this prison still exists and the layout of the cells are still there -​ From friends of Socrates, we have accounts of his last days -​ Socrates was to be executed by drinking Hemlock -​ Some of the Hemlock cups used for the poison are still reserved -​ Death from Hemlock is excruciatingly painful, it causes gradual paralysis to the nervous system -​ Socrates said, “For me, fate has called.” -​ He asked for a bath before dying and not after. -​ As the hemlock is poured, Socrates student broke down -​ Socrates said, “Really, my friends, what a way to behave. I am told that someone should be silent. Calm yourself and be brave” -​ He was a man dying not for fame, not for glory but for the sake of his principals - a sight to never forget -​ Socrates becomes a new greek hero: For now on the hero is a person who will stand their ground and follow their principals for what a human must be -​ Athenians had believed in one idea: the vision of the martial warrior hero which had driven them to conquer great foes and create an empire, but now they discovered a new idea. -​ Effigies of Socrates have been found among ruins of the prison, suggesting that people brought stuff commemorating his death -​ Perhaps the most important lesson that Socrates taught was the need to be critical and self critical -​ Following Socrates, people looked at themselves and looked at their actions and embraces a new king of maturity -​ “The unexamined life is not worth living: -​ Know thyself” - What are you willing to die for? Plato:  ​ Student of Socrates ​ Established the Academy (ionic columns) ​ The Republic - his book -​ Allegory of the cave Allegory: A story that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, typically moral or political meanings Allegory of the cave: Prisoners who have been chained inside a dark cave their whole lives, only seeing shadows cast on a wall (by the reflection of a fire), believing them to be reality. When one escapes and sees the real world, he realizes the truth, but upon returning to free the others, they reject him, preferring the familiar illusions over the difficult journey to enlightenment. In this story: ​ The man who escapes = Socrates ​ Prisoners = people Socrates is trying to convince ​ Shadows = lies ​ Fire = government How does Plato represent the man’s conditions? ​ Chained in a cave ​ Watching the world by shadows on the wall ​ No other worlds exist in their point of view According to the source sheet, how can the chained men react to their new state of freedom? ​ Some frightened at the world and return to the cave ​ Some see the world and embrace it ​ Some would embrace it and go back to get the others Why must truth be experiences, not just talked about? ​ Language cannot explain experience -​ Better understanding when you actually see something then when a person tell you Vid. The cave - An adaptation of Plato’s Allegory ​ Prisoners have spent their entire lives chained deep inside a cave, they cannot look behind them and are forced to look straight ahead. Behind them a fire is burning, each day objects cross this walkway that is also behind them (animals, and people). Their shapes create an interesting shadow play in front of the prisoners. This is the only world that the prisoners have known. Now, a prisoner is released, after some time adjusting to the blinding light, he experiences the world outside the cave. With his new perception of the world, he tries to return to his friends who are prisoners. But the prisoners cannot identify their friend, his body is a shadow and they cannot understand his stories - as to  them it will never exist. Regardless, this does not make the world outside of the cave any less real. Plato Said, “Can't judge a child scared from the dark, just a man scared from light.” ​ "We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light," highlights the natural fear of the unknown in children and contrasts it with the fear of enlightenment in adults Caves of today: Social Media -​ The more you are on social media, the higher your social anxiety levels are Communities How do you get out of these caves? Be brave, it's ok to be scared. -​ You can take baby steps toward actually conquering your fear Aristotle: ​ Established Lyceum -​ The premier school in Athens after the Academy was established (the Lyceum shared many traits that the Academy had, some Lyceum that it was model off of the Academy) ​ Father of Biology -​ Western culture and science ​ The Golden Mean -​ There are some people with too many bad characteristics, there are some with too many good characteristics, and there are some people who are just right -​ Analogy: The Middle way - when you tighten the string on a guitar just right so it makes the proper noise ​ The Golden Mean Table: Defect Balance Excess Cowardice Bravery Rashness Stinginess Generosity Extravagance moroseness Good Humor Buffoonery diffidence Confidence Arrogance starvation Moderation Gluttony  -​ Aristotle says, you know if you know that your quality is bad, then you should work on it to get perfect balance -​ Going deeper: We all need a perfect life balance: spiritually, family, work…ect ❖​ One person might have the perfect job with a lot of money because they work a lot, but then that means they don’t have the perfect family ❖​ “We are what we do. Excellence is not an act but a habit.” -​ Fun fact: It takes 2 months for a habit to form ​ Why do we care about Aristotle? -​ He was the private tutor of ALEXANDER THE GREAT ​ Pages in Handout Packet:, 58 (the first two dilemmas); 1.​ You are an eyewitness to a crime: A man has robbed a bank, but instead of keeping the money for himself, he donates it to a poor orphanage that can now afford to feed, clothe, and care for its children. You know who committed the crime. If you go to the authorities with the information there is a good chance the money will be returned to the bank, leaving a lot of children in need. What do you do? 2.​ A trolley is running out of control down a track. In its path are five people who have been tied to the track by a madman. Fortunately, you could flip a switch, which will lead the trolley down a different track to safety. Unfortunately, there is a single person tied to that track. Should you flip the switch or do nothing? ​ 60: Plato’s allegory…notes: -​ The allegory represents man’s conditions as being “chained in a cave,” with only a fire behind him. He perceives the world by watching the shadows on the wall -​ Plato describes how some ppl would be immediately frightened and want to return to the cave and the familiar dark existence. Others would look at the sun and finally see the world as it truly is. They would know their previous existence was a farce, a shadow truth, and they would come to understand that their lives have been one of deception. A few would embrace the sun, and life and have a far better understanding of “truth.” -​ Socrates as interpreted by Plato spent his life trying to unchain others by helping them arrive at the “truth.” That he was dismissed and ultimately sentenced to death suggests that “telling” someone the truth is inadequate. Truth must be experienced rather than told because language fails to adequately convey belief. ○​ Socratic Questioning -​ The Socratic approach to questioning is based on the practice of disciplined, thoughtful dialogue. Socrates, the early Greek philosopher/teacher, believed that disciplined practice of thoughtful questioning enabled the student to examine ideas logically and to determine the validity of those ideas. In this technique, the teacher professes ignorance of the topic in order to engage in dialogue with the students. With this “acting dumb,” the student develops the fullest possible knowledge about the topic. The Socratic Questioning technique is an effective way to explore ideas in depth. It can be used at all levels and is a helpful tool for all teachers. It can be used at different points within a unit or project. By using Socratic Questioning, teachers promote independent thinking in their students and give them ownership of what they are learning. Higher-level thinking skills are present while students think, discuss, debate, evaluate, and analyze content through their own thinking and the thinking of those around them. These types of questions may take some practice on both the teacher and students’ part since it may be a whole new approach.