History Chapter 9 - The Socratic Method PDF

# Chapter 9 - The Socratic Method The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing. (Socrates) As far as the philosophers and intellectuals of Classical Antiquity were concerned, the pillar of their own enlightened civilization was the great thinker Socrates - the ugly, outlandish war hero who...

# Chapter 9 - The Socratic Method The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing. (Socrates) As far as the philosophers and intellectuals of Classical Antiquity were concerned, the pillar of their own enlightened civilization was the great thinker Socrates - the ugly, outlandish war hero whose ideas on social reform forever transformed Western culture. He was an unlikely hero, a humble man who wore no shoes and rarely attended the Athenian Assembly to participate in politics. Amazingly, the man never wrote any of his own philosophies and theories down, so our only link to Socrates himself is through the writings of other men whom he influenced. The principal among these are Plato and Xenophon, his students. Born in about 470 BCE in Athens, Socrates was an important part of the city's Golden Age. His most influential theory concerned that of wisdom and philosophy itself. He believed that true knowledge only comes from within; to try to pass wisdom from person to person, he said, was indoctrination, not real intelligence. It was probably for this very reason that he did not become an author since he did not simply want to pass his own worldview on to the next generation. Instead, Socrates wanted the people of Athens to make their own realizations about reality. Only that, he argued, was real truth and knowledge. It was strange for a teacher not to supply his students with a set of facts or correct answers, but in encouraging his pupils to find their own path to the answers they sought, Socrates lay the foundations of modern philosophy. Even today, philosophical schools define themselves as institutions that teach students how to think. The Socratic method is the incredible, lasting legacy of a man whose own words we cannot possibly know. In Socrates' time, Athenian education catered only to young males from about the age of seven and focused on physical and literary topics. Boys spent much of their time in a gymnasium learning to play games and wrestle. The purpose of their physical exertion was twofold: the Greeks valued the beauty of strong young men with lean limbs, but they also needed such men to populate the army which was constantly engaged in domestic defense. When the boys were not participating in physical education, they learned to read and write using the Greek alphabet. They practiced writing on tablets coated in wax, on which they etched their letters with a stylus, and memorized literature written by Homer and other more contemporary poets. Girls were educated by their mothers or female family members at home. They learned how to care for the house and children but only learned to read or write if their parents employed a private tutor. This did not change much in the following centuries, but the education of young men changed quite dramatically in the 5th century BCE thanks to the influence of Socrates and his own students. Higher education was born, catering to the young adult male student who had already mastered his letters, music lessons, and poetry memorizations. There was a fundamental shift in Athenian culture where the younger generations began to respect intelligence and education over physical strength. Socrates' own students would have learned logic and rhetoric from their lessons while being taught arithmetic and musical harmonics from other tutors. Plato is our main source of Socratic thought and method, thanks to his extensive works on the subject of thought and knowledge. Plato featured his teacher in at least four books that were written after the death of Socrates: *Symposium, Apology, Crito*, and *Phaedo*. In these works, Socrates heartily refuses to accept money in exchange for his lessons; he did not want to be considered a teacher. In fact, he took pride in the poverty of his station, believing that it belied true wisdom and morality. As a thought leader and teacher of the sons of noble families, Socrates was a controversial figure amongst his contemporaries. For every person in Greece who considered him wise, there was another who thought him blasphemous and guilty of polluting the minds of the youth. Indeed, Socrates was brought to trial for his alleged disrespect of the gods and his corruption of Athenian youth in 399 BCE. His students were appalled at the turn of events. In *Memorabilia*, Xenophon wrote: I have often wondered by what arguments the accusers of Socrates persuaded the Athenians that he deserved death from the state; for the indictment against him was to this effect: Socrates offends against the laws in not paying respect to those gods whom the city respects and introducing other new deities; he also offends against the laws in corrupting the youth. In the first place, that he did not respect the gods whom the city respects, what proof did they bring? For he was seen frequently sacrificing at home, and frequently on the public altars of the city; nor was it unknown that he used divination; as it was a common subject of talk that "Socrates used to say that the divinity instructed him;" and it was from this circumstance, indeed, that they seem chiefly to have derived the charge of introducing new deities. Despite the support of many Athenians, Socrates was ultimately found guilty of these crimes and sentenced to death by way of a poison hemlock drink. According to Plato and Xenophon, Socrates took the drink without a fuss and covered his face while awaiting death. His last words were almost certainly meant in irony: "Crito, we owe a debt to Asclepius. Pay it and do not neglect it." The students of Socrates ensured that his legacy lived on; Plato carefully documented his teacher's most inspiring dialogues and histories and in turn educated the next generation of Athenian students using the Socratic method. His school, the Academy, was founded in around 380 BCE.