Why would a man who tutored the greats care about rhetoric? Aristotle explains through out his piece on how language effects us all and how one may use language to effect someone. From ethos (ethics of the speaker), to logos (logic and reason), to pathos (pathetic appeal), Aristotle muses on how to almost control a crowd and for whom ever your audience is to feel just how the speaker or writer wishes. Although he does not mean to give this privileged information to just anyone, it is destined for those whom are already in power. He on more than on occasions expresses that there are those who lead and those whom must be lead.
In the beginning of Book I, Socrates convinces Cephelus and Polemarchus that justice is not only doing good to friends and wrong to enemies nor is it only useful in certain aspects of life. Rather, justice is something that should be in every aspect of your life. But when Thracymachus questions this theory by saying justice only benefits some, Socrates (and Plato) is forced to clarify. He goes on to explain why justice is beneficial to every type of person. He explains that the strong can only be powerful when they make just choices, otherwise they will be overthrown by a united majority.
Explain Aristotle's ideas about cause and purpose in relation to God. Aristotle was an ancient Greek Philosopher who studied at Plato's University, The Academy. Aristotle was fascinated about the physical world and universe. Althought Aristotle completely admired his teachers works and ideas, Aristotle approached philosophy completely differently to Plato and he completely disregarded Plato's teachings of The World of the Forms and concluded his own theory. Aristotle wanted to explain the purpose of things existing as they do, and rejected the idea of Plato's 'perfect form' of objects.
Is Socrates a Believable Character? Socrates, as most know, is a man famous for offending Athenian beliefs during 4th century BC. Philosophy was not accepted at this time therefore many believed Socrates rambled on about nonsense. Although this seemed like nonsense to people living in Athens at the time, Socrates still voiced his opinion as his love for philosophy was more important then what was said of him. As history shows, Socrates is a believable character as the Apology written by Plato has many examples showing he truly is philosophical and wise.
Actually, when Socrates talks about “human wisdom”, what he really means is recognizing and admitting one’s ignorance about not knowing, rather than one claiming to know. In the beginning of the text, right after Socrates mentions the sophists, he says “Men of Athens, this reputation of mine has come of a certain sort of wisdom .What kind of wisdom? It is perhaps such wisdom as could be called human wisdom, for to that extent I am inclined to believe that I may be wise; whereas the persons of whom I was just speaking seem to have a sort of superhuman wisdom, for I don’t know how else to describe it, because I do not have it myself, and whoever says that I so speaks falsely and is attacking my character” (¶ 8). In this particular quote Socrates is speaking, he lacks in fully explaining the meaning of the “wisdom” the people of Athens speak on when referring to his reputation, this illustrates further that he knows nothing, which he states continuously throughout the text. Socrates then gives this word a new meaning when stating that instead of having just wisdom, it may be more politically correct to say “human wisdom”.
Socrates uses a rather elaborate argument to show this definition is also insufficient. If the gods approve of something because it is holy, their approval cannot be what makes it holy, he says. If an act is holy because the gods approve of it, we still do not know what makes it holy or why the gods approve. It seems that any attempt to define holiness by the will or approval of the gods is bound to fail. Even in contemporary society, we tend to associate morality with some kind of divine will, but through the Euthyphro, Socrates seems to suggesting we think along another line altogether.
He starts off by mentioning about famous philosophers like Plato and Milton, and how society praises them and tries to be like them. Emerson thinks this is ridiculous and that all men should be true
On the other hand, the other possibility is that there is no definite definition of piety that is common to all people. This may be supported by the Socrates’ stand point in the arguments. Euthyphro gave several remarkable arguments that somewhat seemed to be the meaning of piety. Socrates constantly negated his arguments by providing logical evidences but Socrates never gave his own view of what is piety. This may suggest that Socrates, too, has no definite understanding of what is piety, and only has ideas of what is not the essence of piety.
It is often argued that Socrates believed "ideals belong in a world only the wise man can understand” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socrates#Politics) making the philosopher the only type of person suitable to govern others. This is completely absurd because all he is trying to do here is get him in power. What a bold statement to say that only philosophers were the only people suitable to govern people. Socrates was in no way subtle about his particular beliefs on government. He openly objected to the democracy that ran Athens during his adult life.
In each work, Socrates the philosopher is in two ways center stage, first, as a lover of wisdom (sophia) and discussion (logos), and, second, as himself an inverter or disturber of erotic norms. Plato's views on love are a meditation on Socrates and the power his philosophical conversations have to mesmerize, obsess, and educate. In what follows, section 1 deals with the Lysis and Symposium. Sections 2–4 primarily with the Symposium alone. Section 5 deals with the Phaedrus.