1. Notes on Socrates (F.Long 3/12/2012)
1. Distinguish between the historical Socrates and the character named
in Plato’s Dialogues as ‘Socrates’
2. Plato’s early dialogues are reportedly closer to presenting the
historical Socrates than the later dialogues. The dialogues that interest
us are early dialogues like Charmides, Ion, Alcibiades and Laches. Even
though each of these names refer to historical characters, I use italics
to refer to the Dialogue by that name.
3. Consider these four historical characters:
a. Charmides was about 17 and not sure of who he was, what he
stood for and where he would go in life. Historic ally he would be
he uncle of Plato and a leader in the botched form of tyranny which
in 404BCE led to Sparta winning the Peloponnesian war with
Sparta.
Socratic questioning is used to prod Charmides forward and give
him a sense of his own identity.
b. Ion was already an accomplished actor (rhapsode) who enthralled
many with his public performances of Homer’s poetry. It
transpired that he only liked Homer and no other poet. Socratic
questioning asks whether it is possible to understand Homer but
to dislike all other poetry. Socrates suggests that Ion lacks depth of
knowledge.
c. Alcibiades was a beautiful, rich and talented youth who had no
sense of moral responsibility. His considerable military and
political ability meant that he soon became a leader in Athenian
society and eventually one of the 30 tyrants. Socratic questioning
challenged him continually on the point of his moral vacuity but
Socrates never succeeded in developing any moral sense in him.
d. Laches was a famous general who had fought in several wars. The
dialogue Laches is principally about the concern of two parents,
Lysimachus and Melesias who fear for their children. They seek
out either the proper education or knowledge for their sons that
might guarantee that they would act courageously in battle and
therefore ‘come to something’ in Athenian eyes.
4. Did Socrates’ manner of interrogation undermine the values of
Athenian society? Did it encourage anarchy and rebellion? What role
do educators have as disruptors of tradition or conservatives of
tradition?
5. Consider the characters in the Laches:
Laches
Nicias
Socrates
Lysimachus
Melesias

2. Thucydides
Aristides
6. What might give their sons courage?
a. Learning strategies of combat? (Laches 182c)
b. Learning the use of weapons?
c. Learning to be good (Laches 186c), living courageously on a daily
basis
Query: The ‘time-now’ skill of standing firm on a battlefield, in
what was does this resemble presentation on X-factor?
7. The parents do not find any guaranteed answer
8. Meaning of courage today
a. The courage to stand up on the battlefield and to face death
b. The courage to face difficulties
Sickness
Unemployment
Emigration and separation
Disappointment
To be encouraged, not discouraged
To gather yourself up when the time comes
To see the positive side
To become positive about yourself
To project this outwards in various ways
To become present in the world