Socrates and Plato: Reason as a Path to Truth
Reason as a Path to Truth: Socrates and Plato
The central theme of the text is reason as a means to access truth. We could approach the theme of the text in relation to the philosophical positions of both Socrates and the Sophists, but here we focus on Socrates. Socrates employed a research method with two phases: the first negative (irony) and the second positive (maieutics).
Socrates’ Method: Irony and Maieutics
Initially, Socrates, making use of irony, feigned ignorance and, as a skilled interrogator, would ask someone who thought they knew what, for example, goodness and justice were, and therefore could define them accurately. He aimed to lead his interlocutor to recognize their own ignorance, realizing they did not know how to precisely define what they initially thought they knew. Subsequently, Socrates, again working through questions, helped his interlocutor seek the exact definition, to bring forth the real truth.
Moral Intellectualism
In ethics, Socrates defended moral intellectualism, which is the doctrine that identifies the Good with knowledge and ignorance with evil. Moral intellectualism could be summarized with this formula: Wisdom = Goodness = Happiness. Plato agreed with Socrates, and like his master, was convinced of the existence of absolute ethical and political values.
Plato’s Theory of Forms
As Plato found no such absolute values in the sensible world, he was compelled to postulate another world beyond that which we perceive through the senses, a world that can only be accessed through intelligence (the intelligible world). In this world, these ideas, known as absolute values, could only be accessed by a few men: philosophers, after a long educational process.
Plato’s Enduring Influence on Western Thought
Plato is one of the thinkers who has most profoundly marked Western culture and the world. His influence continues to be felt today; many are unknowingly Platonic. We can see that influence reflected in different spheres of life:
Mathematics
This is one aspect of his philosophy of love and enjoying life. In fact, the foundation of modern science was based on the understanding that physical quantities could be expressed in mathematical formulas. The world today, based on scientific and technological development, is unthinkable without this conviction in the applicability of mathematical knowledge.
Philosophy
Many of the concepts and themes of philosophy are the legacy of Plato. His conception of dialectics as the proper attitude of the philosopher is now fully considered. Plato reveals an enduring feature of philosophical work: the best possible guarantee in any investigation is to have partners who raise objections and rebuttals, paving the way forward for our knowledge.
Religion
Many of the ideas of Christianity have been borrowed from Platonic philosophy, such as the dualistic idea of human beings, body and soul, where there is a negative consideration of the body and the material in general and, in contrast, a positive view of the soul. Likewise, there are ethical and political issues raised by Plato that remain in force: the quest for moral perfection through hard work and, above all, the education of the citizen to be able to achieve a society in which justice reigns, an ideal state.
The Socratic Dialogue
Finally, the current of practical philosophy (Lou Marinoff, among others) emphasizes the need to recover the “Socratic dialogue” as a prophylaxis of thought and life. And these dialogues are essentially what Plato told us in his writings, to which he always remained as faithful as he could.