Sophists - Socrates - Plato

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H I S T O R Y

O F

P O L I T I C A L T H O U G H T

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P L A T O

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T O D A Y 2

·The Sophists

·Socrates

·Plato

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Greek Enlightenment (450 BCE onwards)3

·The Sophists: Protagoras, Gorgias, Prodicus, Hippias, Thrasymachus

·Historians: Herodotus, Thucydides

·Dramatists: Sophocles, Euripides, Aristophanes

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The Sophists 4

Protagoras, Gorgias, Prodicus, Hippias, Thrasymachus

Foremost question:

Is it truly better to act in accordance with justice in society?

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Protagoras 5

Acting in a just manner is taught in society;

all are able to reach a basic level;

some have greater talent and excel

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Protagoras 6

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Thrasymachus 7

Justice is merely to the advantage of the stronger,

the weak are those who abide by justice

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‘Ladies and gentlemen, these are not assertions. These are facts’-US Secretary of State Colin Powell to the United Nations Security Council, 5th February 2003

8Thrasymachus

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9Socrates (470-399 BCE)

Redefines justice by making it intrinsically valuable

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10Trial of Socrates (399 BCE)

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11Plato (427-347 BCE)

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12Theory of the soulRational,

Spirited Appetitive

justice = self-discipline

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13Division of labour

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14Justice

LINK

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15Magnus Zeller - The Orator (c.1920)

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16Philosophers as Guardians

LINK