Metaphysics Notes

The Tools of Philosophy:

Socrates- the concept of integrity/ being true to yourself

Importance in maintaining a state of virtue

Wont compromise his strength of character

“To thy own self be true”

Attracted young people (energy and enthusiasm) and inspired them to ask questions

The Socratic Method- challenged norms (Ex: “The sky if blue”)

Challenged people in order to make them more clear in their own thought processes

Forced people to stretch their ideas further/put together a base of knowledge that they are comfortable with on their own (pull out what is already in them)

The problem: upset the rest of society

Change = not good. Did not want people challenging them and what they did

The state brings both positives and negatives: must look at how the whole thing is governed

“We owe our obedience to the state”- pg. 33,34

Much like disobeying your parents

Annoys people because he shakes up the status quo

Causes new thought patterns to come out

More to reality than meets the eye

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Questions #2: What do we owe the state?...

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Question #3: The Soul- Who are we?/Dualism

We aren’t just flesh and blood, there’s more to us than our physical being

You can kill the body but you cannot kill the soul

Two options: “I will die and there will be nothing, or my soul will migrate to a better place.”

Dualism- What is the relationship between the body and the soul?

Is the soul radically different from the body?

Can the immortal soul experience immortality?

“The things that can be seen can change, but unseen things cannot change”

What is Philosophy?-- Two Greek words meaning “the love of wisdom”

Problems of Philosophy= the problems of life

What are the major concerns we have in life?

Should we just accept everything because authority, family, peers, etc. tells us so?

Everyone has their own philosophy (own way of doing things)

Philosophers main function in life is to think

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Philosophical Investigation:

Step 1) Clarify concepts...