YOU ARE ABOUT TO MEET…. Socrates (c B.C.E), one of the most powerful, intriguing, annoying, inspiring, widely known, and yet misunderstood figures in the history of philosophy. He has been called the greatest of philosophers and also the cleverest of the Sophists, he was a pagan who is seen by many Jews and Cristians as a man of God. He wrote no philosophy himself, he taught and inspire one of the two most influential philosophers in Western history: Plato and Aristotle.

THE GENERAL CHARACTER OF SOCRATES Plato presents Socrates as an individual who stood clearly for some values and clearly against others, in those times personal clarity, stong sense of direction, and purpose were attractive to young people or anyone confused about who they are or what they want to be. Socrates´s guiding motto “KNOW THYSELF”, has been challenging to people all over the world and in all historical periods, Socrates struggled with one of the greatest problems of our time: WHO AM I? HOW CAN I DISCOVER MY TRUE IDENTITY? HOW SHALL I LIVE?

Against the popular notion of his time (and ours), Socrates taught that beauty and goodness should be determined by usefulness and fitness of function, rather than by mere appearance or personal feelings of delight. Socrates was universally acnowledged to be “extraordinary ugly”, so ugly that he fascinated people, his most notable physical features were a broad, flat, turned up nose, protruding staring eyes, thick fleshy lips, and a very big belly. Socrates made his appearance serve him well, his humorous references to it reflect his good nature and modesty.

Don´t think that Socrates was a prude, he was not, he was tempted by physical attractiveness, but he govered his life according to “true beauty and goodness”, preffering a good and beautiful soul to a pleasing body that housed a lesser self. Barefoot in Athens Socrates was usually barefoot and apparently had only one tattered coat, about which his friends joked. His enemies accused him of being unwashed and even his friends admitted that it was a surprise to see Socrates freshly bathed.

As he taught, the true self is not the body but the soul, and if virtue implies excellence of function, then the appearance of the body is less important than how well it functions, TRUE BEAUTY IS INNER BEAUTY, BEAUTY OF SPIRIT AND CHARACTER. Socrates says that we cannot know whether a person is happy just because his external condition is attractive to us, he insists that happiness, like goodness, is a manner of inner qualities.

One of his most noted characteristics was hardiness reflected in remarkable self-control or temperance. Temperance in these sense means indifference to both the presence and absence of material pleasures; it does not mean total abstinence. Socrates talks about self-control, especially concerning appetites and passions. Socrates argues that self-control-not self-indulgence and weakness of will, leads to pleasure. Lacks of self-control, he asserts, prevents us from the finests expressions of pleasure in eating, drinking, and resting.

If we gratify every urge as soon as it arises, we must often settle for fast food, cheap drink, sleep all day etc. We will be little more than animals. Without self control, we have no control in learning how to moderate ourselves and our lives. Part of Socrates appeal comes from the fact that he had many of the same desires as the rest of us, they may even have been more intense, so we respond to the effort he must have exerted to keep all his appetites and passions under strict control.

Homework DUE : Wednesday October 30th Write a 1-2 page essay of the following Philosophical Query:  What do you think of Socrates´ views on self- control? Does the currect concern with healty diets, exercise, and so on seem to be in line with what Socrates thought or are we, perhaps, overdoing it or acting from love of beauty, not self-control? Discuss

A Most Unusual Father and Husband Socrates was married to Xanthippe and had three sons. He was seventy years old at the time of his execution; his oldest son was not yet twenty and his youngest was said to be a small child. Although he was known as a stonecutter or sculptor by his father, he worked only now and then, he lived off a modest inheritance from his father, consisting of a house and some money for teaching, and ocasionally accepted gifts from his wealthy friends and admirers.

The Arquetypal Individual The combined portraits of Plato and Xenophon reveal Socrates as a master teacher, a man of unusual intellectual force, possessing an integrated self. Socrates is an archetypal individual, or we could say a paradigmatic individual: That is a special class of teacher, philosopher or religious figure whose nature becomes a standard by which a culture judges the ideal human being; a rare human being whose very nature represents something elemental about the human condition.

Philosophical Query Group # 1 How might we explain the fact that many churches and schools are luxurious? Don´t both educators and preachers (not to mention gurus and therapists) say that material success does not guarantee happiness? Dont many of them say that life of the mind or soul is most important? Why then, do they look as if they don´t believe it? Discuss one or two examples. If the Socratic view is wrong, why do so many people think luxury is important?

Group # 2 Everyone I like and love seems quite “atractive” to me. Yet one of my friends resembled Socrates. Before I ever met my friend, I had noticed him in the college cafeteria. I thought he was one of the most unconfortable-looking persons I had ever seen. He knew some friends of mine, so I eventually met him. I initially felt uncomfortable even being around him because of his looks, but slowly I discovered an intelligent, funny, kind, strong, and courageous man. Over the years of our friendship, I actually lost the capacity to see him as ugly. A beautiful or handsome person that belongs to a slothful or selfcentered or shallow or cruel person over time becomes less handsome or beautiful to me. Have you notices this pattern in yourself