#Socratic Dialogues

[tmarshconnors]

“The man who makes everything that leads to happiness depends upon himself, and not upon other men, has adopted the very best plan for living happily. This is the man of moderation, the man of manly character and wisdom.”

Plato, born Aristocles, was an ancient Greek philosopher of the Classical period who is considered a foundational thinker in Western philosophy and an innovator of the written dialogue and dialectic forms.

Born: Classical Athens

Died: Athens, Greece

Founder of the Academy: Plato founded the Academy in Athens around 387 BCE, which is often considered the first institution of higher learning in the Western world. The Academy remained an influential philosophical and scientific research centre for several centuries.

Socratic Dialogues: Plato is best known for his dialogues and written works in which he uses the character of his teacher Socrates to explore philosophical ideas. These dialogues cover various topics including ethics, politics, metaphysics, and epistemology. Famous examples include "The Republic," "Phaedo," "Symposium," and "Timaeus."

Theory of Forms: One of Plato's central philosophical concepts is the Theory of Forms. According to this theory, the physical world is not the true reality but rather a shadow of the true reality, which consists of abstract, perfect, unchanging forms or ideas. For example, all circular objects are imperfect copies of the perfect form of a circle.

Influence on Western Thought: Plato's work has had a profound and lasting impact on Western philosophy and science. His ideas laid the groundwork for much of Western metaphysical and epistemological thought and influenced later philosophers, including his student Aristotle and many medieval and modern thinkers.

Political Philosophy: In "The Republic," Plato presents his vision of an ideal state, ruled by philosopher-kings. He advocates for a society governed by wisdom and reason rather than power or wealth. His political philosophy addresses justice, the role of the individual within society, and the importance of education and virtue.

[lucabyte]

A belief in Nominative Determinsim

[unpretty]

sometimes i hesitate to read books written by people who i know are cool, because i know that if it sucks complete ass i will still feel obligated to struggle my way through it instead of DNFing because not liking the cool person's shit book feels rude somehow

[kebriones]

I am normal about plato's Alcibiades 1

[ditoob]

Happy pride y’all

[quasi-normalcy]

I don't understand why academics stopped presenting their theories as dialogues; it's a versatile format, and a great deal more readable than essays or reports. Plus it lets you put your opponents' arguments into the mouths of demeaning caricatures. There's no downside!

[stormofdefiance]

Dkdkdkdks this is not a serious analysis in any way at all but the podcast I’m listening to has started going through Plato’s dialogues & in one of them (The Symposium) an excruciatingly handsome young man, Alcibiades, tries desperately to seduce Socrates with his good looks in the hopes of gleaning more wisdom from him. In it Socrates does get into bed with him, but all that goes down is Socrates ‘not moving at all’ and rambling endlessly on about philosophy. Idk I’m just pishing myself, this is just so incredibly Ratio/Aventurine core dndndndxndn

[quantumshade]

not to be an annoying cunt but as long as everybody's chill about it differences in opinion should be more socially acceptable in fandom spaces. it’s so boring when everyone in a community is supposed to agree on everything.

[rlyehtaxidermist]

i could explain the series of decisions that led to this but i won't.

[novelties-and-notions]

SOCRATES [a ventriloquist's dummy]: I suppose you'll be bringing Plato on next.

FLOSTRE: Malheureusement, Plato couldn't be with us tonight. He's doing panto up in Cleethorpes.

SOCRATES: What are they doing this year?

FLOSTRE: Aladdin. He gets chained up inside Aladdin's cave so he can only see shadows on the back wall. It's a sell-out. Held over for an extra week.

SOCRATES: He'll be happy there then. But it's a shame Plato isn't here, because, by coincidence, I have a few questions to ask about the Theory of Forms.

FLOSTRE: I thought it was your theory.

SOCRATES: Plato putting words in my mouth again. If you ask me, the Theory of Forms is a load of hooey.

FLOSTRE: Perhaps I can explain it on Plato's behalf.

SOCRATES: You can try I suppose. [Adopts an interrogatory attitude.] How would you characterise a Form, according to the theory?

FLOSTRE: Well, one might say that for all the things we before set up as many, we put each now under one Form, holding that there is but one form of each, and we call that "that which each is".

SOCRATES [stares for a minute]: One might, might one? But is it not the case, that the Forms exist outside of space and time?

FLOSTRE: Certainly, Socrates. For otherwise, Forms might undergo change or be perceptible to the senses.

SOCRATES: Then let us consider dancing girls.

FLOSTRE: Can't you consider something else for a change?

SOCRATES: Do you not agree that, according to the Theory of Forms, each individual dancing girl who is going to perform here tonight – or so you say – is a mere shadow of the Form of dancing girl?

FLOSTRE: That is certainly the case.

SOCRATES: And that such a Form, being a Form, must exist outside of time and space?

FLOSTRE: That must be so.

SOCRATES: Now, what is it that characterises a dancing girl? Is it not her dancing?

FLOSTRE: Certainly, Socrates.

SOCRATES: And how might you describe that dancing?

FLOSTRE: Mostly they kick up their legs in time to the music.

SOCRATES: And is not a kick a movement in space?

FLOSTRE: Of course.

SOCRATES: And is not music made up of sounds that change in time?

FLOSTRE: That is so, Socrates.

SOCRATES: So the essential nature of a dancing girl partakes of space and time.

FLOSTRE: I think I see what you are getting at here.

SOCRATES: Which is?

FLOSTRE: The Form of dancing girl cannot partake of the nature of a dancing girl.

SOCRATES: Well, if that isn't a load of hooey, I don't know what is. So, tell me, philosopher, what's happened to the dancing girls anyway?

FLOSTRE: Sacré bleu! If you must know…

SOCRATES: I must know.

FLOSTRE: They're waiting for their shoes to arrive.

[lucabyte]

heres your highly requested fluff you fucking animals

[chicago-geniza]

Just remembered that Armand met Lestat around the time Kant's Groundwork came out and had the incredibly cursed thought "what if instead of discovering the theater, grimy obsessive scrupulosity-brainworms Armand discovered the categorical imperative"

[kebriones]

The way Socrates literally says ""People don't stick around because you're too much for them" to Alcibiades in the Alcibiades 1 and the implied "but you'll never be too much for me" ARGHJKTFGHR yeah i get why he fell for him i get it.

[ditoob]

It’s one of those missing Alcibiades days huh

[classicslesbianopinions]

anyone want to stage a reading of the phaedo with me so we can see if that dialogue would really take a full day from dawn to dusk