The philosophers

The Greek philosophers. They represent the power, the culture, the math, and all the greatness that seeped from Greece across the globe. Greece and Rome are still idolized today. Their empires stretched through Asia and Africa, and Europe was the center of the world. After the fall of Rome, Europe regressed into savagry, illiteracy, fuedalism, pretty much crap. They were dirty people, living in shacks and bathing once or twice a year. The peasantry rarely lived past 40 years, and the kings and queens were often corrupt and inbred. Eventually, after more than 400 years of darkness, the peoples of Europe again emerged from the abyss. But the ages after the empire fell, intellectual Europeans longed to return to that rational thought that philosophers represented, wishing they could live in another time then the one they were lving in. It was this longing that created the high-tech world we live in now. The world of math, science, and discipline.

Socrates was the teacher of Plato. Having never written any of teachings down, it is only through Plato and his other students that we know anything about Socrates. What we do know is fascinating. To outsiders, Socrates was a crazy old man (senex if you will), he spent his days wandering around Athens, questioning people exhaustively until he knew exactly what they were doing and why they were doing it. Socrates handed down to us the Socratic method of teaching through dialogue. Socrates proved his theories through discussions, similar to how a mathematician uses prooofs to prove equations. Instead of giving the whole picture all at once, he went through it step by step, making it easier for the reader’s mind to digest. Also from Socrates came the idea of the illusionary world, the cave, and the famous question: Is it good because the gods like it, or do the gods like it because it is good? With both sides of that question raising huge moral dilemmas. But Socrates also pushed how far a Democracy was willing to accept weirdos, way out there guys who badgered you endlessly, constantly balancing a tolerancy tight rope. Finally, because of the way he acted, and the general populace growing frustrated with the old dude, he was sentenced to death. Even after he was given the chance to escape, Socrates refused to flee. He believed it was his duty to die, to prove he was right.

Plato's student was Aristotle. He was the teacher of Alexander the Great who proceded over the Greek Empire. Here are my notes about him from my philosophy class oh so many semesters ago:

What does Aristotle believe? He lived from 384 to 322 BC in Greece and was the student of Plato, who was the student of Socrates. He asked what is the good life for human beings? How can I be a good person? What wold a virtuous person do?

According to Aristotle, what is it to be virtuous are these: Intellectual virtues are the character traits necessary for correct virtue. It is aquired by teaching. On the other hand, moral virtues are character traits that are necessary for the right action and a good life. These are aquired by practice. He argues that the virtue is a "means between two vices." That is when you are confronted with a problem, you should ask yourself this: how much is too little and how much is too much. Generosity: give too much hurt yourself, give to little seen as stingy. Bravery: suicidal situations, or coward. The danger is this though, it is not simply splitting the difference. The question is what would a generous person do? For example, if you someone asks you for a million dollars the correct answer would not to be giving them 500 thousand instead.

How is good character developed for Aristotle?
1. Development of natural capacities through habitation and training
2. We need a purpose or telos
3. This is the good life from Aristotles's vantage, a natural goal or purpose
4. a human being is good if he rationalizes well

What are some objections to Aristotle's view? It is difficult to apply to certain cases because it is ambiguous. Acting like a virtuous person is a vague goal, because there is no guidelines.

The three great Greek philosophers formed the root of all that was to come. Believing in pathos far more than mythos, tentacles of Western civilization were already in formation. Through it, Western man created the most advanced (or craziest) civilization he ever has. It gave birth to the airplane, computer, skyscraper, even a rocket to the moon. This is the world Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle dreamed of.