Book 11: The Wooden Horse, Keld Zeruneith, Part 3

Undated. Began transcribing on June 21, 2024.

Socrates, chapter XVIII.

Many, many themes

UNITY OF PLATO'S WORKS

p. 498

"Philosophy takes the place of tragedy, the role of which as an interpretative organ for the democratic state, seems to have been played out by Euripides."

Homer: Odysseus :: Plato : Socrates

Socrates / Plato: "desire for power is proof of the decay of the state" -- p. 498

Plato's writing: his or Socrates? -- p. 497.

Protagoras: more dialectical than The Republic, so probably an early work;

The Republic: 

The Laws: corresponds to Plato's old age in which Socrates does not play.

Plato's Myths: p. 498

• the image of the cave in The Republic
• the charioteer / horses in Phaedrus
• Diotima in the Symposium; linked here.
• "Socrates"

Consistencies in various accounts of Socrates:

• poverty
• ugliness
• bare feet
• dialectical method
• contemplative reveries

Utopio and Telos

Home and Plato: the works of both men came into existence during a period of crisis and strife -- The Trojan War and The Decline of Athens.   

For Plato: p. 499--Odysseus -- a preconfiguation of Socrates.

For Homer, the telos, the utopian goal, was the peace that Zeus Teleios, the Accomplisher, finally institutionalized in the Odyssey in the conclusion fo the Trojan War and the crimes that were its cause.

For Plato, it is Socrates and the arete he personfies -- defined the telos in Plato's work.

arete: goodness

Socrates: for Plato -- becomes the be-all and the end-all -- p. 499.

Socrates: elevated to metaphor and myth 

Critias: the most important of the 30 tyrants was Plato's mother's cousin --

Reign of Terror of the 30 tyrants -- 404 - 403 BC -- one year.

Socrates: elevated to metaphor and myth --
reaches beyond his historical existence and into the future philosophical thinking of the West, p. 499

Plato switched from politics to philosophy -- very, very disillusioned with politics --

He establishes the Academy -- lasted 900 years until shut down by Christian Emperor Justinian, 529 AD

Wow.

Aristotle educated at the Academy.

Why men are good / evil -- bottom of page 500

Good: those who have acquired INSIGHT into GOODNESS

Evil: fundamental lack of wisdom as they believe themselves omniscient, driven by tyranny of their subconscious and aesthetic hubris.

Arete: goodness

daemon

Socrates' daemon was Apollo himself.

Plato:

• in the long run, those in power unable to ignore his attacks: re: condemnation / death of Socrates
• Plato's outline for a new state

Attacks the Sophists time and time again.

Unifying purpose in all of Plato's writing: the idea of a new for of state -- described in the Republic.

Plato's 'hope" -- a philosopher king -- Socrrates became the guiding star.

A new state can only arise under the aegis of philosophy. p. 501.

In Apology, Socrates clims Apollo himself, the divinity of wisdom and consciousness, has given him this mission.

His mission: to create a new state under the aegis of philosophy -- p. 501.

Sophists:
teachers
taught arete
charged for their services -- this was shy attacked by Plato and Socrates.

Aristotle attacked the Sophists -- though being paid to tutor Alexander the Great, Aristotle could also be called a Sophist (or a hypocrite)

Classical tradition of rhetoric and composition.

Wiki: characteristically they had a great understanding of what words would entertain or impress an audience. Good debaters. 5th century.

Remember: to gain wisdom, to become good -- Plato / Socrates

 

"SOCRATES" -- p. 503

eros: highest degree identical with the striving for knowledge.

arete: goodness; wisdom becomes identical with goodness

Homer arete --> Socrates arete

 

For Homer, arete: excellence on the battlefield, courage, and physical beauty. 

For Socrates, arete: something spiritual -- origin can be found in the divine but can still be observed as an incarnation in the beauty of the body (hypostatis).

Arete: over time -- becomes expanded, becomes spiritual; though still linked with original meaning.

See end of part 1 -- p. 503.

Socrates: inner beauty vs Homer, flamboyant appearance.

Start on page 15 of the journal

 

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