Plato Study Questions

3) What is the objection of Socrates to that virtue?

Says that this is not a definition of virtue, but a list of virtues

7) What is the second definition of virtue that Meno provides?

Virtue is to desire beautiful things and have the power to acquire them

2) How many kinds of good there are? Explain

• 3 kinds of goods ○ Love for its own sake ○ Love for its consequences ○ Love for its rewards

For how long do the people have to be in the meadow?

• 7 days

Explain The Story of Gyges.

• A man finds a ring that makes him invisible • The man proceeds to commit injustice, he kills the king and seduces the queen The story proves that the most just man would commit injustice if he knew he could get away with it

9) Why would the just and the unjust person act equally if they were granted the freedom to do whatever they like?

• Because as explained in The Story of Gyges, all men will act the same and commit injustice if there are no consequences to their actions • This is because it is human instinct to commit injustice

5) What do the people say about "doing injustice" and "suffering injustice"?

• Doing injustice is naturally good Suffering injustice is naturally bad

What is the context of this Story?

• Glaucon is telling Socrates his opinion on justice, that it is not something people actively seek, but people merely obey justice because they fear what it would be look in a society when justice is not present

What happens to the people who have done unjust things?

• Go to hell where they must suffer 10 times the injustice they committed when their soul was on earth

10) What is the greatest challenge (and danger) to the soul in his/her election?

• Have to pick a life that will enable him to learn and discover who will give him the ability and the knowledge to distinguish a good life from a bad, so that he will in any circumstance choose the better • Philosophy is the only thing that allows someone to always choose a good life, the rest of the people is just up to chance and they will alternate a good life with a bad life

Does Socrates agree with that definition? What does he say about the first section of the definition? What does he say about the second section of the definition?

• He doesn't agree with this definition • He raises the question of does desiring beautiful things mean to desire good things or bad things? ○ Those who know things to be bad do not desire them, but they desire those things that they believe to be good but that are in fact bad ○ Because they do not know, why would they wish to desire things that make them unhappy

Once Meno's definitions of virtue are rejected, what is Meno's "state of mind"?

• He falls under the Socrates affect, Meno previously believed that he knew everything about virtue, but now he understands that he truly knows nothing about virtue ○ His mind and his tongue are now numb, he can no longer even come up with a definition for Virtue Meno has reached the zero point

2) What did he see in the "daimonic" place (the meadow)? What are the people doing in that place?

• He saw all kinds of souls, new and old coming to this daimonic place where they would be judged ○ The judge would either send the souls on a journey to the neccisity spindal, or if they were unjust they would go to hell

1) In order to analyze the question "whether virtue is something teachable", Socrates must prove first that virtue is a kind of Knowledge or Wisdom. How does he prove it?

• He shows that beneficial things are only beneficial when they are accompanied with wisdom • Because virtue is good for the soul, and only good things can come when accompanied with wisdom, than virtue is in a way wisdom

4) What are the two qualities that have in common the virtues of men, women, children, and old men?

• Health, size and strength • Justice and moderation

Why does Socrates doubt whether virtue is knowledge, after having proved logically that it is?

• His first hypothesis says that if virtue is a type of knowledge, than it can be taught ○ Because virtue cannot be taught, than it cannot be a type of knowledge • Virtue can only be learned by the individual through trial and error

Who are Lachesis, Clotho and Atropos?

• Lachesis = past • Clotho=present Atropos=future

11) After the election, what do the three Fates do and where are the souls sent? What is the purpose of drinking water from Lethe River?

• Lachesis assigned each of them the daimon they had chosen • Daimon first led the soul under the hand of Clotho as it turned the revolving spindle, thus ratifying the alloted fate it had chosen • After receiving her touch, he led the soul to the spinning of Atropos, to make the spun fate irreversible • Drink water so that they forget what has happened before they embark on their new life

6) What is the origin of the "laws" and the "covenants"?

• Laws are used to objectify justice • Laws are used to prevent peoples naturally tendency to do injustice ○ If a man can steal $100 and know he will get away with it, he will do it. The only thing that stops him is laws. • Covenants used to protect the people from the natural tendency for people to commit injustice

10) What does "learning" mean for Socrates? How does Socrates prove that the soul is immortal? How does he prove that Learning is recollection?

• Learning is to recall knowledge from the soul which is immortal and has all knowledge, we just need to recall from it • He teaches recollection by having a slave do complicated geometry equations as Socrates helps him recall the knowledge from his soul

10) Do you know of a movie or a story like the story of Gyges? Explain.

• Lord of the Rings ○ Huge violence and wars occur because of a ring that makes you invisible ○ Everyone desires such a ring because it will allow them to act in an injustice manner without the consequences • Lord of the Flies

3) In which kind of good does Socrates place Justice?

• Love for its consequences If I can see, than I can do all the things I can do with sight

4) In which kind of good do "the masses" place Justice?

• Love for its rewards ○ Don't like taking medicine when sick but do so for the rewards (feel better)

2) What is the first definition of Virtue (provided by Meno)? Explain

• Man ○ Manage public affairs, help friends, harm enemies, protect oneself • Woman ○ Mange the home, protect possessions, and be at the bidding of one's husband

9) What kinds of lives can they choose?

• Multifarious, all animal lives, all human lives Tyrants, athletes, beggars, teachers etc.

1) What happened to Er, the son of Armenias?

• Rather than completely dying, he went to the daimonic place and observed what happens in the afterlife

6) Explain where the Necessity and the Sirens are placed?

• Spindle revolved on the lap of Necessity, on top of each of its circles tood a siren

8) What does Lachesis say to the souls? Explain

• That their daimon will not be assigned to you by random, they will choose him. • The one who has the first pick will choose a life first and he will be bound by necessity • Responsibility lies with the chooser; the god is blameless

6) Are "virtues" the same as "virtue"? What is Socrates looking for?

• They are not the same, virtues are types of virtue, but virtue is a definition of virtue • Socrates is looking for a definition of virtue like Socrates can give a definition of shape

12) What happens after drinking the water?

• They fall asleep, midnight comes, loud clap of thunder and an earthquake and they are raised to their births

13) What do you think the central point of the Myth is?

• To show people how they must live a just life while on earth, how they must practice philosophy in order to constantly choose a good life

5) Where do they go afterwards? Explain

• To the spindle of necessity

5) What is the difference between "True Opinions" (belief) and "Knowledge"?

• True opinions are correct, but they are temporary and will leave • Knowledge is correct, but stays forever and can always be called upon

3) Can virtue be taught or do men possess it by nature?

• Virtue cannot be taught, as Socrates proves by saying all the sons of virtuous men would also be virtuous, and this is not the case However it can be learned through true opinions in experience and then tying down these true opinions and turning them into knowledge

2) What is virtue according to Socrates?

• Virtue is a movement of a person towards the good of the soul and body, we accomplish this from the wisdom we acquire from our experience (our true opinions become part of who we are and become knowledge)

1) What are the questions that Meno wants to discuss with Socrates in this Dialog? What is the subject matter of this Dialog?

• What is virtue? ○ Can it be taught? ○ Can it be a result from practice? Is it achieved by nature?