Socrates and Plato: Philosophy, Politics, and Education
Socrates: Dialogue as a Path to Truth
In the context of the democratic *polis*, a crisis emerged concerning the concepts of truth and good. A central figure in this period was Socrates, who sought to recover the original meaning of dialogue against the Sophists, who were masters in the art of rhetoric. Socrates understood philosophy as a search, a pursuit that begins with the acknowledgment of one’s own ignorance: “I know that I know nothing.”
Unlike Socrates, the Sophists were considered wise because they mastered rhetoric. Socrates, with his philosophical approach, was deemed an antisocial, wicked, and useless individual, ultimately leading to his death sentence. In contrast, the Sophists enjoyed social recognition and were highly gratified.
Socrates employed dialogue, or the dialectical method, as the core of his philosophy. This method involved a communicative reason seeking universal truth. The Socratic dialogue consists of two phases:
- Ironic Phase: This phase leads to the starting point of all philosophizing, recognizing one’s ignorance.
- Mayeutic Phase: Through dialogue, this phase leads to a universal truth, something we had forgotten.
Therefore, dialogue as a philosophical method allows us to acquire knowledge and educate ourselves by acknowledging our ignorance and rediscovering universal truths. Socrates replaced the art of rhetoric with dialectic, probability with truth, and democracy with the aristocracy of the soul, where those who truly know the truth should lead.
Plato’s Life and Work: A Legacy of Philosophy
Plato was born in Athens during a time of political and social crisis, following a golden age of splendor under the democratic system. Born in 427 BCE into an old noble Athenian family, Plato was immersed in the city’s cultural and political life from a young age. He identified the fundamental issue he would address throughout his life: philosophy as the path to truth and good in both public and private life.
After Socrates’ death, Plato fled to Megara, marking his first journey. He later returned to Athens, participated in the war, and then embarked on a second trip to Cyrene and Egypt. In Taranto, he encountered Pythagoreanism, which deeply influenced his thought, particularly regarding the preexistence of souls and his pedagogical ideas. Through the Pythagoreans, he met the tyrant Dionysius I of Syracuse, attempting to implement his ideas of political ethics. This endeavor failed, leading to Plato’s enslavement. Rescued by a member of Socrates’ school, he returned to Athens and founded the Academy in 387 BCE.
The Academy’s curriculum included philosophy, mathematics, astronomy, zoology, and botany. Plato made a third and fourth trip to Syracuse to aid his friend Dion, but these efforts were also unsuccessful. Subsequently, Plato withdrew from public life, dedicating his remaining years to teaching and literary activity until his death in 347 BCE.
Plato’s Work: A Four-Stage Journey
Plato’s work can be divided into four stages:
- Socratic Dialogues (28-30 BCE): These dialogues primarily feature Socrates as the main character, questioning everything with “What is it?”. *Apology of Socrates* presents a famous portrait of the young Socratic Plato.
- Transitional Dialogues (38-41 BCE): Plato begins to introduce his own elements, some foreshadowing the Theory of Ideas. *Gorgias* focuses on rhetoric and politics.
- Mature Dialogues (41-56 BCE): These works fully express Plato’s thought, with minimal influence from Socrates. His activities were mainly centered in the Academy. *Republic* discusses politics.
- Late Dialogues: This period includes a first group of dialogues (56-63 BCE) where he critically revises the Theory of Ideas, such as *Parmenides*, and a second group (64-78 BCE) reflecting his growing pessimism, such as *Timaeus* (cosmology).
The Republic and the Myth of the Cave
The Republic, whose Book 7 contains the Myth of the Cave, is a work from Plato’s mature period. Composed of ten books, it explores how humans should be to achieve perfection, making it a work on ontology and *paideia* (education). It also addresses the theme of justice.
Plato argues that the only just government is one ruled by philosophers. A philosopher can achieve what is always equal to itself (the Ideas). Just rulers will implement *paideia*, the educational process through which citizens abandon ignorance and reach true knowledge, which is perfection. The ultimate aim is to achieve the Idea of Good, which, along with the Idea of Justice, are the highest Ideas. The Myth of the Cave allegorically represents the nature of education.