Great Philosophers and Lives Well Lived

Most of the information that we learn about Socrates comes from the work and writings of one of his students, Plato. It has been alleged that the great Philosopher wrote nothing down for others to read, and as such, the knowledge and the teachings from Socrates that is relied upon to convey his philosophy and the epic story of his life comes not from himself, but his students who attempt to provide and accurate picture of the methods and philosophical beliefs held by their mentor and teacher.

Philosophy in Ancient Greece greatly influenced future civilizations and generations to come. The definition of Philosophy is lover of wisdom. Socrates who lived from around 470 B.C to 399 B.C was known as the “father of philosophy”. Socrates taught the people of Greece to question everything. One of his most famous quotes is in Document 3 which states, “The unexamined life is not worth living”. Socrates suggests that people who don't analyze, question, or examine their lives, beliefs, ideas and culture they do not deserve to live. The Socratic Method is used ask and answer questions with critical thinking. Socrates inspired many, even after his execution in 399 B.C where he

In the 17 and 18 the philosophers hoped they could discover new ways to understand and improve society.The four philosophers were John Locke,Voltaire, Adam Smith, and Mary Wollstonecraft each one of them were writing about different areas of human society, including government,religion,economy, and the social role of women.

Interestingly about the work of Socrates is that its not known very well, since nothing was recorded during his time. Everything that we know about Socrates has come through the writings of his greatest pupil, Plato. Socrates was a

Socrates put one’s quest for wisdom and the instruction of others above everything else in life. A simple man both in the way he talked and the wealth he owned, he believed that simplicity in whatever one did was the best way of acquiring knowledge and passing it unto others. He is famous for saying that “the unexplained life is not worth living.” He endeavored therefore to break down the arguments of those who talked with a flowery language and boasted of being experts in given subjects (Rhees 30). His aim was to show that the person making a claim on wisdom and knowledge was in fact a confused one whose clarity about a given subject was far from what they claimed. Socrates, in all his simplicity never advanced any theories of his own

Socrates has a unique position in the history of philosophy. On one hand he is the most influential on another he is the least known. In his later life he is seen to stalk the streets barefoot, to spite shoemakers. He went about arguing and questioning people and revealing inconsistencies in their beliefs. He began teaching students but never accepted payments for doing so. This was possible because of the inheritance left by his father. Socrates wrote nothing of himself so we are dependent upon the works of both his students and associates who present a view as close to

In this paper, I plan to give an exposition of Saint Thomas Aquinas’ five point argument. Next, I plan to state one of the five arguments that I find the most compelling and then explain why it is so compelling. Finally, I plan to state one of the five arguments that I find the least compelling and give reasons as to why it is the least compelling.

Socrates is a widely renowned teacher, who has taught and demonstrated a variety of lessons that regard how he views the world. Socrates has described his view on morality, purpose, death, and the ultimate. He has spoken about these views through multiple texts including The Last Days of Socrates and they have been interpreted through the text Socrates by George Rudebusch. Through these worldviews, Socrates has given people the opportunity to expand their wisdom and question the world around them.

Now that this paper has evaluated Aquinas’s Summa Contra Gentiles, it will move on to evaluate his next important work. In the years 1265–1274 Aquinas wrote what is considered one of his most prominent works, The Summa Theologiae. In Summa Theologiae (also known as Suma Theologica or simply Summa), Aquinas gave five proofs for the existence of God. This paper will first tell why these proofs are necessary then describe the proofs in themselves. These proofs are necessary because Aquinas believed that the existence of God is not self-evident. A self-evident proposition is one in which the predicate forms part of what is meant by the subject (PUT, 103). Meaning that “God exists” is not self-evident because we cannot grasp divine essence

Socrates is known in todays world as one of the greatest philosophers in history. He brought many revolutionary ideas to ancient Athens during his life and even after his death. He had many followers that beloved him even till death. His tragic death only led him to become a martyr for philosophy. Socrates never wrote anything down so what we know of his life is the from the records left by his followers, mainly Plato.

Aquinas’ evaluation of reason appears similar to that of Galileo at first glance, but is ultimately of a different nature. Aquinas argues that “things that are not perceived by the senses cannot be grasped by the human intellect except in so far as knowledge of them is gathered from the senses” (13-14). As

Saint Thomas Aquinas is a christian philosopher that lived from the year 1225 to the year 1274. Aquinas is often referred to as having a very Aristotelian point of view when it comes to his philosophy. While Saint Augustine another christian philosopher was referred to as being the plato of the middle ages. The difference between the two is that Augustine focuses on what happens after life and reuniting with God. While Aquinas is more focused on our actions on earth. Aquinas also believes that all human ends can be attainted. Saint Aquinas main focus in his philosophy is on humans actions while they are on this earth. Aquinas stresses that mankind needs to follow what God commands. Mankind needs to understand and follow God’s eternal laws. Aquinas also focuses on the difference of good acts of will and bad acts of will.

Socrates had a unique way of teaching and expressing his thoughts and ideas. He taught by constantly posing questions with the assumption that any person could approach the truth through logic if he set aside ingrained prejudice and received knowledge (Hattersley 17,18). His dialectic method of questioning consisted of a subject being broken down by one or more people, in search of the same truth but with differing views. Instead of merely trying to convince listeners, Socrates would approach others by questioning what they felt to be true and therefore would be able to determine that person’s true feelings and the basis for those feelings. Socrates was open to receive knowledge wherever he could find it, yet when he approached people who claimed to be wise, he found they really knew nothing. He would challenge preconceived opinions, based on the words of others and fallacious logic. Many felt that he was attacking their identity and security causing them to resent Socrates when he pointed this out. Due to his search for truth, Socrates would, eventually, pay the ultimate price. Socrates teaches us to assume nothing and to question everything. In scientific study today, this is a fundamental element of scientific study, starting with a theory and afterward refining it to the point of when a decisive conclusion is made.

Aquinas Five Proofs Thomas Aquinas was a philosopher and theologian during the 1200’s who liked to combine theological principles of faith along with philosophical principles of reason. He based all decision through the God of Christianity which to Aquinas was a personal God. A lot of Aquinas philosophy characteristics came from Aristotle’s thoughts and ideas. St. Thomas Aquinas had believed that all knowledge was rational in the way that knowledge is only gained through sensory experience.

5.) Aquinas explains that a person cannot have knowledge of a corporeal thing unless that person has the sense in order to have a sensory experience of it. This experience that is explained by Aquinas is the first of his three grades of cognitive power. He calls his first grade of cognitive power the sense, being the act of a bodily organ in order to understand the individuals and their particulars. The second grade of cognitive power he calls the angelic intellect which exists apart from matter. He explains the angelic intellect as a divine mind in which knows the universal and understands the material things through immaterial things. The final grade of cognitive power is the human intellect and Aquinas explains that