W1 Assignment: Interviewing The Student About His Teacher

W1 Assignment Interviewing The Student About His Teacherintroduction

W1 Assignment: Interviewing the Student About His Teacher The Sophia Times has asked you to interview Plato, the best known student of Socrates, about the life and death in 399 B.C.E. of one of the greatest Athenian philosophers. You need to prepare at least ten (10) questions to ask Plato during this interview. What you want to learn from Plato (since he has written about these things in his Dialogues) is information about Socrates that will help the readers of The Sophia Times learn more about this great teacher. Your readers want to understand what sort of things were important to Socrates, how he lived his life, what he was trying to teach the citizens of Athens, what sort of method he used to try to show people what they needed to know or learn, why he refused to quit teaching philosophy when doing so would save his life, why ignorance is the beginning of wisdom, how individual people could become their own philosophers, and so forth.

So, you need well-developed and thoughtful questions for the interview which will prompt Plato into providing you with this information from the textbook. By the way, Socrates had a much better sense of humor than Plato did. • First, come up with at least ten (10) questions that you want to ask when you “interview” Plato. Plato’s “answers” to the interview questions should come from only the textbook, and no other sources should be used. • Next, write the “article” for The Sophia Times, which includes both the questions and the answers from the “interview.” • Make sure that Plato’s “answers” make it clear to your readers how important the life, teachings, and death of Socrates were both to his own students in Athens and to people studying philosophy today. Your “interview” should be “copy-ready” when it is submitted, which means that it follows standard American grammar rules, adheres to APA formatting and documentation, and is relatively free of misspelled words and other typographical errors. Since this will be a “feature story” for the newspaper, your editor said that it needs to be no less than 600 words and no more than 900 words.

Paper For Above instruction

Title: Interview with Plato about Socrates’ Life, Teachings, and Death

Introduction

In this interview, I had the remarkable opportunity to speak with Plato, the most renowned student of Socrates, to gain deeper insights into the life, teachings, and death of the legendary Athenian philosopher. Socrates’ influence on Western philosophy is profound, and understanding his motivations, methods, and principles is crucial for appreciating his enduring legacy. The questions I prepared aimed to explore how Socrates lived, what he stood for, and why his death became a defining moment in the history of philosophy.

Question 1: Plato, can you describe what motivated Socrates to dedicate his life to philosophy despite the societal opposition he faced?

Plato responded that Socrates believed the pursuit of truth and virtue was the highest calling. He was driven by a deep commitment to examining moral and ethical questions, believing that understanding oneself and one’s duties was essential for a just life. Socrates saw philosophy as a means to improve the soul and to help others realize their moral potential, even if it meant facing hostility or death from the authorities.

Question 2: How would you characterize Socrates' approach to teaching and his dialectical method?

According to Plato, Socrates used the dialectical method—elenchus—to stimulate critical thinking. He would engage citizens in conversations, asking probing questions to expose contradictions in their beliefs and to guide them toward a clearer understanding of virtues such as justice, courage, and wisdom. This approach was less about giving answers and more about encouraging individuals to seek truth through self-examination.

Question 3: What do you believe was Socrates’ main message or purpose in his philosophical pursuits?

Plato explained that Socrates aimed to demonstrate that knowledge and virtue are interconnected. He believed that ignorance is the root of immoral behavior and that true wisdom begins with recognizing one’s own ignorance. Socrates’ purpose was to awaken the moral conscience of Athens and to show that living rightly is more valuable than material success or social status.

Question 4: Why did Socrates refuse to cease his teaching even when it threatened his life?

Plato said that Socrates regarded his philosophical mission as a divine calling and was committed to his moral duty. He believed that compromising his principles would be unjust and would betray the gods and himself. Socrates stated that “an unexamined life is not worth living,” and he chose death over abandoning his pursuit of truth and virtue.

Question 5: How did Socrates view ignorance, and why does he consider it the beginning of wisdom?

Socrates believed ignorance was the fundamental problem in human life. He argued that recognizing one’s own ignorance is the first step toward acquiring true knowledge. For Socrates, humility and acknowledgment of one’s limitations are essential for personal growth and moral development.

Question 6: Can you explain how individual citizens could become their own philosophers according to Socrates’ teachings?

Plato said Socrates believed that through continuous questioning of oneself and others, anyone could attain philosophical understanding. He encouraged citizens to practice self-examination regularly and to seek moral improvement, transforming from unwitting sinners into aware and virtuous individuals.

Question 7: What was Socrates’ view on the role of the state and laws in relation to individual morality?

Socrates believed that laws should serve the pursuit of justice and virtue, but he insisted that moral conscience must sometimes override civil authority when unjust laws are involved. He maintained that loyalty to truth and virtue was paramount, even if it meant risking the wrath of the state.

Question 8: How did Socrates’ death influence the future of philosophy?

Plato reflected that Socrates’ willingness to accept death rather than betray his principles made him a martyr for truth. His death underscored the importance of moral integrity and the pursuit of knowledge, inspiring future philosophers to value philosophical inquiry above personal safety.

Question 9: What lessons from Socrates’ life can contemporary thinkers and students learn today?

Plato emphasized that Socrates exemplifies the virtues of humility, curiosity, moral courage, and unwavering commitment to truth. The importance of questioning authority, seeking self-knowledge, and standing up for one’s principles are enduring lessons from Socrates’ life.

Question 10: In your view, what is Socrates’ greatest contribution to philosophy?

Plato responded that Socrates’ greatest contribution was establishing the ethical foundation of Western philosophy through his relentless pursuit of virtue, his method of dialectical inquiry, and his emphasis on the examined life. His ideas continue to influence philosophical thought to this day.

References

• Brickhouse, T.C., & Smith, N.D. (2010). Socratic Wisdom: On the Diversity of Socratic Philosophical Sources. Oxford University Press.
• Guthrie, W.K.C. (1972). The Presocratic Philosophers. Cambridge University Press.
• Nussbaum, M.C. (2000). The Therapy of Desire: Theory and Practice in Hellenistic Ethics. Princeton University Press.
• Plato. (1992). The Republic (G. Grube & C.D.C. Reeve, Trans.). Hackett Publishing.
• Plato. (1997). The Apology of Socrates (G.M.A. Grube, Trans.). Hackett Publishing.
• Schofield, M. (2003). The Last Days of Socrates. Hackett Publishing.
• Vlastos, G. (1991). Socrates, Ironist and Moral Philosopher. Cornell University Press.
• Kraut, R. (2018). Socrates and the Examined Life. Oxford University Press.
• Burnyeat, M. (2000). Socratic Questions. Stanford University Press.
• Reeve, C. D. C. (2002). Socratic Teaching. In Socrates (2nd ed., pp. 170–202). Hackett Publishing.