7 October 2007
Socrates
Posted by Adrian under History, Philosophy
The 2007 series of In Our Time kicked off last week with a safe, reliable topic - Socrates (audio stream/wiki). Experienced contributors, a reinvigorated Melvyn and a subject that I have a vague feeling has already been covered - what could go wrong?
Nothing, as it turned out. This was a very pleasant yet oddly unremarkable edition. Possibly this is because I’ve already read up on basic philosophy (try The Dream of Reason by Anthony Gottlieb - it’s an excellent starter) but it was nevertheless an interesting refresher.
Some choice quotations on non-violence that stuck with me:
Angie Hobbs: This is [Socrates'] big move: he says, we all agree that we want happiness - the ‘flourishing life’ and what I’m telling you is that you’re not going to get the flourishing life unless you live virtuously because otherwise you’re going to be harming yourself more than the other people you hurt, because you will harm your own soul. You can only hurt other people’s bodies or their possessions; only the agent can harm his or her own soul. That was the controversial claim.
David Sedley: In fact what Angie’s talking about is one of Socrate’s most distinctive doctrines … that it’s never, in any circumstances, right to harm another person. You should not return wrong for wrong, you should not return harm for harm. This rejection of retaliation, he makes it quite clear, is a rejection of a whole moral tradition.
3 Comments so far...
Sean McHugh Says:
9 March 2009 at 10:23 pm.
“one of Socrate’s most distinctive doctrines … that it’s never, in any circumstances, right to harm another person.” Let’s not go mad here. Socrates had been in the heavy infantry as a hoplite for forty years and fought in many battles, doubtless killing his share of the enemy. Alcibiades reckoned Socrates had saved his life after the line broke on one occasion.
Franc Bell Says:
11 April 2009 at 5:26 pm.
I see there is mention of missing programmes. Which ones?
Jacob Says:
26 April 2009 at 6:32 am.
Dear Melvyn,
I wish I could have heard this program, but unfortunately I cannot always get onto the site to download each program every week. The ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) offers its past programs as an mp3 download. Will you please encourage the BBC to follow suit? I don’t have time to sit at my computer and listen to your programs on it, I need them on the run!
Best wishes,
- Jacob.