The Mission of Philosophy

+
+

+
+

+
+

Overview
Socrates’ mission
Wisdom as an integral vision
Four dimensions of experience

Socrates (circa 470–399 BC)
Socrates was born circa 470 BC, in Athens, Greece. We know of his life through the writings of his students, including Plato and Xenophon. His "Socratic method" – dialectics – laid the groundwork for Western systems of logic and philosophy.

‘The unexamined life is not worth living’
People who pursue wealth, fame or reputation as the means to happiness are blind and totally ignorant of what virtue is.
But the greatest problem of the human being lies in the self-conceit that one knows what happiness is.
Socrates duty was to let people awaken from such a deep-rooted self-presumption, and search for wisdom which alone promises true happiness.
“If I say again that daily to discourse about virtue is the greatest good of man, and that the unexamined life is not worth living, you are still less likely to believe me.“ (Apology 38a)

Virtue (arête)
Virtue is that trait of character upon which the achievement of the good life (eudaimonia, the well-being of the soul) depends.
Socrates once claimed: “it’s the greatest good for a man to discuss virtue all day … on the grounds that the unexamined life is not worth living” (The Apology).
In Greek, virtue (arête) means ‘excellence’.

Eudaimonia, the goal of human life
Socrates was the first to teach the priority of personal integrity in terms of a person’s duty to himself, and not to the gods, or the law, or any other authorities.
‘Well-being’ (eu) ‘of the soul’ (daimon) = eudaimonia (Compare: euthanasia)

Eudaimonia vs. Happiness
Not used to describe transient moods or satisfactions, like ‘happiness’ in English
Emotional balance
Both objective features of happiness (attainment of good) and subjective (being content as the state of mind)
“The end for which everything is done but which is not itself done for the sake of anything."

“I know that I don’t know”
One of Socrates’ followers risked to consult the Delphic Oracle, if anyone was wiser than Socrates?
And the Delphic Oracle answered:
"No, there is no person living wiser than Socrates."

“I know that I don’t know” (cont.)
Socrates was amazed at the answer. Not feeling himself wise, he cross-examined the ‘wise’ men of society (politicians, poets, artisans) and NOT find them wise.
So, Socrates concluded: “While others profess knowledge they do not have, I know that I don’t know”.

Love of Wisdom
The highest virtue is the pursuit of wisdom (philo-sophia).
This explicit pursuit of knowledge and wisdom became possible by knowing one’s own ignorance within oneself.
In sum: happiness (the well-being of the soul) not only depends on the philosophy (the pursuit of knowledge), but they are inseparably one and the same.

Love of Wisdom (cont.)
The pursuit of knowledge as the highest human virtue is an intrinsic value, that is, the good pursued for its own sake.
But isn’t it inconsistent with the previous thesis that happiness is the ultimate goal of all human beings?
No, for wisdom and love of wisdom are from Socrates’ viewpoint NOT mere means to happiness, or instrumental good (such as pleasure, honor, wealth, or the serenity of mind.)
Closer examination reveals that wisdom and happiness (well-being of human soul) are one and the same.

The Socratic Paradox
‘Nobody commits evil deed consciously’
Explanation:
Everyone seeks what is in his own self-interest. And he shouldn’t be blamed for this, for such is human nature.
But if he knew his true self-interest (well-being of his soul) he would never committed evil deed.
So, all evil deeds are committed due to human ignorance, that is, unconsciously.
Paradox is a judgment that contradicts to dominant opinion or seems impossible, but is actually true or possible.

The Socratic Paradox (cont.)
Objection: If evil were never done deliberately or voluntarily, then evil would be an involuntary act and consequently no one could properly be held responsible for the evil that is done.
But Socrates means moral responsibility:
Everyone is responsible for his own virtue. Once one knows what is good (=what ought to be done), one cannot but do this good.
As for our attitude to fellow men, most proper would be support and guidance.

The Socrates’ Death
“If you think that a man who is worth anything ought to spend his time weighing up the prospects of life and death. He has only one thing to consider in performing any action — that is, whether he is acting right or wrongly, like a good man or a bad one.”

Socrates: a man for our times?
Wisdom is an integral vision and ability to understand life in general.

Case 2.1. Truth-telling and Trust
Thao, 80-year-old Asian woman is hospitalized with pulmonary tuberculosis.
Her family asks that she not be told about her diagnosis, because in her home country tuberculosis was considered fatal and to tell her would be like giving her "a death sentence.“
You are her physician and should examine carefully the case in all dimensions of experience:
Objective
Subjective
Inter-subjective
Inter-objective
How Integral Vision helps you to make a wise decision?

Objective dimension of experience
In this dimension we find the world of individual exterior things:
our material body (including brain) and
anything that you can see or touch (or observe scientifically) in time and space.
We name this objective dimension “IT” space//’It is lecture hall’, ‘It is a living body’
What physician can learn of Thao’s condition in this dimension of experience?

Subjective dimension of experience
We find here the world of individual interior experiences:
thoughts and emotions,
memories,
states of mind,
perceptions and immediate sensations.
In other words, it is “I” space. //’I feel the…’, ‘I believe in …”, ‘I’m sure that…‘

Inter-subjective dimension of experience
We enter the world of collective interior experiences:
our shared values,
meanings and language,
relationships, and
cultural background.
In other words, it’s “WE" space //’To be healthy is a great thing…’, ‘God punish us for wrongs…’

Inter-objective dimension of experience
This dimension opens for us he world of collective exterior things:
social systems,
networks, technology,
government, and
the natural environment.
In other words, our inter-objective or “ITS” space //’What is proper for…’, ‘What factors (environmental, social, individual) influence health status?’

Integral vision of experience
What is the point of looking at the world through a 4-dimension lens?
Simple answer: Anything less is narrow, partial and fragmented!
For example, to the question of what is more real, the brain (with its neural pathways and structures) or the mind (with its thoughts and perceptions), Integral Vision answers: both.
Health is a “state of complete physical, mental, and social well being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity." (WHO definition)
.