Topics Philosophers

Question Hi, I'm curious how modern, professional philosophers (those holding a PhD, doing academic research, etc) view someone like Plato. I should add that I'm a mathematician and thus be a little biased, but I find their reasoning and arguments to be terrible in so many cases. Perhaps my definition of philosopher is too specific, but I'd say they're more like an artist than what I think of as a philosopher. For example, I'd say the metaphysics in the Republic may serve as an inspirational model for later philosophers, but his literal account, in my mind!, is almost silly.

Accepted:
November 12, 2011

Comments

As you probably know, the title "Ph.D." is (technically or literally) a Doctor of Philosophy so someone with a Ph.D. in mathematics is not exactly completely free of philosophy. I mention this because mathematics as well as what we would today call sciences were often practiced by those known as philosophers. Pythagorus (who may have been the first person called a philosopher) was also someone we would call today a mathematician. So, my first response is that those known as "philosophers" (Greek for lovers of wisdom) were those who sought wisdom in all areas, including mathematics and carried out investigations into the nature of the world and values. Early philosophers like Plato may sound to us as silly, but I urge you to put yourself in Plato's position. Athens had just been defeated in a major war. His teacher, Socrates, a veteran of a defeated army raised questions about what is justice, courage, friendship...what is good? And Socrates was executed for raising such questions (and perhaps executed for other reasons as well, but I leave that to one side now). In any case, I ask you to consider the PASSION that is evident in the works of Plato and Aristotle, their passion to understand mathematics as well as to understand the cosmos, justice, democracy, art, beauty and ugliness, law, knowledge... Some of their work and arguments will sound very odd, e.g. Plato's account of our knowledge of the Pythagorean theorem involves reincarnation! But what we see in the work of Plato and others is the exciting beginning of the road of inquiry, the quest for wisdom, which (I hope) you see as profoundly important.

There is a terrific set of lectures by Daniel Robinson on what civilization owes the Greeks available through the Teaching Company. You can download the lectures for a modest price, and I hope you might consider devoting a few hours listening to this very bright and amusing philosopher outline some of the great contributions to our contemporary thinking that come from the Ancient Greeks.