Description
ntroduction to this Week’s Discussion
This week, you’re continuing reading Plato (c.428-347 B.C.): An excerpt from the Meno and the Apology. Chronologically, the events in the Meno occur prior to the trial, and one of the benefits of reading it (along with the Euthyphro) is some illumination of the activities that got Socrates into trouble. More specifically, our focus is on the connection between Socrates’s method and the nature of knowledge.
We think of an apology in terms of a mea culpa, an acknowledgement of having done something wrong, and an accompanying expression of regret. The Greek term, however, means something different. Apologia means “defense.” The dialogue of the same name is almost a monologue of Socrates’s trial, during which his role is to defend himself against the charges that he is an atheist, a creator of new divinities, and a corruptor of Athens’ youth.
This discussion, like all the others, is constituted by two parts. First, you’re going to respond to the prompt I provide. Once you do that, you can see others’ responses. Unlike the first discussion forum, this one will involve replying to a classmate’s post. See below for further instructions on that front.
Please answer this question: Does Socrates care about anyone? Use evidence from either the Meno excerpt or Apology supports your view. (Be sure not to quote the text, but instead, make reference to the important ideas, which you’ll describe.)
Before you begin, read this answer provided by ChatGPT. (It’s 238 words.) Notice the following problems, which are not the extent of the issues with the product:
It’s superficial. Sure, ChatGPT addresses the question, but it offers merely descriptive accounts, at best. Consider, for example, the second paragraph. It’s vague. Worse yet, it makes claims but neither explains nor analyzes them. Consequently, there’s no argument. Remember, your job is to come up with a well-reasoned position. Part of what constitutes a ‘well-reasoned claim’ is specific references to the text and analysis.
Given the limited word “real estate” we have, every word has to be carefully chosen for sharp conceptual focus, and every sentence has to teach your reader what you think. So, for example, why does ChatGPT bother, in the first paragraph, to say anything about “Meno,” when there’s no subsequent discussion of the dialogue? Given what’s asserted, there should be some discussion of what Socrates thinks counts as a good answer to the question. Indeed, virtue’s teachability, or lack thereof, is important to the question of Socratic care!
Now write your own post. (You needn’t address the ChatGPT sample, since it’s not relevant to what I’d like you to do. I’d like you to provide your own analysis; ChatGPT’s sample is an object lesson in what NOT to do. (That said, the writing is clear and coherent, which is good, but it’s just fluff.)
Your initial post should be between 200 and 300 words—no shorter,
