Problem Set 01
Instructions
A hardcopy (typed, printed) answer to the following problem set is due in class Tuesday, 9/04. I do not mind students working on the problem sets in groups--it is, in fact, encouraged--but your answers must be your own. Be sure that each answer is as complete, well-expressed, clear, and precise as you can make it. The value of each problem in a problem set is given in parentheses after the question. If you have any question, puzzle, or require clarification, please do not hesitate to contact me (berkich@gmail.com; 3976, 944-2756). Finally, the following maximums and minimums must be scrupulously observed:
- No less than 10pt font.
- No less than 1.5 line spacing.
- No less than 1 inch margins on all sides.
- No more than 1 side of 1 page for this problem set.
- A header line which has "Problem Set 01", the date, and your name at the very top of the page.
Note that these are maximums and minimums only. You may, for instance, write less than one page or use greater than a 10pt font.
In light of these admittedly serious constraints on the space available for answers, it is extremely important that you excise any and all extraneous or redundant material. For example, the phrases "It can be argued that", "I claim that", "I think that", or their kin preceding a sentence add absolutely nothing to the sentence, take up valuable space, and are in fact wholly redundant. Of course it can be argued that, claimed that, or thought that, or you would never have written it!
Every word must count for answering the question. Philosophical writing is thus austere, but terribly precise. Such is its virtue. That said, writing philosophy can be jarring at first, especially for those who have labored and suffered under the delusional five-paragraph essay regime.
Please note that it is not permitted to quote from the dialogue, or to plagiarize from the dialogue, or to plagiarize from anything, or even to revise a sentence from by replacing key phrases.
What you write, in short, must be what you write!
For additional advice on writing philosophy, I encourage you to study some of the advice linked from the resources page. Not all of the advice applies directly to these problem sets, as even in philosophy they are atypical. Nevertheless, there is much sound and helpful advice to be had about writing in general and writing philosophy in particular.
Question
Consider the following passage from the Apology, which occurs just prior to the jury's vote:
Perhaps someone might say: But Socrates, if you leave us will you not be able to live quietly, without talking? Now this is the most difficult point on which to convince some of you. If I say that it is impossible for me to [38] keep quiet because that means disobeying the god, you will not believe me and will think I am being ironical. On the other hand, if I say that it is the greatest good for a man to discuss virtue every day and those other things about which you hear me conversing and testing myself and others, for the unexamined life is not worth living for men, you will believe me even less. (italics mine)
He says it in an off-hand, 'well, of course everyone knows that' way.
The unexamined life is not worth living.
It has come to be one of the more famous quotes attributed to Socrates. Of course, the Apology not being a transcript, we've no idea whether Socrates actually said it or Plato simply attributed the famous words to his beloved teacher. No matter.
The question is what to make of this claim. Taken at face value, it seems to assert that the unexamined life is a life better not lived at all. Better to be dead than live such a life, it seems to propose.
Our puzzle for Problem Set 01 is this: What in your view could the examined life be such that it would be better to not live at all otherwise? What is it to examine ones life, and why do you think Socrates/Plato places such importance on it?