18807 - The Wisdom of Socrates

Course Overview

The wisdom of Socrates is unique in that Socrates did not offer any specific positive doctrinal wisdom such as is found in the so-called Wisdom Books of the Bible. Rather, the wisdom that Socrates developed and followed might be called the Wisdom of Ignorance. We will read and discuss four of Plato’s dialogues that have been called “Socratic” or nearly so. These will include three from the last days of Socrates’ life, the Euthyphro, Apology, Crito, and Phaedo. We may also consider other dialogues such as Protagoras, Gorgias, and Symposium. Texts used: The Last Days of Socrates, translated by Hugh Tredennick (this text has the four major dialogues we will cover), published by Penguin Classics. The Symposium is also a Penguin Classics publication, translated by Christopher Gill. Protagoras, translated by C.C.W. Taylor, and Gorgias, translated by Robin Waterfield, are both Oxford World Classics publications.