Sophie's World Outline

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An Outline of Sophie’s World.By R. Sliff, 2003From: http://home.comcast.net/~philosophygadfly/an_otline_of_sophie.htm

Searched on !ahoo "sophie#s $orld and philosophygadfly%

Draft. 12/28/2003, in progress.

Sophie's World is a &o'el a(ot the )istory of *hilosophy.

*lease +se the follo$ing otline as a companion to the Boo.

-. he -nitial estions "hapters 12%:

1. Who are you?

2. Where does the world come from?

3. What is Philosophy?a. hat sort of things or concerns $old interest s all4

(. )o$ is the philosopher lie a child4c. hat is the meaning of the analogy of 5plling the $hite ra((it ot of a

hat46

i, e $ant to no$ ho$ the tric $ors.ii. he image of the ra((it fr is similar to the image of the

allegory of the ca'e.

d. he faclty of $onder:i. Ba(ies ha'e it.

ii. 7ro$nps lose it.

iii. *hilosophers try to eep it.8. hy is 9ego the most ingenios toy in the $orld4

--. he yths "hapter ;3%:

1. yth 'erss 5religios6 e


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i. he most (asic s(stance or principle $as $ater.

ii. -t is one s(stance ndergoing change.

(. ?na


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'. hey are analogos to 9ego (locs.

'i. here is also the 'oid. -s this simply 5empty space46 -t is

5nothingness6 and if not, ho$ not4'ii. )e $as a materialistthere is no 5force6 or 5immaterial sol,6

only case and effect. -s the random4

'iii. he sol "psyche% is only 'ery fine atoms. "For s, lie theconcept of 5(rain acti'ities.6% hey are hooed together in life,

(t come apart in death.

i. he end of 7ree 5natral6 philosophy. hey ha'e dealt $ith the pro(lems of

the one and the many and $ith permanence and change.

-@. Fate " !oira%"hapter ;G%

1. First estions.

a. "o you #elie$e in fate?#. %s sic&ness the punishment of the ods?

c. What forces o$ern the course of (istory?2. hate'er happens is predestined. "?strology, sperstitions, etc.%

3. *ythia of Delphithe priestess of ?pollo.

8. 5Hno$ hyself.6 Do not thin yo are more than yo really are, that is, mortaland finite.

>. e find many 'estiges in or actions and or langage. "-nflenIa%

G. he natralist direction leads to Science.

a. )ippocrates)ealth $as the natral condition and sicness $as natregetting ot of $hac.

(. )erodots and hchdidesnatral e


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f. Regards the Lestion of the gods, they $old ha'e to (e considered to

(e agnostic.

g. hey $ere considered seditios for their casting do(t on the 'ie$s ofsociety and cltre, especially in ?thens.

h. Socrates o(Mecti'e $as to conter this $a'e of relati'ism, a $a'e that

$as considered destrcti'e of cltre, society, and e'en hman natre.3. Socrates the man.

a. )e $rote nothing.

(. )e li'ed in ?thens.c. *lato, his ppil, tells s most of $hat $e no$ of him.

d. Cr portrait of him (y *lato is $hat is the (asis for the inspiration he

has pro'ided the estern $orld.

8. he dialectic of the mid$ife.a. )e does not gi'e (irth to ideas, (t instead he helps the learner to gi'e

(irth to the ideas that he already has.

(. hat is Socratic irony4

c. )is Mo( $as that of a gadfly.>. Ness and Socrates $ere alie in some $ays. hat $ere some of these $ays4

G. Socrates the philosopher.a. ? lo'er of $isdom E a philosopher. ? possessor of $isdom E a sophist.

(. )e did not teach for money. hy4

c. hat is the real difference (et$een a sophist and a philosopher4i. Sophist: Schoolmaster, a selfopinionated no$itall. "he Rsh

9im(agh#s of the $orld.%

ii. ? real philosopher "direct opposite of a sophist%: )e/she no$s

that he/she really no$s 'ery little. )e/she stri'es to no$.1%. 5he $isest is she $ho no$s she does not no$.6

2%. hy is gi'ing ans$ers less threatening than asing

Lestions4d. he t$o possi(ilities that are on opposite sides of the philosopher. )e is

the 5Moer6 that is in (et$een.

i. e fool orsel'es and others (y pretending that $e no$. "hedead certain.%

ii. e close or eyes to the isses and a(andon all. "he totally

indifferent.%

iii. hese mae p the mass of manind.e. he Socratic estits origin.

i. hairophonhe 'isited the oracle of Delphi "*ythia.%

ii. Socrates is the $isest man in the $orld.iii. Socrates response $as something lie 5that#s craIy.6

i'. Bt, the Cracle, Socrates fond, $as right.

f. ? solid fondation for no$ledge mst (e (ased on reason. his is onething that Socrates did not Lestion.

g. he 5inner 'oice.6

i. onscience.


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ii. 5)e $ho no$s $hat is good OrightP $ill do $hat is good

OrightP.6

iii. o do $rong is to not no$ any (etter.i'. 9earning is, ths, most important.

'. +sing reason is ho$ learning progresses, not Mst (y follo$ing

the tradition of one#s society or cltre.'i. o (e happy is one#s ltimate goalthat is, +udamonia. O57ood

spiritedness6 or 5good psyche6 or 5good sol.6P "-t is not

possi(le to (e happy if yor contine to do $hat yo no$ is$rong.%

@-. *lato "hapter Q%:

1. oncerned $ith the pro(lem of the one and the many, the eternal and thetemporal "finite% the immta(le and the changea(le.

2. oncerned that right and $rong are not relati'e.

3. ?'oid topical s(Mects and concentrate on eternal s(Mects.

8. he immta(le and the eternal is not a physical s(stance, (t is a(ot patterns, patterns that are 5spirital and a(stract,6 that is, immortal.

a. hey are needed, as things cold not (e $hat they are (y chance, as$ith materialists/Democrits.

(. hat here is the significance of the 9ego (locs4

c. hat is the meaning of the comparison of the 7inger(read men/cooiesand the cooie mold4

d. hat is the $orld 5(ehind6 the natral $orld4 -t is the $orld of ideas,

namely the forms.

>. re Hno$ledge.a. he philosopher tries to grasp something that is immta(le and eternal.

hy4

(. hat is in the process of change, no no$ledge, only opinion "do


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K. he philosophic polis. "a meritocracy.%

a. -t mirrors the hman (ody.

i. he head "Brain%ii. he chest "heart%

iii. he a(domen "digesti'e trac%

(. he hman psyche.i. Reason.

ii. ill "spirit/emotion.%

iii. ?ppetite "physical needs for food, se. he Final case:a. -t is (ased on the 5hy6 Lestion.

(. -t assigns a life tas to the things in natre, a prpose.

c. his is opposite of ho$ $e nderstand case. -s it an anthropomorphic

fallacy4


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d. here is prpose in natre. his is science 'erss religion, pre

casality 'erss 57od#s6 prpose.

e. -f prpose in natre is 57od#s ase,6 then it is not natre#s case of prpose.

G. 9ogic:

a. -t is the process of sorting the things in natre into categories ands(categories.

(. here is a hierarchy of categories.

c. here are la$s of 'alidity that go'ern or conclsions and proofs, thatis, to clarify the relations (et$een classes of things.

J. 9i'ing 'erss non li'ing:

a. &onli'ing means no potential for change. ")ere change $ill al$ays (e

the reslt of e


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c. hat is meant (y 5conscience46 Do yo thin conscience is the same for

e'eryone4

d. hat is meant (y priority of 'ale4P

@---. )ellenism "hapter 12%: 7ree cltre and philosophy $as the dominant inflence

throghot the $estern $orld.1. Syncretism.

2. he transition to isses of sal'ation from death, to immortality.

3. &o long $as philosophy done for its o$n sae, from $onder, (t no$ forlterior prposes.

8. ?thens remained the center of philosophy.

>. ?le


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2. Semites: Different cltre, different langage.

a. 9eads to onotheism.

(. ? linear 'ie$ of history.c. he most important sense $as hearing. 5o read alod or recite.6

d. &o pictorial representations of sclptres of the gods "7od.%

e. 7od and creation are separate (y distance.3. -srael: 7enesis?dam and A'e sym(oliIed as the 5gilty 'ictim.6

8. Ness: he contrast.

a. Socrates sho$ed the danger of appealing to people#s reason. (. Ness sho$ed the danger of demanding nconditional lo'e and

forgi'eness.

i. )e sym(oliIed the sffering ser'ant.

ii. )o$ far is this from the 5gilty 'ictim46>. *al: he immortality of the sol.

a. his is not a )e(re$ idea. -t is a 7ree idea.

(. )e comes to ?thens to con'ert the 7rees.

c. e ha'e a meeting of t$o cltres $ith t$o different thoght forms, a'isal and an aral.

=. he iddle ?ges "hapter 1>%:

1. he middle ages lasted for 5ten hors.6 hat does this mean4

2. -n >2Q ?D: he hristian hrch closed *lato#s ?cademy in ?thens. &o$ there$as only the hrch as the sorce of edcation.

3. edie'al *hilosophy.

a. he contrast (et$een faith and reason: -s the first enogh, or can $e add

the second also. (. St ?gstine: )e hristianiIes *lato.

i. -nflences and opposition.

a%. anichean: Dalism of opposites, especially good 'erss e'il. (%. &eoplatonism: A


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iii. )e soght to pro'e the e


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i. &e$ton:

i. Doe s not Mst spea a(ot inertia, (t a(ot gra'itation. "he

9a$. Force increases $ith siIe/mass and decreased $ithdistance.% -t is ni'ersal.

ii. he la$ of planetary or(itsthere are t$o forces at $or at the

same time.

=--. he Reformation "hapter 1G%:

1. &e$ religiosity mars a ne$ relationship $ith 7od.2. &o longer chrch (ased "lie the ity of 7od% (t is no$ person (ased.

3. -ntersession (y the hrch and its priests are no longer needed in order to

o(tain 7od#s forgi'eness.

8. 5he scriptre alone.6 Retrn to the sorce of hristianity. Nst lie theRenaissance hmanists, $ho $anted to retrn to the ancient sorces.

>. 9ther translated the (i(le into 7erman. his fonded the 7erman $ritten

langage.

G. Bt, 9ther $as not positi'e a(ot man lie the hmanists. he fall of manga'e s a totally depra'ed, sinfl hman. Sal'ation is only throgh grace, not

reason and no$ledge.

=---. he BaroLe "hapter 1J%: -t is the art of irreglarity. he 1Jth entry.

1. 59ife is a theater.6 he period ga'e (irth to the modern theater.2. Shaespeare: occpied $ith the (re'ity of life.

3. 5arpe diem.6 "SeiIe the day.%, 5momento mori.6 "Remem(er yo mst die.%

8. -dealism and materialism (oth held s$ay.

>. 9aplachypothesis. *roposed e


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(. e can first eliminate $hate'er $e no$ that is not certain. o

eliminate e'erything that can (e do(ted.

Q. )e do(ted e'erythinga ind of Iero point. Bt, the do(ting, thogh, $ascertain. hen he $as do(ting, he $as thining. So, ogito ergo sm.

10. &o$, $hat else did he feel he ne$ for certain4 )e also had the idea of a

perfect entity in his mind. Bt this cold not ha'e come from his o$nimperfect (eing. herefore, the idea had to come from the perfect (eing, and

that $as 7od.

11. ? perfect entity $old not (e perfect if it did not e


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a. *rimary and secondary Lalities.

(. *rimary Lalities: e


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=@---. Bereley "hapter 22%:

Hno$ledge comes only thogh the senses.

1. )e is the most consistent of empiricists. hy42. he things of the otside $orld $ere not really things. -nstead, all are ideas.

hat is, he Lestioned the e. Bac to natre: a ne$ catch phrase meaning (ac to reason since reason is

natral. -t is antici'iliIation on an image of the no(le sa'age. i'iliIation is

seen as the corrpting inflence.

G. &atral religion: religion needed to (e (roght into harmony $ith 5natralreason.6 Deism: 7od is a creator only.

J. )man rights: o campaign for these rights, not Mst to theoretically esta(lish

them. -t clminates in the Declaration of the 5Rights of an and itiIen6 in1JKQ. hey are natral rights (ecase $e are (orn $ith then.

==. Hant "hapter 2>%:1. Both empiricism and rationalism $ere partly right, (t they $ere partly $rong

also.

2. First, $ith )me, all no$ledge of the $orld comes from or senses.

3. Reason pro'ides factors of ho$ $e percei'e the $orld. he mind sppliesconditions for e


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>. asation: )me cold not find it. For Hant, it is an attri(te of hman reason.

-t is ho$ reason percei'es e'erything that happens.

G. hat a(ot the things in them sel'es4 "he o(Mects of the e


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1. -t arises in 7ermany as a reaction against the Anlightenment and its emphasis

on reason, the emphasis that is on the contri(tion of the hman ego.

2. -t $as a time of the e


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c. he state is more than the sm of its citiIens. -t is a 7estalt.

11. he three stages of $orld spirit.

a. S(Mect spirit: orld Spirit is conscios in the indi'idal as aconsciosness of the family, ci'il society and the state.

(. C(Mecti'e spirit: orld Spirit is conscios in the family, ci'il society

and the state. -t is (ased on interaction.c. ?(solte Spirit: SelfrealiIation e


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(. he Athical Stage: Cne is no$ at the le'el of seriosness a(ot moral

choices. -t is in the Hantian stage $here yo try to li'e (y the moral

la$. -t is the concern $ith $hat is right or $rong.c. he Religios Stage: -t is the rise to faith, to nreasoning commitment.

-t is a choice. -t is to rise to the e. )is materialism.a. )e $as not a mechanistic materialist.

(. )e $as concerned $ith social 5material6 factors.

G. he Dialectica tension (et$een opposites, $hich is then resol'ed

5re'oltionarily.6J. )egel $as trned pside do$n. "arried o'er from Feer(ach.%

a. orld Spirit or orld Reason dri'es history for$ard according to)egel.

(. aterial "economic% changes are the ones that dri'e history. OSpirital

change does not create material change, (t 'ice 'ersa.PK. Dialectical aterialist.

a. hoght and ideas is the sperstrctre of a society.

(. he economic and material aspects are the (ases or fondations of a

society.c. hese are interractionally connected.

Q.here are three le'els/steps in the (ase of society. O+ses the analogy of the

*arthenon emple.Pa. he conditions of prodctionare (ased on natral resorces and

location.

(. he means of prodctionin'ol'e the inds of eLipment, tools,machinery, and ra$ materials.

c. *rodction relationsthe distri(tion of $or and o$nership, the

di'ision of la(or.

d. he ode of prodction-t incldes all of the a(o'e. hey determinedthe natre and character of the social and political sperstrctre

"ideology.% O&ote 'ice 'ersa as $ith )egel.P

e. here is not idea of natral rights for ar


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10. 9a(or: its natre. -t is the interaction of man $ith natre, $ith the reslt of

transforming natre, $hich in trn transforms man "dialectically.% O!o are

$hat yo do. hat yo mae is yorself e


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G. A'oltion as a theory: "-t $as not a ne$ idea.%

a. ?n accepta(le e


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a. Description of the hman mind in general.

(. ? therapy of ner'os and mental disorders.

2. Disco'ery of hman 5dri'es6 in contrast to the demands of society. his al$aysin'ol'es a tension.

a. Dri'es: -rrational hman implses that determine $hat $e thin, dream

and do. (. S(limation: Directs or action, s(consciosly.

c. Repression of e'en childhood conflicts.

d. 5?rcheology of the sol.6 Depth psychologylooed for deeplyrepressed memories. anted to (ring them to consciosness so they

can (e fi


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i. -nspiration prodces 5thoght6 mtations, many of them.

ii. Bt, only some can get sed.

iii. Reason selects (et$een the a'aila(le ideas.

==@. Cr C$n ime.

1. A


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ii. Cr $orld is conditioned (y $hat is significant to s.

Cr e

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Sophie's World Outline