Socrates understood Philosophy as a critical practice. It is “critical” in the optimistic sense — it aims at helping people achieve their goal of a good life by getting them to recognize obstacles to that goal.

In the Euthypho, Euthyphro’s goal was Pious action, and Socrates helped him recognize that he did not yet know what Piety is. Once he knew that he did not know — once he recognized his own ignorance — Euthyphro could avoid making a moral error by doing what only *appeared* to be Pious.

In the Apology, Socrates explains that, in questioning Euthyphro (and others), he learned the difference between Divine Wisdom and Human Wisdom. Gods can know what Pious action is, but humans can only know that they don’t know. This is human wisdom. It is the knowledge that humans are not gods. It is the recognition of human limits.

Socrates told the jury that the gods were using him to teach human wisdom to human beings and, to do this, Socrates relied on “shame.”

This is NOT Guilt. Guilt attempts to impose external values and standards. Unlike Guilt, Shame works by holding people up to their own values and standards. It causes tension, an internal crisis, and Socrates thought this was productive.

Productive of what? An internal crisis can bring a person to recognize their ignorance. Once they know that they do not know, they achieve human wisdom.

 

Socrates assumes that people WANT human wisdom, that they WANT to know that they don’t know. This assumption (let’s call it A3) follows from another assumption (A2): that everyone wants to avoid moral errors.

And, A2 follows from yet another assumption (A1): that everyone values Truth.

Although Socrates does not offer reasons to accept this chain of assumptions, we have considered one good reason to accept A1. The reason is that even people who accept what is false want the false to appear true.

Although we have good reason to agree with Socrates on A1, this creates a problem for Socrates on A2 and A3.

The problem is that what is false can only appear true to people who remain ignorant.

And people can’t remain ignorant if Socrates gets them to know that they don’t know.

In other words, People who value Truth as an appearance do NOT want to recognize their ignorance, they don’t want human wisdom.

To these people, as the saying goes, Ignorance is Bliss.

In that case, then Socrates is *not* holding people up to their own values and standards.

Instead, he is imposing his own value and standards on them. This would not be “shame” but “guilt.”

And there is no reason to think that Guilt is productive.

In fact, there are good reasons to think that it is actually counterproductive for Socrates.

Counterproductive for Socrates because it might NOT achieve his god-given mission.

 

 

QUESTION:

Was Socrates wrong to try to shame his fellow citizens? Defend your position.

By “wrong” I specifically mean this: was it counterproductive?

In your response, please refer to the Apology and related lectures to support your position.

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