[Script Info]
Title: 
[Events]
Format: Layer, Start, End, Style, Name, MarginL, MarginR, MarginV, Effect, Text
Dialogue: 0,0:00:00.00,0:00:05.90,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,(intro music)
Dialogue: 0,0:00:05.90,0:00:08.35,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Hi! I'm Chris Surprenant, and I teach in\N
Dialogue: 0,0:00:08.35,0:00:11.93,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the department of philosophy at\Nthe University of New Orleans.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:11.93,0:00:15.03,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,This video is part of my series\Non human well-being
Dialogue: 0,0:00:15.03,0:00:19.15,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and the good life, and it examines the\Naccount of well-being presented by Plato's
Dialogue: 0,0:00:19.15,0:00:22.15,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,character Socrates in\Nthe Platonic dialogues.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:22.15,0:00:24.46,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,If you've taken an introduction\Nto philosophy class,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:24.46,0:00:28.14,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,it's very likely that you have\Nread Plato's Apology.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:28.14,0:00:32.62,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,This dialogue provides Plato's version\Nof a speech given by Socrates
Dialogue: 0,0:00:32.62,0:00:38.29,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to defend himself against the charges of\Ncorrupting the youth and impiety, charges
Dialogue: 0,0:00:38.29,0:00:42.35,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that Socrates ultimately was convicted\Nof and sentenced to death.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:42.35,0:00:46.62,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,This dialogue contains one have the most\Nfrequently cited lines in the entire
Dialogue: 0,0:00:46.62,0:00:48.30,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,history of Western thought.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:48.30,0:00:51.92,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,When speaking to the jury to\Nexplain why he can't simply stop
Dialogue: 0,0:00:51.92,0:00:55.39,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,what he is doing, why he can't stop\Nannoying people by constantly
Dialogue: 0,0:00:55.39,0:01:00.72,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,questioning them about what they believe\Nand why, Socrates says that he can't stop
Dialogue: 0,0:01:00.72,0:01:07.10,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,examining his own life because the\Nunexamined life is not worth living.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:07.10,0:01:11.43,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,That statement provides tremendous\Ninsight into Socrates's understanding
Dialogue: 0,0:01:11.43,0:01:13.59,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,as to what it means to live a good life.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:13.59,0:01:16.16,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,What Socrates is telling us is that the
Dialogue: 0,0:01:16.16,0:01:21.57,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,person who merely wakes up in the morning,\Ngoes to work, does his job, comes home,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:21.57,0:01:25.11,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,watches television, goes to bed,\Nand then repeats this process,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:25.11,0:01:29.90,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,day in and day out for his entire life,\Nnever really reflecting on what he ought
Dialogue: 0,0:01:29.90,0:01:35.63,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to be doing or what he values and\Nwhy, that that life is not worth living.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:35.63,0:01:37.54,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But for Socrates, participating in this
Dialogue: 0,0:01:37.54,0:01:41.18,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,type of rational reflection about\Nwhat you value and why,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:41.18,0:01:47.01,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that is, doing philosophy, is not enough\Nby itself in order to live a good life.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:47.01,0:01:52.34,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,What is also needed is that an individual\Nbecomes a master of himself, using his
Dialogue: 0,0:01:52.34,0:01:57.07,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,reason to rein in his passions, as\Nwell as doing what he can to help
Dialogue: 0,0:01:57.07,0:01:59.26,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,promote the stability of his community.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:59.26,0:02:03.74,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And these topics are explored directly\Nin Plato's dialogue Republic.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:03.74,0:02:06.90,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,While most people think\Nof Republic as a political
Dialogue: 0,0:02:06.90,0:02:11.49,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,dialogue that focuses on the nature of\Njustice, it is perhaps better understood
Dialogue: 0,0:02:11.49,0:02:14.17,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,as a dialogue focusing on virtue and the
Dialogue: 0,0:02:14.17,0:02:17.65,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,role of philosophy, community,\Nand the state in helping to
Dialogue: 0,0:02:17.65,0:02:21.38,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,create the conditions that\Nmake living well possible.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:21.38,0:02:26.63,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,At the beginning of book two, Glaucon,\None of Socrates's interlocutors in the
Dialogue: 0,0:02:26.63,0:02:27.90,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,dialogue, poses a challenge to Socrates.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:27.90,0:02:31.84,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Glaucon tells the fable\Nof the Ring of Gyges,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:31.84,0:02:35.51,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,which, like the One Ring in the\NLord of the Rings, has the power
Dialogue: 0,0:02:35.51,0:02:37.13,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to make its wearer invisible.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:37.13,0:02:39.98,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,He notes that the person who\Nwears the ring, through
Dialogue: 0,0:02:39.98,0:02:43.93,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,various types of deception, would\Nbe able to get anything he wanted:
Dialogue: 0,0:02:43.93,0:02:47.49,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,power, money, or even a good reputation.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:47.49,0:02:50.63,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The moral of this story\Nseems to be that it's not
Dialogue: 0,0:02:50.63,0:02:55.55,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,important to actually be just, but\Nrather merely to appear to be just.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:55.55,0:02:58.23,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And so his challenge to Socrates is:
Dialogue: 0,0:02:58.23,0:03:02.21,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"Why must an individual be\Njust in order to live a good life?
Dialogue: 0,0:03:02.21,0:03:06.21,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Isn't it simply necessary for that\Nperson to appear to be just?
Dialogue: 0,0:03:06.21,0:03:08.87,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,In the remaining eight and\Na half books of Republic,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:08.87,0:03:11.74,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Socrates attempts to address this challenge.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:11.74,0:03:16.31,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,His solution is to see justice not\Njust as a political condition,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:16.31,0:03:19.08,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,but also as a state\Nof a person's soul.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:19.08,0:03:24.63,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Understood politically, justice requires\Neach person in the city to mind his own
Dialogue: 0,0:03:24.63,0:03:27.03,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,business, doing the particular job that
Dialogue: 0,0:03:27.03,0:03:30.33,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,has been allocated to him\Nto the best of his abilities.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:30.33,0:03:34.61,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Socrates claims that operating in this\Nmanner will allow the city to thrive,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:34.61,0:03:36.72,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,which is in everyone's best interest.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:36.72,0:03:39.22,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,When the boys object\Nthat one implication of
Dialogue: 0,0:03:39.22,0:03:43.38,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,this position is that particular\Nindividuals or classes of individuals
Dialogue: 0,0:03:43.38,0:03:47.00,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,will not be happy with this arrangement,\NSocrates responded that he is not
Dialogue: 0,0:03:47.00,0:03:50.43,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,concerned with the happiness of\Nparticular individuals or classes of
Dialogue: 0,0:03:50.43,0:03:54.50,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,individuals, but rather with the\Nhappiness of the city as a whole.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:54.50,0:03:56.25,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Here, we see that, for Socrates,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:56.25,0:04:00.01,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,a well-ordered society trumps\Nindividual freedom.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:00.01,0:04:04.01,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,In addition to understanding justice\Npolitically, Socrates also sees
Dialogue: 0,0:04:04.01,0:04:06.07,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,it as a state of an individual's soul.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:06.07,0:04:08.75,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,He compares the soul\Nto a two-horse chariot.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:08.75,0:04:13.77,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,One of these horses, which he associates\Nwith a person's appetites or desires,
Dialogue: 0,0:04:13.77,0:04:17.11,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Socrates says, is stubborn,\Nand must be controlled.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:17.11,0:04:19.32,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The other horse, which he associates with
Dialogue: 0,0:04:19.32,0:04:23.70,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,spiritedness, is noble and can\Nbe used by reason, which he
Dialogue: 0,0:04:23.70,0:04:27.62,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,associates with the charioteer, to\Nhelp control the stubborn horse
Dialogue: 0,0:04:27.62,0:04:30.97,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But if a person doesn't learn\Nhow reason can make use of
Dialogue: 0,0:04:30.97,0:04:35.68,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,spiritedness in order to rein in desire,\Nthen that person will be just as
Dialogue: 0,0:04:35.68,0:04:39.47,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,misdirected as the chariot controlled\Nby the stubborn horse.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:39.47,0:04:43.19,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,When understood in this way,\Nit seems obvious to Socrates
Dialogue: 0,0:04:43.19,0:04:45.45,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,why being just, in addition to
Dialogue: 0,0:04:45.45,0:04:49.18,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,participating in philosophical\Ninvestigation, is necessary
Dialogue: 0,0:04:49.18,0:04:50.89,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,in order to live a good life.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:50.89,0:04:55.33,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The just person not only does his part\Nin order to maintain the stability of
Dialogue: 0,0:04:55.33,0:04:57.14,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the society and the community,
Dialogue: 0,0:04:57.14,0:05:02.28,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,but is also in control of himself\Nand is not ruled by his desires.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:02.28,0:05:04.22,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Is Socrates' position reasonable?
Dialogue: 0,0:05:04.22,0:05:06.34,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,While us moderns might find it odd
Dialogue: 0,0:05:06.34,0:05:09.93,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that his conception of the good\Nlife would be tied so closely to
Dialogue: 0,0:05:09.93,0:05:13.00,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,what appears to be a significant\Nrestriction of individual freedom,
Dialogue: 0,0:05:13.00,0:05:17.63,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Socrates might respond that freedom\Noutside of a well-ordered community or
Dialogue: 0,0:05:17.63,0:05:22.78,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,well-ordered soul is simply lawlessness,\Nand lawlessness is inconsistent with any
Dialogue: 0,0:05:22.78,0:05:26.50,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,conception of human well-being and\Nwhat it means to live a good life.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:26.50,0:05:31.65,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Anyone who might want to refute Socrates's\Nposition at the very least would need to
Dialogue: 0,0:05:31.65,0:05:36.72,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,show how an emphasis on individual freedom\Ndoes not lead to this kind of lawlessness.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:36.72,0:05:40.43,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And so what we see in the Socratic\Ndialogues is a conception of human
Dialogue: 0,0:05:40.43,0:05:44.60,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,well-being and the good life that\Nemphasizes both the importance of
Dialogue: 0,0:05:44.60,0:05:49.42,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,rational reflection and an individual\Ndoing his part to contribute to the
Dialogue: 0,0:05:49.42,0:05:52.12,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,stability of the community as a whole.