Tuesday, March 20, 2018

A Refresher Concerning Big Questions

At this time of reboot, it pays to take a minute to remind ourselves how Big Questions started, and what was the intent?

Philosophy:  Asking questions like a child, and answering them like a lawyer!

A Socratic Question is typically formed as a "What is ...?" question.  What is virtue?  What is justice?  What is honor?  That sort of thing.  These were the sorts of topics that Socrates liked, and we try and keep to that format when developing Big Questions for our own discussions today.  We have certainly branched out a bit and don't limit the topics to ones that Socrates hashed out 2,500 years ago, necessarily, although many of the classic questions are still good ones to keep in mind today.  We can delve into topics that are of current interest to us, and that may be a product of our modern society and way of living.

I have many sources to draw upon for What is .. ? questions.  My ideal situation is for the group to come up with one they like, and are ready to explore.  They can be based on daily life.  What is marriage in modern society?   What is our civic responsibility in a corrupt society?  I think these are valid questions, and wold be pleased to lead a discussion about them,  As I noted in March, marriage can be a touchy topic, especially if you and your spouse are looking for help or validation of a position you may have taken.  It certainly was lively many years ago when we tried it for the first time.

Classically philosophical topics can be difficult for non-philosophers to deal with.  The reasoning gets abstract, and often people draw in what may seem to be obscure sources, quoting philosophers inaccurately or possibly out of context.  It often leaves me wanting to look up the source material to put things into proper context.  If you look at the sheer size of the anthologies I have on my shelf you can see that "great thinkers" of the past were also tremendously verbose!  Still, Socrates was fond of this sort of thing and I'd like to think we can all participate in a true philosophical discussion once in a while.

Will you read a few pages of text to prepare for a session?  I have pages copied and available electronically for several topics.  I will try and make them available for topics I may want to promote in future sessions.

It may seem trite, but please take the time to read The Republic by Plato.  The information is very accessible, and the process of dialectic discussion that has made Socrates the world's premier philosopher is in full display throughout the work.  Plato's chronicle of the life of Socrates stands as a monument to Greek Philosophy through the ages.  If you can get into this frame of mind, you can understand what I am trying to create in Big Questions.

Desmond

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