Single Idea 23252

[catalogued under 18. Thought / A. Modes of Thought / 5. Rationality / b. Human rationality]

Full Idea

It would seem that historically the decisive step was taken by Socrates in conceiving of human beings as being run by a mind or reason.. …He postulated an entity whose precision nature and function then was a matter of considerable debate.

Gist of Idea

Socrates first proposed that we are run by mind or reason

Source

report of Socrates (reports of career [c.420 BCE]) by Michael Frede - Intro to 'Rationality in Greek Thought' p.19

Book Reference

'Rationality in Greek Thought', ed/tr. Frede,M /Striker,G [OUP 1999], p.19


A Reaction

This is, for me, a rather revelatory idea. I am keen on the fact the animals make judgements which are true and false, and also that we exhibit rationality when walking across uneven ground. So pure rationality is a cultural construct!

Related Idea

Idea 23248 Early empiricists said reason was just a useless concept introduced by philosophers [Galen, by Frede,M]