more on this theme     |     more from this thinker


Single Idea 1642

[filed under theme 1. Philosophy / D. Nature of Philosophy / 2. Invocation to Philosophy ]

Full Idea

We need to use every argument we can to fight against anyone who does away with knowledge, understanding, and intelligence, but at the same time asserts anything at all about anything.

Gist of Idea

We must fight fiercely for knowledge, understanding and intelligence

Source

Plato (The Sophist [c.359 BCE], 249c)

Book Ref

Plato: 'The Sophist', ed/tr. Bernadete,Seth [University of Chicago 1986], p.43


A Reaction

Thus showing that reason is only central if you want to put a high value on it?


The 16 ideas from 'The Sophist'

Wickedness is an illness of the soul [Plato]
A soul without understanding is ugly [Plato]
Didactic education is hard work and achieves little [Plato]
In discussion a person's opinions are shown to be in conflict, leading to calm self-criticism [Plato]
What does 'that which is not' refer to? [Plato]
Some alarming thinkers think that only things which you can touch exist [Plato]
To be is to have a capacity, to act on other things, or to receive actions [Plato]
We must fight fiercely for knowledge, understanding and intelligence [Plato]
If statements about non-existence are logically puzzling, so are statements about existence [Plato]
Good analysis involves dividing things into appropriate forms without confusion [Plato]
Good thinkers spot forms spread through things, or included within some larger form [Plato]
Dialectic should only be taught to those who already philosophise well [Plato]
The not-beautiful is part of the beautiful, though opposed to it, and is just as real [Plato]
If we see everything as separate, we can then give no account of it [Plato]
The desire to split everything into its parts is unpleasant and unphilosophical [Plato]
Whenever there's speech it has to be about something [Plato]