Questions of the Philosophy Ideas - Assignment Example

? What did Socrates mean when he said, “All I know is that I do not know”? Did he think that he knew absolutely nothing? Socrates is that mystique who has revolutionized philosophy. Socrates did not literally document philosophy, but he has completely changed the prior concepts of philosophy and how initially people conceived it to be. Although whatever we have related to philosophy is a narration which is quite contradictory, but despite this contradiction, all the second hand knowledge lays the basis of today's philosophy. Socrates famous quotation “All I know is that I do not know” is a very contradictory statement in which Socrates humbly states that despite having so much knowledge and wisdom, he still believes that he does not know anything. This means that a human has very limited and concise knowledge, wisdom and morality and no matter how much one tries to grasp all the knowledge, it is not possible as a person to absorb everything. Thus, Socrates believes that irrespective of all the knowledge he possesses, he still does not know anything. This leads to self-questioning and judging one's self whether what we assume is actually true or just a vague illusion. Nothing was completely pure and perfect for Socrates. He believed that there was more to explore. Another perspective can be that Socrates was so ignorant that through this statement he meant that he at least he knew something if not everything (Miles 165) This is a very contradictory statement, and it is quite difficult to ascertain what he really wanted to convey; personally I think that he knew a lot and wanted to learn more. 2. What did Descartes mean when he said, “I think, therefore I am.” "I Think Therefore I Am" is a very renowned quotation or one of the most popular phrases ever said. This phrase was written by famous Rene Descartes in the 1600's in his book Meditations II. Earlier in his first book Meditations I, he completely destructed the belief of anything that occurred. He justified his statement by saying that there was not any way to be certain about his thoughts which were apparently mistaken or mislead, which is the misconception of human beings. Few examples he gave were that one cannot change the fact that there is a supreme power that exists and which plays and tricks the human brain or the very common optically seen illusions that baffle the human brain. Later in his book the Meditations II, he states that there is only a singular thing he can be sure of - that he is present. His justification lay in the fact that the ambiguity of certainty was due to the thoughts which were deluded. Deluded thoughts, if there are any, thoughts apparently do exist, and Descartes is a person who thinks that he exists. “I think, therefore I am” is the initial and the most accurate statement which states itself to those who take philosophy in a very systematic manner: one should initially know what thought, existence and certainty are, and that one needs to exist in order to think. But we have so many ways of gaining knowledge that we do not know what exactly would enumerate us (Ariew 306). 3. What is the primary goal of Vipassana meditation? How is this goal achieved? The primary goal and the purpose of the Vipassana meditation is the internal purification of the mind. It is apparently the most top level of enlightenment. True nature is the entire form of mind matter theory. The reason of this meditation is to see the world as it is without being judgmental about it. Vipassana mediation focuses on the basic goal required to build in a composed targeted approach of the self and the surrounding world (Dockett 25). The goal can be achieved by following the track. The track that leads to having a pure mind is to follow "three trainings" which were taught by Buddha. The first being is 'Sila' which restricts man from all sorts of misdeeds like drinking, stealing, adultery, lying or killing. The second training is 'Samadhi' which targets the human brain and concentrates on developing mental focus whereas the third training is referred to as 'Panna' and is achievable when one develops a fair observation free from biases of the society. Vipassana is explained as a way of changing through observing, precisely observing the self, and the connection with the mind and body. 4. According to Plato, what is a Form? Plato has revolutionized all areas of human interest; he is one the most eminent thinkers of all ages. The Theory of Forms is basically targeted to the republic of Plato and also the other dialogues with the Socrates. This leads to the efforts of Parmenides and his theory about the differentiation between truth and how it appears to be. "For Plato there are lots of forms" (Anton 250), according to the theory everything that exists on this planet is a replica of a form or an idea. This can be the accurate thing which is irrespective of time and that does not change and pertains in the top notch position of facts. For example, we have many forms of bed that are double, single, water beds, queens or bunk beds, etc., but they are only the replica of an actual form of the bed, which is the actual bed. Plato condemned the thought of painting a bed because that sketch would be just a replica of the original one with no change and therefore having more defects than the original. The universe of Forms is not just limited to beds, but everything else that comes in the criteria. Forms are related to the particulars, and in that a form is concerned as a replica of its form. A relationship between a form and a particular is participation. It is not necessary that all forms need to be instantiated, but all could possibly be instantiated, too. Forms have the capability of turning into instantiated by means of various particulars, which would mean that the form has many replicas or many particulars. Works cited Miles, Murray. Inroads: paths in ancient and modern western philosophy. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2003. Print. Ariew, Roger. Descartes and the last Scholastics. Ithaca, N.Y.: Cornell University Press, 1999. Print. Dockett, Kathleen H., G. Rita Grant, and C. Peter Bankart. Psychology and Buddhism from individual to global community. New York: Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers, 2003. Print. Anton, John Peter, George L. Kustas, and Anthony Preus. Essays in ancient Greek philosophy. Albany, N.Y.: State University of New York Press, 19711992. Print. 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