ETHICS G1

I. SOCRATES
➢ Born: c. 470 BC | Deme Alopece, Athens
➢ Died: 399 BC | Athens
➢ Cause of death: Forced suicide by poisoning
➢ Era: Ancient Greek philosophy
➢ Region: Western philosophy

II. Plato (c. 427-347 BCE)

➢ Original Name: Aristocles
➢ Born: c. 427 BCE in Athens, Greece.
➢ Died: 347 BCE in Athens, Greece.
➢ Era: Classical period of ancient Greece.
➢ Region: He primarily lived and worked in Athens, Greece.
➢ Notable Works: The Republic, The Symposium, Phaedrus, Phaedo, Meno, and
The Apology.
➢ Students: Aristotle, Speusippus, and Xenocrates.

III. UNITY IN MULTIPLICITY

➢ UNITY is a whole while MULTIPLICITY refers to the "parts [of the unity] which
can be considered separately."
➢ In Plato's famous work "The Republic," he uses the allegory of the cave to
illustrate this concept. In the allegory, prisoners are chained in a cave, only able
to see the shadows of objects cast on the cave wall by a fire behind them. These
shadows represent the material world we perceive. The true reality, according to
Plato, exists outside the cave in the form of perfect, eternal, and unchanging
"Forms" or "Ideas." These Forms are the true reality, and everything in the
material world is an imperfect copy or manifestation of these Forms.
➢ So, "Unity in Multiplicity" in Plato's philosophy suggests that behind the diversity
and multiplicity of the physical world, there is a unity in the form of these perfect
and unchanging Forms.
➢ In other words, Plato's idea of "Unity in Multiplicity" means that beneath all the
different things we see in the world, there is a hidden unity or oneness. Plato
believed that this hidden unity was more real and perfect than the things we see
with our eyes.

IV. Problem of Unity and Multiplicity in Early Greek Thought:

1. Philosophical Problem of Unity and Multiplicity:

❖ Early Greek thinkers grappled with the problem of unity and multiplicity in the world.
 ❖ The world appeared in constant flux, with perpetual change, and many diverse
objects with distinct characteristics.
❖ Greek thinkers recognized that this diversity could not result in complete chaos,
leading to the belief in one ordered, rational world underpinning everything.
❖ This belief was rooted in the concept of the Logos, a comprehensive and self-
governing order, giving rise to the well-structured cosmos governed by eternal
laws.
❖ The central issue was reconciling the coexistence of unity and multiplicity in the
world, addressing the apparent contradiction between them.

2. Heraclitus:

❖ Heraclitus, known for his doctrine of "panta rhei" (everything flows), emphasized
the transience and oppositeness of things.
❖ He believed that everything is in a state of flux, and nothing remains the same.
❖ However, Heraclitus also noted that these diverse phenomena are underpinned by
the same lawful order and reason, which he referred to as the Logos.
❖ In Heraclitus' view, unity is found in the underlying Logos that governs the ever-
changing multiplicity.

3. Parmenides:

❖ Parmenides took a different approach. He emphasized the permanence and unity

of all being. He argued that change and multiplicity were illusory because they led
to contradictions.
❖ Parmenides allowed for the existence of secondary changes and differences,
acknowledging that there are appearances of multiplicity, but he believed that true
reality was singular and unchanging.

Members:
Baluca, Hannah
Ovalo, Apple
Maquindang, Janella
Beri, Crisza
Duque, Shane
Madisa, Verha