[MD] Socrates ,Protagoras and the "relative"

[John Carl]

On Fri, Nov 13, 2009 at 7:14 AM, X Acto <xacto at rocketmail.com> wrote:

> This is the point that is being missed about Platos dialog of
> Protagoras, it is the discussion about Socratic method
> Protagoras is credited as developing.
> Everyone loves to paint Plato as a dick but Socratic method
> is an excercise of relativism, it's used to break down what we think
> we know as true.


But in this breakdown, there is an ideal held as truth to be measured
against.  "our" truth is relative to "the" truth or its meaningless.


In fact it is the defining dialog which gives rise
> to the work of Aristotle.
> Plato, using Socrates and Protagoras, destroys everything we think we know
> as relative and  then builds on that aporia.
> Relativism is a method of destroying bias assumption and prejudice not so
> much a philosphical view in it's own right to camp on.
>


Ah, I see.  It's just a relative relativism, not an absolute one.

???


>
> Much like the Zen, they tear you down with koans(180), then build you up
> (360) zen, the circle is complete when to extend out into the world and
> begin
> the process with others with your own head heart and hands.
>
> The relativist, the 180, the half enlightned, would say:
> "thats YOUR opinion and meaningless to me"
>
>
Or they could equally say, "well that's my opinion and meaningless to you."

John the 79% enlightened  (too damn lazy to fill in that extra 21 I guess)