Do Callicles and Socrates count as two thinkers for the purpose of the exam?
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Tee AreBee
Oct 16, 2025, 11:30:42 PM10/16/25
to VAPS VCE Network (The Victorian Association for Philosophy in Schools)
Hi team.
This question came up in my class when students wanted to use Socrates and Callicles as two thinkers to compare in a question, and I realised I didn't have a definite answer for them. I would think that we could consider Callicles and Socrates as two different thinkers as they both make clearly defined philosophical claims the students can interact with. Further, students would only ever be comparting Callicles/Socrates rather than Plato, to other thinkers in the course, so it seems they could be compared to each-other.
Thoughts?
This question came up in my class when students wanted to use Socrates and Callicles as two thinkers to compare in a question, and I realised I didn't have a definite answer for them. I would think that we could consider Callicles and Socrates as two different thinkers as they both make clearly defined philosophical claims the students can interact with. Further, students would only ever be comparting Callicles/Socrates rather than Plato, to other thinkers in the course, so it seems they could be compared to each-other.
Thoughts?
Lenny Robinson
Oct 17, 2025, 12:43:13 AM10/17/25
to Tee AreBee, VAPS VCE Network (The Victorian Association for Philosophy in Schools)
Short answer - yes! Indeed they are partly the reason we use the term thinkers-Callicles isn’t a philosopher.
Kind regards, Lenny
From: vaps...@googlegroups.com <vaps...@googlegroups.com> on behalf of Tee AreBee <tee...@gmail.com>
Sent: Friday, 17 October 2025 3:30 AM
To: VAPS VCE Network (The Victorian Association for Philosophy in Schools) <vaps...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: Do Callicles and Socrates count as two thinkers for the purpose of the exam?
Sent: Friday, 17 October 2025 3:30 AM
To: VAPS VCE Network (The Victorian Association for Philosophy in Schools) <vaps...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: Do Callicles and Socrates count as two thinkers for the purpose of the exam?
Hi team.
This question came up in my class when students wanted to use Socrates and Callicles as two thinkers to compare in a question, and I realised I didn't have a definite answer for them. I would think that we could consider Callicles and Socrates as two different thinkers as they both make clearly defined philosophical claims the students can interact with. Further, students would only ever be comparting Callicles/Socrates rather than Plato, to other thinkers in the course, so it seems they could be compared to each-other.
Thoughts?
This question came up in my class when students wanted to use Socrates and Callicles as two thinkers to compare in a question, and I realised I didn't have a definite answer for them. I would think that we could consider Callicles and Socrates as two different thinkers as they both make clearly defined philosophical claims the students can interact with. Further, students would only ever be comparting Callicles/Socrates rather than Plato, to other thinkers in the course, so it seems they could be compared to each-other.
Thoughts?
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Supporting philosophical thinking in Victorian schools
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Supporting philosophical thinking in Victorian schools
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Nicholas Cincotta
Oct 17, 2025, 12:58:37 AM10/17/25
to Lenny Robinson, Tee AreBee, VAPS VCE Network (The Victorian Association for Philosophy in Schools)
Yes! In the sense that likely non existent or fictional characters are considered to be ‘thinkers’! :)
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