Socratic Seminar: Bushi, Jedi, Seth Code

Socratic Seminar Purpose: What do the Bushi (Samurai), Jedi, and Seth Codes teach us about Virtues? 

• What are Virtues and what can we learn from cultures that live by a Code of Conduct?
• How do the Jedi and Bushi codes of conduct compare and contrast with each other?
• The development of virtues to guild thinking and actions are more important or less important today? 

Socratic Seminars promote thinking, meaning making, and the ability to debate, use evidence, and build on one another’s thinking. When well designed and implemented, the seminar provides an active role for every student, engages students in complex thinking about rich content, and teaches students discussion skills.

The Socratic seminar is an effective discussion format that promotes critical thinking and fosters diverse perspectives. The following procedure outlines how to conduct a successful Socratic seminar:

1. Select a significant piece of text or collection of short texts related to the current focus of study. The chosen text should be rich with possibilities for diverse points of view. This could be an excerpt from a book, an article from a magazine, journal, or newspaper, a poem, a short story, or a personal memoir.

2. Develop an open-ended, provocative question as the starting point for the seminar discussion. The question should be designed to elicit differing perspectives and complex thinking. Participants may also generate questions to discuss.

3. Participants should prepare for the seminar by reading the chosen text actively, building their background knowledge for participation in the discussion. The pre-seminar task could incorporate work on reading strategies, such as text coding by underlining important information, putting question marks by segments they wonder about, and exclamation points next to parts that surprise them. Completion of the pre-seminar task is the participant’s “ticket” to participate in the seminar.

4. During the seminar, all participants should be involved and ensure that others in the group are drawn into the discussion.

5. The seminar leader begins the discussion with the open-ended question designed to provoke inquiry and diverse perspectives. Inner circle participants may choose to move to a different question if the group agrees, or the facilitator may pose follow-up questions.

6. The discussion proceeds until the seminar leader calls time. At that time, the group debriefs their process. If using a fishbowl, the outer circle members give their feedback sheets to the inner group participants.

7. If using a fishbowl, the seminar leader may allow participants in the outer circle to add comments or questions they thought of while the discussion was in progress.

The Socratic seminar is a powerful tool for encouraging critical thinking, deepening understanding, and promoting respectful dialogue. Following these steps can help ensure a successful and productive discussion.

Bushido is the traditional code of conduct and way of the samurai in feudal Japan. It was a set of ethical principles and virtues that emphasized martial spirit, self-discipline, and honor. The seven values of Bushido are:

1. Gi (honesty/integrity): It means to always be honest and truthful. Samurai were expected to be honest in their dealings with others and to be truthful in their actions and words. An example of this is the story of the 47 Ronin, who avenged their lord's death by killing his murderer but then committed seppuku (ritual suicide) to restore their honor, even though they knew it was illegal and would result in their own deaths.
2. Yu (courage): It means to have bravery in the face of adversity. Samurai were expected to have courage and to be willing to sacrifice themselves for their lord or their cause. An example of this is the Battle of Shiroyama, where the last samurai of Japan fought against modernized troops and died with honor rather than surrendering.
3. Jin (benevolence/compassion): It means to have empathy and kindness towards others. Samurai were expected to be compassionate towards the weak and the needy. An example of this is the story of Musashi Miyamoto, a legendary swordsman who spared the life of his opponent's son after defeating him in a duel.
4. Rei (respect): It means to show respect to others and to follow the proper etiquette. Samurai were expected to show respect to their elders, their superiors, and even their enemies. An example of this is the story of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, a powerful daimyo who showed respect to a peasant who helped him cross a river during a battle.
5. Makoto (sincerity/honesty): It means to be true to one's word and to be genuine in one's actions. Samurai were expected to be sincere in their dealings with others and to keep their promises. An example of this is the story of Tsukahara Bokuden, a famous swordsman who refused to fight in a duel because he had promised his mother that he would never use his sword for personal gain.
6. Meiyo (honor): It means to have a sense of personal honor and to act accordingly. Samurai were expected to have a strong sense of honor and to do what was right, even if it was difficult or dangerous. An example of this is the story of Oishi Kuranosuke, the leader of the 47 Ronin, who refused to let his lord's death go unpunished and led his men in a risky and illegal revenge plot.
7. Chugi (loyalty): It means to be loyal to one's lord or master. Samurai were expected to be loyal and to serve their lord or master with unwavering devotion. An example of this is the story of Kusunoki Masashige, a loyalist who fought against the emperor's forces in defense of his own lord, even though he knew he would lose the battle.

Socratic Seminar: Bushi, Jedi, Seth Code Background Research 

The Sith Code 

The Sith Code, as written by Sorzus Syn[1] and taught by Darth Bane:[2]

• Peace is a lie, there is only passion.
• Through passion, I gain strength.
• Through strength, I gain power.
• Through power, I gain victory.
• Through victory, my chains are broken.
• The Force shall free me.

Jedi Mantra

• Emotion, yet peace.
• Ignorance, yet knowledge.
• Passion, yet serenity.
• Chaos, yet harmony.
• Death, yet the Force.

The refined version established by Odan-Urr and transcribed by Homonix Rectonia during the Early Manderon Period was perhaps the best known:

• There is no emotion, there is peace.
• There is no ignorance, there is knowledge.
• There is no passion, there is serenity.
• (There is no chaos, there is harmony.)(*)
• There is no death, there is the Force.—
• The Jedi Code (Based on the meditations of Odan-Urr)

[PDF] What is a Jedi? Extensive 200-page document on warrior code, Bushi (Samurai), Jedi, Seth Code.

[PDF]The Bushido Code: The Eight Virtues of the Samurai - USC US-China ...
The Bushido Code: The Eight Virtues of the Samurai. Tim Clark. A Brief History of the Samurai. The word samurai originally meant “one who serves,” and ...

[PDF]bushido: the soul of japan - Comunidades.net
by I NITOBÉ - ‎1904 - ‎Cited by 29 - ‎Related articlesBushido, then, is the code of moral principles which the knights were required or instructed to observe. It is not a written code; at best it consists of a few maxims.

[PDF]Bushido (Chivalry) and the Traditional Japanese Moral Education
by N Sonda - ‎2007 - ‎Cited by 6 - ‎Related articlesthe revival of such traditional values and thoughts; Bushido seemed to be an ... Bushido is not just acode of ethics for samurai warriors but rather a moral.