Socrates

... martyr for philosophy, refusing to abandon his principles to save his own life. His student, Plato, is one of the only links between our world and the work of Socrates. His Life Socrates was born in 470 B.C., in Athens, Greece. His mother, Phaenarete, was a midwife. She was exceptionally intellectual but her gender prevented her from receiving a formal education. His father, Sophroniscus, ... from his home life. Some accounts suggest that his wife resented their new meager lifestyle. Divorce wasn't a logical option, so Xanthippe made do. Diogenes Laertius recorded many stories that show...

• Word Count: 8371
• Approx Pages: 33
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... with deception and persuasion. Yet, he as we know is a brilliant orator but his apology was not about deception, it is about the true Socrates and his beliefs. Ultimately he is telling us that a virtue we should thrive for is to speak truthfully and be persuaded by the truth rather ... essential to human existence and truly living a good life. Since philosophy meant the pursuit of knowledge to the Greeks, is evident through the apology Socrates related his knowledge and wisdom to us and therefore philosophically the apology can be determined a success. In this sense it seems that the ap...

• Word Count: 2000
• Approx Pages: 8
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... studying things in the sky and in the earth as well as making the worse into the stronger argument. In the beginning of the apology Socrates denies all accusations towards him and then begins to justify why he is innocent by breaking down the case and reviewing each accusation. His ... by noting the present situation, that as a majority, whether good or evil, the majority can force a situation on a man, they can label him. Socrates responds by acknowledging that and saying "...That the majority could inflict the greatest evils, for they would be capable of inflicting the greatest good bu...

• Word Count: 1748
• Approx Pages: 7
• Grade Level: High School

... John Locke and Jean-Jacques Rousseau, who each argued for a slightly different version of the Social Contract Theory, largely popularized the idea. However, Socrates first introduced the idea in Plato's dialogue the Crito, sections 50a-54d. The Social Contract Theory basically states that every citizen of a state ... out; to escape from prison would be "unjust" and "morally unjustified". (Kemerling, 2000) Thinkers have, of course, given the credit to Socrates for originating the idea, whether they agreed with the contract theory or not. "The only passage I meet with in antiquity where the...

• Word Count: 2786
• Approx Pages: 11
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... with an unjust ruling? Although Crito accepts this defense, I am not very sure he believes it. In fact, I"m sure that if he believed as Socrates did, that would have been the end of the encounter and Crito would have allowed the sentence to be conducted without any other intervention. Therefore, a ... or a bad man, (Apology 28b-c)" - is challenged to defeat Crito's logic, lest he suffer the peril of losing an argument. Against a philosophical wall, Socrates (or rather Plato) is forced to construct an engaging subterfuge to justify his seemingly contradictory behavior: "Look at it like th...

• Word Count: 2254
• Approx Pages: 9
• Grade Level: High School

... to cover, the book provides an excellent background for one to determine exactly what they believe happened before, during, and after the trial of Socrates. Through careful reading of this book, one learns much about the democracy and popular political viewpoints that existed during this time. Athens was a ... these views, although they respected the views of other people because of their own freedom of speech. This was the society in which Socrates lived. Socrates was a philosopher who believed that only those who know should rule the people. In other words, the people are not capable o...

• Word Count: 2295
• Approx Pages: 9
• Grade Level: High School

... "ponders everything about the earth and investigates everything beneath it, and turns the weaker argument into the stronger" (18b-c, page 28, Defence of Socrates, Oxford World Classics, Plato). He says that it is also thought by others that he is guilty of impiety and not recognising the gods recognised ... this one small respect: if I do not know something, I do not think that I do." (21d, page 32, Defence of Socrates, Oxford World Classics, Plato) Socrates also says that he lives in complete poverty because he believes in devoting all his time to philosophy and the well fare of his spi...

• Word Count: 1752
• Approx Pages: 7
• Has Bibliography

... that it might take precedence over the idea that you had to do what was right no matter the cost. Escaping from prison would have allowed Socrates to right a wrong rather than committing an injustice against himself. He could have escaped on the basis that he was, in a sense, committing suicide ... his children in Athens, and by not proposing exile as a counterpenalty (Crito handout). Other arguments of the laws that I found particularly powerful were that Socrates would have been though of as a suspicious character in exile and also that he would strengthen the jury s belief that they ...

• Word Count: 2592
• Approx Pages: 10
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... own concerns, I have never begrudged this to anyone." He did not ask them to join him; each person had a choice in the matter. Socrates is not responsible for other people's action nor is he responsible for what people learn from his questions. He himself claimed not to know anything. You can ... that, whether is be your father, or your mother, or whoever it may be. And not to prosecute would be unholy" (pg 23). Socrates rejected this definition because it was an example, and asks for another definition, Euthyphro then says, "well then, what is pleasing to the gods is ... before he spea...

• Word Count: 1881
• Approx Pages: 8
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... hold too much hope to survive after the trial, and he uses the last chance he could speak in the public as his swan song. Socrates starts to teach Athenian people from thoroughly explaining his philosophy to the public rather than convincing jurymen. He well understands that his knowledge was just ... wisdom, he observes that the people with high power and wealth tends to regard themselves as wiser people who know much more than ordinary people. However, Socrates finds this is not the truth. The truth is "those who [have] the highest reputation [are] nearly the most deficient, while tho...

• Word Count: 1497
• Approx Pages: 6
• Grade Level: High School