In Apology and Crito, Plato portrays Socrates as a man committed to saving his city even if it meant his death, and uses Socrates to show role of philosophy in the city. Socrates believed philosophy upheld the integrity of the city, and heroically led by example when he fought against the growing greed, close-mindedness, and immorality he saw in Athens.
Socrates first fought against the greed he saw in Athens, trying to persuade the people of Athens "Not care for your… your wealth in preference to...the best possible state of your soul" (32-33). He traveled around the city, telling those he found guilty of greed to be ashamed of putting money above all else. He not only preached against greed, but he also lived a life free of it. When teaching or performing any of the services he performed for the city he, he accepted no payment. He also wanted to ensure that the future of Athens avoided making the same mistakes, teaching the children to value right things and asking the court to make sure his sons didn’t value money above virtue.
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When he approached the politicians and questioned them, he discovered they lacked wisdom. However, when confronted with this this fact, they chose to get angry rather than learn from his correction. Eventually, instead of listening, the people he was trying to help put him in court on bogus arguments simply to silence him. Even then, after Socrates had masterfully refuted all of Mellitus’ arguments, they refused to accept his innocence. Socrates questioned the standing social order, and challenged the leaders of the day in order to bring wisdom and virtue back to Athens. However, he also lived a life of open-mindedness. When Crito comes to convince him to escape, Socrates tells him he will listen to him and if he presents convincing evidence, agree to escape with him. Despite his desire not to leave, he was still open to his friends
Part of this ties into the fact that Socrates convinces not only his followers but to the jury that contrary to popular belief, he knows nothing. At the beginning of the Apology, he states that “I am wiser than this human being. For probably neither of us knows anything noble and good, but he supposes he knows something when he does not know, while I, just as I do not know, do not even suppose that I do. I am likely to be a little bit wiser than he in this very thing: that whatever I do not know, I do not even suppose I know”. (21d). His humility and modesty are outwardly distinguishably from this very speech alone. If one feels as if they do not have the abilities to rebel against the laws of the land by way of committing political atrocities, they are more than likely to a.) avoid rebellion and b.) respect the laws. Respecting the laws is the exact principle that Socrates stood by. Even if Socrates knew nothing as he claimed, what he did know was that obligation to the law was fundamental. Though he didn’t know anything, he knew that authority for the law was the foundation of a prosperous
2. During his main speech, to explain why he chose to live the life he did at risk of being “in danger of death” 28b, Socrates uses an example from the Iliad in which a young man chose to avenge his friend's death at the risk of immediate destruction as opposed to surviving. 28D paraphrased. This example of a life of integrity allows Socrates to demonstrate that all men should “remain and face danger, without a thought for death or anything else, rather than disgrace.” 28e. It is in this same moment that Socrates explains that were he not to live the life he has lived that he would be disobeying a god.
In Plato’s Apology, Socrates is maliciously accused of corrupting the youth of Athens. Socrates deems this argument irrational as he states that it is ludicrous that “only one person corrupted [the] youth, while others improved them. He later goes on to point the indifference that Meletus, one of his accusers, has towards the youth himself. The idea that by harming others, we are intrinsically harming ourselves is presented here. Although Socrates’ ideas were formed in 339 BC, the ideas of interdependence as a global community as well as individuals are indeed very relevant in today’s society. It is vital that we realize that harm to others causes harm to ourselves as we are all connected as one human society. This is true on an individual level as well as at a nation-wide level.
While a prisoner in Athens, Socrates, receives an early visit from his good friend Crito. Socrates is waiting to be executed when Crito offers to help him escape. He knows Socrates was unjustly sentenced to death for “corrupting the youth of Athens” and implores him to flee to another country and live in exile. While Crito makes a case on why he ought to flee before his execution, Socrates rebuts it with his decision based on moralities and principles. Especially, his main premise in which he believes he owes the government his obedience.
the Apology and Crito, Socrates explains his reasoning stating that it is better to be wronged, than to do wrong. Socrates was explaining to Crito than even though in their opinion that Socrates being put to death is wrong that they cannot do something wrong also. In the Crito one of Socrates main points is that “Even if your enemies have wronged you, you still have to do the right thing”. Socrates isn’t rejecting self-defense he rejects the notion of doing something wrong back to the person or the city. One of the many people putting Socrates to death, Meleteus is simply damaging his soul by doing such an injustice. In the Apology Socrates explains Socrates goes on to explain that he is damaging his soul, and if Socrates escapes he
Philosophy is defined as the ultimate quest to help humans seek answers to questions that orbit knowledge, reality and existence. Philosophers begin their study of knowledge by asking questions they may or may not have an answer to. One famous philosopher, Socrates, utilizes this process to question his understanding on the concepts he had already attained knowledge for. At one point during his life, Socrates is proclaimed to be the wisest man alive by the Oracle of Delphi. Upon being declared the wisest man alive, Socrates begins to question everything he thought he knew.
Socrates did not want to break any of his principles because he reasoned to think that his moral beliefs were more important than his family. Socrates in his dialogue says, “Think not of life and children first, and of justice afterwards, but of justice first.”(1). His idea seems callous towards his personal relationships in life. However, Socrate’s friend, Crito, pursues him when he says, “But you are choosing the easier part, as I=2 0think, not the better and manlier.”(1). Socrates is given this statement by his friend in order to pursue him to change his mind to escape. However, Socrates insists in following good principles according to his wisdom. His friend was now just understanding why Socrates decided to stay in prison rather than escaping his wrongful death sentence.
Although the Knight and the Squire both possess the same occupation, they exhibit disparate approaches in relation to devotion. In regard of battles, it was the main point in the Knight’s description, whereas in the Squire’s, was barely a significant component. All of the Squire’s involvement amidst the military is very shortly revealed saying that “he had seen some service with the calvary/ In Flanders and Artois and Picardy,” (Chaucer 87-88) while the Knight’s list of battles is the focus in his description. The Knight traveled “along the Mediterranean coast” (Chaucer 61) to multiple regions including Russia, North Africa, Anatolia, etc. and also fought in “fifteen mortal battles” (Chaucer 63) and “always killed his men” (Chaucer 65) showing evidence of his devotion to his profession. This is the opposite of the Squire’s distracted attitude as shown in the text when it says, “He could make songs and poems and recite, /Knew how to joust and dance, to draw and write” (Chaucer 97-98). The Squire’s focus is fixated on his own entertainment instead of this profession, displaying how he is not as dedicated to his work compared to his father. Chaucer’s countless descriptions about battles in the Knight’s description shows how the Knight is chivalrous and dedicated, willing to fight solitarily in a moments notice, while in the Squire is more focused on himself than battles, showing how they both exhibit disparate approaches in relation to devotion
Ultimately, Socrates' whole life had been a service to the City begun out of a pious response to the saying of the gods. This is the deeper refutation of the charges. It is also another positive image of Socrates: He IS a gadfly.
Early in the Apology, Socrates argues that the charges of Meletus are not only false, but have led to the rise of prejudice against him, and he demonstrates this through what he considers his own reflection on the charges against him. Socrates suggests the indictment against him should read: “Socrates is guilty of engaging in inquiries into things beneath the earth and in the heaven, of making the weaker argument appear the stronger, and of teaching others the same things”. Socrates suggests that the breadth of the indictment against him could encompass the premises supported by many men, and that it is only through the prejudice against him, the belief in his wisdom purported by some, and the sense that Socrates has influenced men that has resulted in the charges, not through the true belief that Socrates has taken actions against the State.
The most influential philosopher of the 5th century BCE is a man by the name of Socrates. His life and teachings are the foundation of Western Philosophy. Socrates was dedicated to reasoning and the development and investigation of the truth. Unpopular then, Socrates employed a strategy to pursue the truth by using dialectic. Socrates was one to question everything and anything less than the truth was received with more questions. Socrates never wrote anything down, and therefore any dialogues and teachings are dependent on his students Xenophon and Plato account. This gives rise to the Socratic Problem. What we do know, according to Plato’s Apology, is that Socrates’ divine mission is a complex one. Using two of Plato’s written accounts of
In lines 31b Socrates stated, “That I am the kind of person to be a gift of the god to the city” as a defense towards the accusations that he was corrupting the youth of Athens. The people of Athens believed that Socrates’ methods of teaching were malicious and even thought he was
In his defense, Socrates claims over and again that he is innocent and is not at all wise, “…for I know that I have no wisdom, small or great.” Throughout the rest of his oration he seems to act the opposite as if he is better than every man, and later he even claims that, “At any rate, the world has decided that Socrates is in some way superior to other
Socrates claims to be a selfless benefactor of the polis in that he had exhausted his private resources in the pursuit of the public good (23b-c, 30a, 31a-c). Because he does what is good for his fellow citizens for whom he feels regard despite the danger to which this exposes him, Socrates claims to be a benefactor of the Athenians. He refers with pride to his record of military service and underlines that it was service to the democracy: “When the commanders that you elected to command me stationed me at Potidaea and Amphipolis and Delion, I remained there like anyone else, and ran the risk of death” (28e). He is an honorable citizen who disregards death and preaches that “The difficulty, my friends, is not to avoid death, but to avoid unrighteousness; for that runs faster than death.” He has demonstrated that he is, by his own right, a patriotic citizen who cares deeply about the good of his polis and one who consistently acts in what he sees as his city’s best interests; but he has also shown also that, in light of his own definition of patriotism, Socrates must be regarded as a uniquely patriotic Athenian.
In the year 399 B.C., Socrates was put to trial for impiety and corrupting the youth. During the trial, Socrates had to deliver his defense speech, called an apology, which derives from the Greek word apologia which means to ‘speak in one’s defense’. There are two accounts of Socrates’ apology; Plato’s and Xenophon’s. The main difference between the two accounts is that Plato was present during the trail and paraphrased what was said. Xenophon, on the other hand, was not present but instead based his on Hermogenes’ reports before, during, and after the trail. Although both show Socrates to be incredibly pious, just, and accepting of death, they have many differences.