Plato And Socrates : The Father Of Classic Philosophy

The portrayal of Socrates, through the book “the trial and death of Socrates” is one that has created a fairly controversial character in Western history. In many ways, Socrates changed the idea of common philosophy in ancient Greece; he transformed their view on philosophy from a study of why the way things are, into a consideration man. Specifically, he analyzed the virtue and health of the human soul. Along side commending Socrates for his strong beliefs, and having the courage to stand by those convictions, Socrates can be commended for many other desirable characteristics. Some of those can include being the first martyr to die for his philosophical beliefs and having the courage to challenge indoctrinated cultural norms is part of

Socrates has a unique position in the history of philosophy. On one hand he is the most influential on another he is the least known. In his later life he is seen to stalk the streets barefoot, to spite shoemakers. He went about arguing and questioning people and revealing inconsistencies in their beliefs. He began teaching students but never accepted payments for doing so. This was possible because of the inheritance left by his father. Socrates wrote nothing of himself so we are dependent upon the works of both his students and associates who present a view as close to

Socrates; the founder of Western Philosophy, the first user of the Socratic method and Socratic irony, contributor to the field of ethics, and martyr for teaching what he thought was right. Indeed, Socrates is a household name, yet the picture many hold of Socrates may not be true to who Socrates actually was. Socrates considered himself a teacher and a thinker, not a writer, thus he wrote none of his teachings or thoughts down. As a consequence, the only surviving accounts of Socrates come second hand from his pupils, Plato and Xenophon, and from the playwright Aristophanes. However, it is difficult to tell how much of the Socrates depicted in the works of those men is embellishment or outright fabrication, and how much is truth. This problem, the Socratic Problem, has been troubling historians and philosophers for centuries, and will go on doing so. While the real Socrates may never be known, Socrates the character may be studied extensively through the works of his pupils. Plato’s Symposium depicts Socrates in an informal setting, getting drunk with friends, and offers an opportunity to see Socrates’ character and personality more clearly. While Symposium is set at a party, Socrates is still shown to be a larger-than-life, idealized character, who may have been too brilliant and perfect to be true.

Of all influential people in the history of the human race, there is one that stands out from the rest. It is not because of his heroic acts or physical prowess, but because of his unique perspective on the world. This person is Socrates, an ancient Greek philosopher, who changed the world with his ideas and teachings. His influence is still visible to this very day. Socrates had many influential ideas that not only affected his time, but also the current day world.

Socrates is an influential character in The Republic. He is probably most influential in this one than any other. He says interesting things that make even the most scholarly people think. He believes in things that are controversial to what everyone believed in his time, and what a lot of people believe now. What he says makes sense and makes he or she rethink about what they believe.

The principle that Socrates lived by highlighted the significance of the persistent hunt for wisdom through the collaboration with others. He understood that concentrating on attaining a broader range of the universe through awareness of our inner selves was far more valuable than restricting it to the study of the physical characteristics of the world. By evaluating the corporeal features of the universe, a better understanding of the world which surrounds us could be uncovered. Socrates established that we need to concentrate our study on the mind itself to acknowledge this significance. However, set on self-examination, this did not lead Socrates to set himself out from society. He understood the importance of perspective and of engaging

Socrates is one of the most popular philosophers of all the times. He was the first to study ethics and principles of morality and he always claimed that he did not put knowledge in anyone, yet asked serious questions which contributed to numerous debates (Class notes). Despite his high intellectual level, Athens condemned him with several charges such as the corruption of youth as the society of this time viewed secular knowledge as an obstruction to the achievement of spiritual enlightenment (Class notes.) After his death and his famous trial, Socrates’s philosophy had an enormous impact on the Western Civilization. Socrates’ philosophy could be found in Plato’s works. For example, The Republic written in a form of discussion is an influential book that contributes to several debates. Even if some argue about the validity and accuracy of Plato’s works regarding Socrates’ philosophy, those works allow us to conclude that Socrates was devoted and dedicated to truth. Socrates was concerned with the immutable universal concept of truth, goodness, and justice and thus, wanted to transmit and instore those principles to the city of Athens.

Throughout the world’s history, there have been civilizations that have come and gone. These civilizations are represented to the world today by leaders and their ideals of those times. One such leader was a person of thought from the city-state Athens in Greece. (7) This person was Socrates, “the quintessential philosopher, the seeker and conveyor of wisdom.” (8) Paul Johnson states, “Such a man is well worth knowing about, and for 2,500 years the learned and intellectually enterprising in all countries have sought to know him.” (8) But what is really known about a man who lived thousands of years ago and who left no written record of himself. The starting point to understand Socrates and his thoughts are through the words of his pupils. (8-9) Socrates was a philosopher whose ideals changed the world around him and have an effect the world today.

Throughout the course of history, many were influenced by knowledgeable thinkers and teachers. Those who opened the eyes of the people and presented them with new ideas regarding life and its meaning. They had made such a massive impact, that their practices still live on to this day. Whether they be a soft-spoken philosopher or child of God, some can’t help but compare and contrast not only the ideas that each had created, but also their personal traits and morals. Two that are seen as similar individuals with striking differences are Jesus and Socrates.

Assignment directions- Unit I Compare and contrast Socrates' attitude about philosophy (Apology and Allegory of the Cave Readings) with the Good Brahmin's (Voltaire) attitude, conclude the essay by comparing both Socrates’ and the Good Brahmin’s attitudes to your own view on philosophy. Socrates was a pioneer who believed in his philosophy and defended it until the last minute. When we look a bit further in his life we can say that certainly, this man was really different according to his lifestyle. Socrates lived almost like a beggar and tried to make people think deeper about questions they were taking simple such as life, love etc. In fact, his theory tends to push humanity to look beyond what their eyes could see and more…

Often times, when we look back at the great leaders and thinkers throughout human history we tend to romanticize these figures as having some manner of super human capability. As if we think our heroes are exempt from the same human short comings that we are all subject to. When we posthumously speak of war generals, politicians, entertainers, and other public figures we typically dwell on their positive attributes, conveniently forgetting the things in them that remind us of the human frailties that we all possess. We deify those who resist authority and are willing to martyr themselves for their beliefs and march towards death without trepidation. It is amongst this company that Socrates is commonly included,

Our present day world is shaped by the countless people, places, and events in the past. It is important to understand that one small decision can change the entire course of history. Often, when an event occurs, or a decision is made, it triggers a domino effect, which triggers more events. Some of the domino effects caused by events in the past still carry on to modern times. More importantly, there are specific individuals who have made a lasting impact to civilization.

The are three main people who developed philosophy were Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. Socrates was a teacher, and he believed people should never stop looking for knowledge. Plato was the student of Socrates. He ran an academy, and wrote a book called the republic. Aristotle was known as “The greatest Greek thinker of all time.” He also taught Alexander the Great, one of the best leaders of Greece ever. Aristotle also believed that you should have a balanced life, and you should always use reason and logic.

Socrates is known in today’s world as one of the greatest philosophers in history. Born in 469 BC just outside of Athens, Socrates was properly brought up and thoroughly educated, he developed both physical and mental strengths. Socrates spent time with the philosopher Archelaus, where he studied astronomy, mathematics, and was introduced to philosophy. Archelaus taught with a scientific approach. Socrates turned from this approach and created his own. He decided instead of trying to understand the universe, he would try to understand himself. Socrates spent many days in the Athens marketplace where he became skilled in the art of arguing.

“Socrates’ positive influence touches us even today” (May 6) and we can learn a great deal about him from one of his students, Plato. It is in Plato’s report of Socrates’ trial a work entitled, Apology, and a friend’s visit to his jail cell while he is awaiting his death in Crito, that we discover a man like no other. Socrates was a man following a path he felt that the gods had wanted him to follow and made no excuses for his life and they way he lived it.