Public V. Private In A Cosmopolitan Society

Athens could also be seen as a place where they educated their citizens. Socrates understood that he would not be the man who he is today, without Athens. Like anything, a child would not willingly do harm on a parent, especially if they receive love and protection, and no harm in return. This parental versus child relationship is quite similar to the relationship Socrates had with Athens. The people of Athens could have assumed that Socrates would try to escape and that his death sentence would not follow through, but Socrates did not see this as an important factor. He believed that if he escaped, it would hinder the image of Athens because he would not be following their laws, which might influence the citizens to also break the laws of Athens. People with a lot of influence, have a lot of followers, for example, the people of Athens. If Socrates, supposedly the wisest man were to escape from prison and his death sentence, other people might think it is fine to disobey Athens as well. On the other hand, the citizens expected him to escape, but the fact that he stayed in prison to face his death sentence shows how seriously he took subjects like harming others and obeying the state to heart. Another objection to this argument could be, that Socrates was falsely accused and was harmed when he was truly innocent, he did not commit any of the crimes he was accused of, but Socrates still had the opportunity to a fair trial, he just did not use

If it wasn't for his luck, he would probably gave his life as a good price for Athens freedom by now. Lastly, I am asking you, men of Athens, to open your mind and think about what Socrates is really doing by examining your best men . Men who always thought they are better and wiser than you. He proved to you all how little wise they were and how little they really know, he said while talking about his follower’s independent choice to follow him: “ they do it of their own accord because they love hearing those fellows being put to the test” He continued “ i imagine that as a result they find a great superfluity of people who think the know something but actually know little or nothing” (Plato the last days of socrates, p:39) . You should be thankful for that instead of believing those scandal that were made by those who always disregarded you and consider you as blind followers. All what Socrate wanted is for you to always question yourselves in order to be better person, make better judgements, and make Athens better place for everybody. his worst fears is for you to be blindly led to your final

He was born in 428 BCE and saw Greek involved in war with each other as it gets weaker. He was a philosopher and had a great impact on democracy. “He also corrupted the youth of Athens. ”[Document 2] Socrates was convicted of committing corruption and he was anti-democratic.

Owing to this fact, fleeing from Athens without permission or notification to the authorities would actually be violating the laws of the land and participating in ‘wrong’ actions- which was the direct opposite of the ‘goodness’ that he believed in. Socrates had always been a forthright advocate for the Athenian political and legal system. Owing to the agreement between him and the city authorities, he was also the beneficiary of an unknown quantity of benefits. Moreover, for him to fully enjoy the benefits of what was provided to him by the city of Athens, he had to in return give up something. In this case, it was his freedom of choice and action where there was a clash between his personal views and the stipulations of Athenian law.

The world’s population is continuously increasing and laws are being made to maintain a global social order. The social order includes, and is not limited to, world peace, free international economy, international trade, and assurance that basic human rights are respected by all nations and humans live a decent life, full of opportunities. This is an ideal that we all aspire to, in a way or another and although we want to create a perfect world, it is impossible to do so because of people’s interests and their own view of “perfection.” We, as humans, are not perfect, and therefore we cannot have a perfect world. Many have tried to create ideas of what would make a perfect society. Socrates, Plato and Aristotle have diligently tried for centuries to establish a well-balanced world in which each individual has their own freedom. More than two thousand years have passed since then and the world is still struggling to find a way to create a harmonious international society. Cosmopolitanism and anti-cosmopolitanism have different ideas on how we can achieve this goal. To me, a combination of the two sounds more achievable. In this paper, I will try to demonstrate that today’s world is a combination of the two and ideas from both will take us a few steps forward towards an international goal.

He accepted and obeyed the law to the best of his ability. He acknowledges the fate of his children and yet he does not sound reluctant to be put to death even for the sake of his children. He refuses to escape because it would break the law. His lack of concern about the future welfare of his children shows gross negligence. Socrates shows that he is self-absorbed and more interested in how the people of Athens

Socrates believed that he was sent to Athens by the gods to wake them from their intellectual slumber. He describes himself as a gadfly stinging a horse. He is trying to pester the Athenian people into think about the truth. This quote depicts a scene of Socrates talking to Crito and his students about why he is not going to escape. “You would have me act on blind impulse? This is not what I have taught you. Reason must rule our every action. I can't run from my fate. My life was here in Athens. My purpose was to protect this city from herself. I will not live without her” (Trial ).

Many people within Athens thought he did such with vile intentions or out of haughtiness, but his motivations could not have been more benign. Through Socrates’ critical review of others, he helped them become people with a sharpened understanding of themselves, their spirit, and the world. People who

Alcibiades used every situation to elevate himself and establish superiority, which enhanced the type of unbalanced relationship he had with the people for most of his lifetime. Alcibiades's unethical practices in both political and private life were questionable. He sought after pleasures and naturally deceived many, making him a great politician, but dubious as a virtuous man. Plutarch wrote, "Certainly, if ever man was ruined by his own glory, it was Alcibiades" (287). The ambitions and passions in Alcibiades life that went unchecked resulted in the imbalance in his life both private and public. Although he befriended Socrates early and strove for true honor and real virtue, the rest of his life unfolded in a vicious way, rather than influenced by virtue. Alcibiades adapted to both good and bad, vice and virtue, establishing a strong inconsistency in his morals as well as his character altogether. The central image of this life was certainly a chameleon. Plutarch wrote, “Not that his natural disposition changed so easily, nor that his real character was so variable, but, whether he was sensible that by pursuing his own inclinations he might give offense to those with whom he had occasion to converse, he transformed himself into any shape, and adopted any fashion, that he observed to be most agreeable” (275-276). Alcibiades morphed into whatever it took, whether he was around different people or aiding another nation, he made sure to adapt to his surroundings that also helped further his own self-interest as well. Earlier in the life, Plutarch wrote that Alcibiades was neither completely virtuous nor vicious and as the life continued this never became clearer. Alcibiades always maintained a neutral position in between vice and virtue. Although Socrates attempted to alter Alcibiades and positively affect his soul, this change never happened, thus resulting

What did it mean for a man in Ancient Greece to lead a good life, according to Platos’s four dialogs in the Trial and Death of Socrates?

Alcibiades reveals the workings of his relationship with Socrates, layering his dialogue with a mix of praise and blame. Utterly entranced by the power over others that Socrates enjoys through the use of his philosophical method, Alcibiades exclaims that “let anyone--man, woman or child--listen to you or even to a poor account of what you say--and we are all transported, completely possessed.”(215D). This ability resonates on a deep level with Alcibiades’ affinity towards personal distinction. The enchanting element of Socrates’ nature deceives Alcibiades into thinking of Socrates as his lover. Alcibiades supposes that by providing Socrates with sexual favors he might “teach me everything he knew”(217A). That is, Alcibiades had hoped to gain insight from Socrates’ hidden wisdom for personal

Unlike Pericles, who has a vision of Athenian Exceptionalism, Socrates sees the faults in the city of Athens and he desires to fix them in order to nurture the great thinking which springs from the Athens. Fighting to expand Athenian military might and influence is not a priority for Socrates as it was for Pericles, who proposed it in his Funeral Oration, but instead, Socrates believes in improving Athens by bettering the citizens, as individuals. He appreciates the danger that would come with a public life, especially for him, whose views are contentious among many Athenians and explains this to the jury saying "...if someone who really fights for the just is going to preserve himself even for a short time, it is necessary for him to lead private rather than a public life." (page 83. section 32a)Although previously Socrates believed he could be of greater service to the city by spreading "Philosophia" among the private citizens of Athens in his defense speech, Socrates finally uses a public platform to edify the men of Athens. And he explains that"...if [he] had long ago attempted to be politically active, [he] would long ago have perished, and...would have benefitted neither [the Athenian citizens] nor [himself]." (page 83, section

In his writings, Plato wants to explain why Socrates accepted the penalty of death from the Athenian court. This is very important because Plato wanted Socrates to be seen in a positive, glorified light. In the public eye, why would Socrates be convicted if he were not guilty of failing to serve the gods and of swaying the youth? Also, why would he submit to the court’s ruling unless he thought he deserved the punishment? Not only the general public, but also Socrates’ followers and friends were concerned and wanted to know the answers to these questions. Thus, Plato writes about Socrates’ confusion about the charges about impiety, his defense, and his sense of duty to his city’s laws in a way that is designed to make Socrates seem appealing to the Athenian people. While accomplishing this goal, Plato almost defines the relationship between the individual and the society and the relation of state and religion.

All his life he acted morally. He left his native home, went to some unknown place, so as not to fulfill the predestined villainy. And in the finale he claims his dignity with self-punishment. Oedipus

Considerable variations of cosmopolitanism demonstrate its contextualisation throughout long historical periods. Development of cosmopolitanism in different socio-cultural condition and political settings and its dialectical relations with other perspectives contribute to different emphasises of cosmopolitanism though they retain its main principles. I think the variation of cosmopolitanism needs to be understood as a basis of understanding and comparison to address related issues. Although this thesis emphasizes on political cosmopolitanism and cosmopolitanism as a critical social theory, I discuss other variations and aspects of cosmopolitanism in this section due to inevitable connections and overlaps among them due to their shared principles