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Reflection Of Plato And Socrates

Satisfactory Essays

Historically, Socrates was a real person and philosopher who questioned and perplexed anyone who claimed to have any supreme knowledge on any matter. However, the works in which he is portrayed by Plato are not proven to be historically accurate which can cause confusion between what Plato portrayed Socrates to say and what Socrates actually said. When speaking or reading about Plato and Socrates in works such as the Apology it is important to keep actively distinguishing between both Plato and Socrates (which I will be doing throughout this reflection).
In order to have a better understanding of both Plato and Socrates one should have a basic understanding of the historical context of the time period in which Socrates and Plato lived, as suggested by a classmate in our last class (8/31). For example, the Peloponnesian war, which was thought to have been induced in part because of Pericles’ democratic ideas, brought on feelings of resent towards democracy, which might have been a major influence on Plato’s decision to portray Socrates as remarkably audacious to the jury. This could have been Plato’s way of saying “screw you democracy” whereas the jury symbolizes the democratic ideal of representation. As a matter of fact, the title of the work “Apology” does not indicate a repent of actions, but is actually used in its ancient Greek context “apologia” which means “a speech in one’s own defense.” This term lays the groundwork for the story in its entirety. In no way, shape,

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