Socrates In Plato's Symposium

Plato’s idea that there was a perfect world of ideas affected this pieces subject and the

The phrase “I know that I know nothing”, often referred to as the Socratic paradox is famous saying that has been derived from Plato’s account of Socrates in The Apology. It demonstrates Socrates moral philosophy that true wisdom is accepting one’s ignorance. In Delphi of Ancient Greece, there is a sacred temple that lived a woman who has been known to be possessed by the gods, and thus able to obtain answers from them. In 440 BC, the Oracle of Apollo declared that “Socrates was the wisest”, and in great disbelief it made Socrates feel obliged to seek the true meaning of her remark. Socrates did this by “interviewing everyone who had a reputation for knowledge” to prove the oracle was wrong. For instance, in Plato’s Euthyphro, Socrates

He tells his interlocutors that if as they claim, they truly have knowledge of some moral property then they should be able to define the nature of that property. His interlocutors fail to provide him with a definition, one that satisfies Socrates, and from this Socrates draws the conclusion that all of man is ignorant of any true knowledge. As Socrates tests his interlocutors he does so in a way that it creates or forces the interlocutors to have self-contradiction. Socrates is seeking for self-contradiction created by the interlocutors themselves, more than the actual definition. Socrates believes that only the gods have these moral definitions and answers. This process of questioning and answering to discover a true definition is called

Note: The conversation occurred over social media, and then was transferred here above some minor grammatical corrections for readability.

Socrates spent his time questioning people about things like virtue, justice, piety and truth. The people Socrates questioned are the people that condemned him to death. Socrates was sentenced to death because people did not like him and they wanted to shut him up for good. There was not any real evidence against Socrates to prove the accusations against him. Socrates was condemned for three major reasons: he told important people exactly what he thought of them, he questioned ideas that had long been the norm, the youth copied his style of questioning for fun, making Athenians think Socrates was teaching the youth to be rebellious. But these reasons were not the charges against him, he was charged with being an atheist and

This article definitely confused me at first, and I had to read the dialogue between Socrates and Euthyphro a few times before I truly understood it. In the dialogue it comes off that Euthryphro is teaching Socrates by somewhat belittling him in section 2B. Because of the way Euthryphro talks to Socrates, it made me believe at first that Socrates didn’t know anything about the situation. However, about the third time I read the dialogue, I (think I) picked up on what Socrates was doing. I believe Socrates IS teaching Euthryphro, and it may not be in a ‘usual’ teaching way, but it is a good way to do so. Socrates let Euthryphro talk to him as if he was teaching him, but I believe Socrates knew what Euthryphro was saying (about holiness and the

As is already known, Homeric literature served as the model for educating Greek boys and young men, as well male Roman citizens later on in Antiquity. The passages of Homer and Hesiod instructed a decorum which defined proper behavior as unyielding bravery in the field of battle, and the continuous desire for besting an opponent through strident competition, or agon in the Greek. Achilles defined this part of heroic conduct, while Odysseus, through his renowned ability for persuasion, defined the other. Ideally therefore, both ways melded together provided a path to immortality and glory, which was the ultimate goal for every male aspirant in Classical Athens. As can be witnessed in Homeric literature – especially the Iliad – the real meaning of this immortality lay in the recognition of one’s achievements by his peers. And while immortality naturally meant being remembered for one’s actions, the potential for infamy also was part and parcel of this method. Therefore, this path to everlasting glory may been seen as highly individualistic, with no lasting contribution to the society left behind. Yet this masculine-nihilistic

Plato's metaphor of the divided line is essentially two worlds; the world of opinion (the

“The Apology of Socrates”, written by Plato, is actually a speech Socrates gave to defend himself in the court of law. Socrates spent time explaining how he speaks, as well as explaining the type of man he really is. He was put on trial for being accused of impiety (lack of respect for God or sacred things), and corrupting the youth to think like him. His speech was not only given to the jury and courts in general, but also to his accuser.

Jacci Simon Richard Kim History 2a 14 September 2014 The Funeral Oration of Pericles The main purpose of the speech by Pericles and he was the Athenian leader. First, he wanted the people to understand the dignity, which he believed in his own country as a community. Secondly, he wanted people to know that his country was unique because they prospered as one people and were capable of defending for one another.

In Plato’s Republic Book I sections 336a through 354a, the main focus is the set of arguments between Socrates and Thrasymachus regarding the definition of what it means to be just and the difference between being just and unjust. Thrasymachus joins the conversation. And says that Polemarchus and Socrates are partaking in discussions that revolve around nonsense. He also demands that Socrates explain what is truly “just”. Socrates argues that the nature of his discussions with Polemarchus is serious and sincere, to which Thrasymachus sarcastically laughs at. Thrasymachus accuses Socrates of stealing wisdom from those he meets. Once their conversation gets past this point, Thrasymachus says that justice is nothing other than what is advantageous

Through the analyzing of The Apologia, is it learned much about the life of Socrates as well as how he lived. In the Apology, Plato recounts the words given by Socrates during his trying in which he was sentenced to death. During the trial, Socrates defends himself on two charges, which are set in writing by Meletus, one of the prosecutors. The first set of charges Socrates refers to them as “ the first lying accusations”, and are informal charges to set an image of who people believe Socrates to be. The second set makes up the formal accusations and the charges that they hope commit Socrates to death.

Plato’s Symposium is a philosophical text that is compiled of multiple viewpoints towards love. In Aristophanes’ speech, he implements an unusual myth to explain sources of soul mates, completeness, and human nature. Aristophanes’ interpretation can be especially thought of in terms of human nature when applying this to medical personnel. According to Aristophanes, since all beings have a desire for completeness and to fill in what’s lacking, it’s possible that medical personnel desire to heal and “complete” people due to this innate sense. Medical professionals want to apply their skills and put humans back together in order to fill in what’s lacking and aid people in fulfilling their desire for completeness.

In Socrates defense speech there were certain parts that could have influenced the jury to judge him as guilty and sentenced him to death. The first time Socrates words failed him in this way was when he said that there was no one wiser than him according to the Pythia (Lines 21a). The jury mostly likely interpreted this as, if a man who is of such low class is “wiser” than them then that must mean they know nothing. The jury probably took offense to this because they all felt they had known their skills and were wise in that knowledge. In another section, Socrates basically says they know nothing stating “he supposes he knows something when he does not know”, which leads to the assumption that one who believes they know something is

Plato’s Symposium is set in ancient Greece, where Agathon, a playwright, has won a very prestigious award for a theatrical production. When a relatively large array of men gather the day after in celebration, they decide that they will not go heavy on the drinking, and instead will give eulogies to Love. These exaltations come together with the notion that to achieve immortality, one must pass on one’s knowledge to another human being through a meaningful and concrete love affair.