Regardless how progressive or more educated we are today compared to ancient civilizations, we can’t state that what ancient philopshers contributed did not affect us directly. From modest things like as fire and then to more difficult things such as the idea of time, or ancient inventors and other scholars made it possible for modern expansions. Works Cited
Guthrie, W.K.C. Socrates (1971). Print.
Johnson, Paul. Socrates: A Man for Our Times (2011). Print.
Rudebusch, George. Socrates (2009). Print.
Viastos, Gregory. Socrates Ironist and Moral Philosopher. Cambridge UP,1991. Web. Without the research and curiosity of our forefathers, we would not know nor would we have what we have today.
Even though some may see or imagine their philosophies
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Yet it is flawed by optimism. Xenophon's presentation of Socrates as a moral edit and teacher of values, instead of as a philosophic revolutionary. This could be why he had been driven by Xenophon's intention of minimizing the revolutionary parts of the thoughts and ideas of Socrates. A study was created to study the development of Socrates's philosophy. This was to ensure the order to clarify a steady and faithful interpretation of …show more content…
Another huge contribution as to why he is my favorite philosopher. Martin Luther King Jr. was a man of change and transformation under a revolution. He very much so wanted people to change their belief of how blacks should be viewed and treated. He was tragically killed and was put to death unfornately. Socrates punishment for trying to find out what the actual truth is, was death. Once again, why he reminds me of the modern day MLK, Jr. This was an unfair, unfair was really an understatement, punishment. Every single individual is presented with choices. The younger generation chose to listen and believe what Socrates had to say. They attempted to change the way they thought and acted. Socrates didnt charge people to listen to him or did he stop them from listening to him. In Plato’s Apology Socrates says, “If anyone says that he has learned anything from me, or that he heard anything privately that the others did not hear, be assured that he is not telling the
Ancient civilizations made some important contributions to our life today. They started around 3500 BC. Ancient civilizations also achieved many things. Some of those things were new inventions, the use of new technology, writing systems and architectural skills. Two of the many civilizations that did these things were the Chinese and Egyptians.
By mentioning Socrates and his ideals, MLK Jr. is not only explaining his reasoning, but he is also
Although Socrates was wrongly imprisoned and waiting the death penalty, which he acknowledges, he, according to his argument, is not permitted to act unjustly in return, or break the law. Pertaining to justice, the laws to Socrates are the most important and in order to keep the city functioning as he states in the dialogue, “in comparison with [one’s] mother and father and all [one’s] forebears, [the] fatherland is more precious and venerable, more sacred and held in higher esteem among gods, as well as among human beings who have any sense” (Plato 39). Again, Martin Luther King Jr. departs from Socrates’ view in that he argues that those laws that are unjust need to be broken in a civil way, in order to direct consideration of their shortcomings. According to King, “one has not only a legal but a moral responsibility to obey just laws [and] one has a
Socrates was a great thinker and debater dedicated to truth. He spent his golden years walking the streets of Athens in pursuit of wisdom. Socrates lived the destiny that was revealed to him in the Oracle. He created and perfected his own cross-examination technique; we today know it as the Socratic Method. He was thorough and unrelenting. His subjects were often humiliated. Socrates would methodically disprove anyone he thought was wrong. In his eyes, most of the people he interviewed were blind. It did not matter if one was wealthy and influential or if they were young and impressionable. Socrates could question anyone and turn him or her inside out. Unfortunately, he did so without regard to the
The Socratic problem refers to the difficulty of determining what information from historical dialogues depicts the actual views of Socrates. Socrates was an actual historical figure, but there are no works from Socrates himself. Therefore, we read of Socrates through his students and others during his time. Plato, Aristophanes, and Xenophon are three main writers who studied the character of Socrates. Since no writings from Socrates are saved, his views must be discerned from the sometimes contradictory and secondary reports.
Therefore, instead of keeping his knowledge to himself, Socrates shares it with others on how to be a great general. Also, Xenophon portraits Socrates as someone who is devoted to helping people improve their lives in all practical dimensions. As a result, Socrates strives always to send his conversation associates away with some bits of practical advice which they might use to live a more virtues
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
Many ancient civilizations have changed the way we live today. Sumerians invented the first language, Hammurabi invented the first set of laws, Egyptians created pyramids, and so many other ways that ancient people made the building blocks of the way our society lives today. It amazes me how God gave us brains to figure out ways to make life so much easier!
Socrates’ intention was to influence the men of Athens to follow the one who teaches wisely than someone who earns knowledge from an unreliable source. He believed that his source were reliable and it was suitable for the society, Similar to Socrates, Martin Luther King advances his community by letting his people to seek more knowledge about just and unjust laws. In his letter from Birmingham jail, King says “How can you advocate breaking some laws and obeying others? The answer lies in the fact that there are two types of laws: just and unjust” (Letter from Birmingham Jail, 611). Socrates was on trial because he broke some laws that he does not believe in and yet was willing to die by those same laws. Martin Luther King argues that if someone thinks there is something wrong with the law, you have to stand up and do something to change the wrong in the law.
The use of Socrates’ inquiry in the Meno is a perfect example to show how Socrates pushed his listeners to question their own knowledge. Socrates never told Meno his definitions were wrong and his own were right, rather continued to question Meno’s conclusions to show him that he did not know the true meaning of virtue. The people of Athens were unable to accept the fact that many of them were ignorant on topics such as the definition of virtue, whereas Socrates himself was able to admit it. The Athenians disguised Socrates’ true desire to teach people for corruption and impiety because they believed he was trying to humiliate them. Although the people of Athens were blind of Socrates’ true intentions, his method of inquiry did in fact benefit the city of Athens. Socrates’ methods eliminated ignorance and increased proper knowledge on important things such as virtue and knowledge within the city of Athens, which is what he meant when he said he was “a gift of the gods to the city of Athens.”
Xenophon said that Socrates would more often than not give his opinions on what other philosophers said so that his students could further grasp the concept of what other philosophers where trying to convey. Xenophon’s’ Socrates when he talks about him is in a very different point of view from the view point of how Plato describes and writes about Socrates. Xenophon would also write about the philosophical conversions Socrates would have with others and one of his most famous conversations was with a prostitute where they talked about what the true meaning of conversation was, because Diogenes was unhappy with how being polite meant lying, and he was sick and tired of all the useless lies people
Socrates is believed to be one of the greatest philosophers of all time and he is credited as being the founder of western philosophy. This paper will explain some of his views to the most fundamental questions of today’s age. These questions will include topics about morality, the human condition, solution, and death. After Socrates’ views on these topics are explained, a critique will be done on his answers. I will start out by explaining exactly who Socrates is, and the time that he lived in. To start out, we will first examine Socrates’ view on morality.
Socrates is known for his moving of Greek philosophical thought from the consideration of the way of the universe, which involved the rationalists before him, to the examination of human life and its issues. He was the first to study morals as a science—that may be, to study profound quality in a deliberate, steady way. Researchers have noted that the effect of Socrates on the advancement of Western society and reasoning can't be exaggerated, and some have recommended that his teachings affected the improvement of Christianity. Yet the investigation of Socrates' theory is tormented by the "issue of Socrates": he doesn't wrot anything. After his demise, and maybe before it, his adherents started to record points of interest of his life and thought, yet these are seemingly more interpretive in
In ancient Greece, being a philosopher carried various implications, several of which were unfavorable. In a time when natural philosophers were accused for being non-believers in the traditional deities and sophists were defamed for selling their intellectual services for money, Socrates fit in neither category. Nonetheless, the moment Socrates decided to become an enquirer, or a philosopher of human nature, he was chastised. His enemies, men he had either insulted or embarrassed, sought vengeance and in their process to do so, tried to define him. Accused of being an atheist and a corruptor of the youth, Socrates was viewed harshly by the society he lived in, but, despite this, his true nature revealed itself through his words and Plato’s dialogues. His prosecutors aimed to vilify his name and profession, and ultimately sentence him to death, a goal they eventually completed, but the accusations were not definitive of who he was. Socrates was a philosopher, first and foremost, attempting to find the reasons for various phenomenon, but he was also a self-professed prophet, indirectly given a prophecy from the gods, determined to use dialectic to bring about self-awareness in his fellow citizens. His ideologies, thus, became the building blocks for the philosophers of the generations succeeding him.
Socrates has inspired many people throughout the years, especially philosophers. He had a unique way of understanding and teaching morality. Most people would think that learning by example is easier than learning by definition, but everyone learns differently. Socrates learned by definition and not example. That is written about in Plato’s early dialogues. Plato was one of Socrates best students. He admired how Socrates questioned everything and how he was so intellectual about different subjects. Throughout the dialogues that he wrote Plato mentioned how Socrates had different methods of teaching. He preferred to have a discussion about the topic. That is the Socratic Method. He also used craft analogy. These methods were different from how anyone was thinking during that time period. Socrates had many different ways of teaching his students. Socrates’ methods proved to be quite affective and they are still being used today to teach and to learn.