Socrates Quote Analysis

At Apology 40c-41c, Socrates argues “...that there is good hope that death is a blessing…” (Plato 43). The foundation of his argument rests on the premises that death exists as either a dreamless sleep or a relocation of one’s soul, and that if a person is in either of these states, they are blessed. Due to his present circumstance and personal beliefs, Socrates recognizes these premises to be true, thus making his conclusive argument that death is truly a blessing.

The problem with Socrates concerns the problem with the role of value and reason. Nietzsche believes that the bulk of philosophers claim that life is a corrupt grievance for mankind. Nietzsche reasoned that these life deniers were decadents of Hellenism, as a symptom of some underlying melancholy. For someone to paint life in such a negative light they must have suffered a great deal through the course of their own life. Furthermore, these no-sayers agreed in various physiological ways and thus adopted the same pessimistic attitudes towards life. Socrates was ugly, alike decadent criminals and by ways of these similarities was decadent as well. Nietzsche also claims ugliness as a physiological symptom of life in its decline supported by studies in phenology.

There are times in every mans life where our actions and beliefs collide—these collisions are known as contradictions. There are endless instances in which we are so determined to make a point that we resort to using absurd overstatements, demeaning language, and false accusations in our arguments. This tendency to contradict ourselves often questions our character and morals. Similarly, in The Trial of Socrates (Plato’s Apology), Meletus’ fallacies in reason and his eventual mistake of contradicting himself will clear the accusations placed on Socrates. In this paper, I will argue that Socrates is not guilty of corrupting the youth with the idea of not believing in the Gods but of teaching the youth to think for

1. What conclusion does Socrates reach in paragraph 4? How does he argue for this conclusion? Socrates provides a valid argument, concluding that the key to happiness is not simply in owning possessions (‘good things’), but rather in both owning and using them: Premise 1: Possessions must benefit us to make us happy.

In the book Apology by Plato, Socrates refers himself to a gadfly as a metaphor of his service to his community and city. In this essence, Socrates was explaining to the people of Athens that like an annoying gadfly to a horse, his service through his insights and challenges to the people in authority is in fact for their own benefit (Brickhouse, 121). A gadfly agitates a horse out of sluggishness and ends up benefitting the horse as it ends up feeding and being productive. Socrates through his insights and questioning of the people around the city was a means of passing knowledge. The debates they generated enlightened a lot of the Athenians of corruption and negligence conducted by the people in power. It is for this reason that the mighty people in the government ensured that they defeated Socrates before he stirred up a revolution against their system.

Secondly, the notion of the gadfly and the horse compared to Socrates' duty as a philosopher to the state is an important metaphor in understanding Socrates' philosophical lifestyle. Socrates “clings to the state as a sort of gadfly to a horse...that needs to be aroused” (pg. 41). Socrates, questioning and probing for knowledge, arouses the “polis”. The citizens, “indignant, as drowsy persons are when they are awakened” (pg. 41) are ignorant without Socrates dialectic method. This philosophical way of living, questioning and interrogating similar to how a gadfly might irritate a horse, has caused Socrates to neglect his own personal life in search of human excellence.

Socrates traveled from one group to another visiting wise politicians, poets, and craftsmen, making enemies out of each group. After talking to the “wise” men Socrates realized they were all arrogant for thinking themselves wise. Because Socrates knew he was not wise he believed he was better off then them. In the end it was a representative from each group that charged Socrates with the crimes that got him condemned to death. This "occupation" consumed his leisure as well as his finances. Socrates told the court at his trail: "I live in great poverty because of my service to the god"(6). Socrates compared himself to a gadfly, and the city of Athens a steed he was just trying to stir into life (11). When a horsefly bites me I squash it, and that is exactly what the city of Athens did to Socrates. Instead of squashing him they made him drink poison, a little bit less messy. Socrates was a gadfly by questioning Athenians on subjects they rarely talked about, making them think about something they normally wouldn’t. He did his questioning out in the open where Athenians congregated so the public could observe and hopefully think on whatever subject that was being talked about. Socrates would question respectable Athenians making them look stupid too a crowd, because they would not know what to say. Making the person being questioned very angry towards Socrates for putting them in such a position. Socrates

In order to enrich his argument, Socrates compares himself to a gadfly and the Athenian state to a noble, but lazy horse. A gadfly is constantly lingering around a horse, buzzing and stinging, just as Socrates is always moving throughout the city, striking up conversation. Although it may be irritating, a gadfly will keep a horse from falling asleep. Socrates claims that similarly to a gadfly, his presence may be agitating, but the state of Athens will benefit from it. His services keep the state from becoming sluggish and careless, and will eventually waken it into productive action. This analogy shows that rather than viewing himself as a corruptor of the youth, as that state

Thanksgiving is an opportunity to express our thanks for family, friends, and for everything we are lucky to have. Unfortunately, there are families that do not have that and at Ramapo we take pride in donating our time to help the less fortunate. On Saturday, November 19, 2016, I, alongside my Ramapo Baseball teammates, participated in the Thanksgiving Project Joy run by the SAAC Committee at Ramapo College. This is my third year volunteering and I realize that not only is it a volunteer project, but a team building event as well. Throughout the week, the players on the Ramapo Baseball team purchase food, toys, and other items to fill the Thanksgiving baskets which are delivered to underprivileged families in the Mahwah community. Consistently, every year the mood is energetic and we get acquainted with volunteers from various colleges, elementary schools and business around the

that a thing is not seen because it is in a state of being seen, it is in a state of being seen because it is seen, and the same for the comparisons. Socrates clarifies what he means by saying that if anything becomes, or is affected, it does not become because it is in a state of becoming, it is in a state of becoming because it is

The accusers, Meletos, Anytos, and Lycon, are all young and trying to make a name for themselves. They begin by telling everyone not to be deceived and to take caution because Socrates is a “clever speaker”. According to Socrates, the difference between him and his accusers is that he speaks the truth. He is on trial for two items, which include, corrupting the youth and impiety. Socrates tells everyone that he has no experience with the court and he will speak the way he is used to by being honest and direct. Socrates explains that his behavior is from the oracle of Apollo at Delphi.      

In Plato's Republic, Socrates engages the concept of truth. Everyone has their own interpretation of truth, but Socrates analyses which one is accurate. In order for a city to run smoothly and fair, truth mus be a virtue that everyone needs in order to live in harmony. The only group allowed to lie for the security of the city are the guardians. Truth is a concept that has to be established because without it, there will be no justice. “Justice is the necessary prerequisite to have the good. What is good is also just, and without justice we can not have the good” (Masroori). While dialoguing with Cephalus about age and desires, at one point Cephalus tells Socrates that desires go away with age and the elderly start to live harmoniously, Socrates questions him about other elders not believing the same thing. They both come to the conclusion that truth is a concept that varies amongst everyone and no one truth will be universal in the

The statement shows Socrates belief that a life lived honorably and just is the only thing that should be important. Socrates’ statement indirectly states that life means nothing if life has no meaning and life has no meaning to it if it is built around things that are unjust. When an individual is simply living life their life is not always good because their life can be corrupt by evils and wrongdoings which will backfire in their after life. This is supported when Socrates poses the question in 49B on page 52 asking Crito whether or not living corruptly is shameful and harmful to the wrongdoer and Crito states that it is. Basically, what I received from this statement is that life is full circle and bad karma will come back to those who

Going off intentions, another example of Socrates famous words would be to do the things you do because you want to, and not because you “have” to. To better yourself as a person, it is imperative to enjoy your life. That may be a challenge when you find yourself struggling with the things you don’t appreciate yourself. This doesn’t mean people don’t have to make sacrifices in life and live through things they have no choice but to do. Instead it means, to take control of the things you can. Do what’s best for you, and you won’t find yourself examining your life in a negative way.

Books 7 and 10 of The Republic do not mention any architect directly. However, in Books 7, Socrates indicates that architectural education is the third most important subject for a great country. Additionally, in Books 10, I assume that Socrates might think architects are not like the other artists, who only create particular object (couch, flute…) by mimicking and not realize the principle behind their work. He also is strongly against artists mimicking anything they don't know in their work because their work is far from reality.