Essay on plato apology of socrates. Plato's Apology Analysis Essay on Apology, Plato, Socrates 2022-11-02
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In Plato's Apology of Socrates, Socrates is on trial for his life, accused of corrupting the youth of Athens and not believing in the gods. Socrates defends himself by arguing that he is actually a philosopher, someone who is dedicated to seeking truth and wisdom. He believes that his pursuit of truth and wisdom is a service to the city, and that the charges against him are unfounded.
One of the main arguments that Socrates makes in his defense is that he is not corrupting the youth of Athens, but rather trying to help them. He argues that the young people of Athens are like a ship's crew, and that the politicians and other influential people of the city are like the ship's captain. Socrates sees himself as a kind of philosopher-pilot, guiding the youth of Athens on the right path and helping them to think for themselves.
Socrates also argues that he is not guilty of not believing in the gods, as he has always tried to live a virtuous and just life. He believes that the gods have given him a mission to seek truth and wisdom, and that he has always tried to fulfill this mission to the best of his ability. Socrates does not believe that he has done anything wrong, and that the charges against him are a result of misunderstanding and misdirection.
One of the most famous passages in the Apology of Socrates is when Socrates says that he would rather die than give up his pursuit of truth and wisdom. He believes that the pursuit of truth and wisdom is more important than his own life, and that he would rather suffer and die than give up on this pursuit. This passage has become one of the most famous and enduring statements of the value of truth and wisdom, and has inspired many people throughout history to seek truth and wisdom in their own lives.
In conclusion, the Apology of Socrates is a powerful and enduring statement of the value of truth and wisdom, and of the importance of living a virtuous and just life. It is a testament to the strength of Socrates' conviction, and to the power of his ideas to inspire and influence people even centuries after his death.
Plato's Apology Analysis Essay on Apology, Plato, Socrates
He says that he is giving his defense speech at an old age. He is well aware of his position as a respected philosopher who is apparently dangerous because of his honesty, so he behaves with dignity and calmness, like a perfect philosopher should behave. First I shall discuss the Apology and provide examples to strengthen my argument that Socrates is a man of religion and reason. In conclusion, death cannot be the deterrent to the moral responsibility of a philosopher because there is no true knowledge of death. Philosophers from all around the globe failed to understand the innate philosophy by Plato due to over-generalizations and oversimplifications.
. He speaks with utmost conviction like a man possessed or a Prophet addressing a congregation: For this is the command of God as I would have you know that to this day no greater good has ever happened in the state than my service to God Socrates does not seem in the least bothered about his own life because to him as an alternative even death was in no way less welcome. According to Socrates the only rational and reasonable way is to accept the punishment given by the law, regardless of what it is. There were no public prosecutors, no District attorney and in the whole trial process, there id no mention of a judge. There is certain poignancy to his defense as what he said did not matter anyway. Socrates mentions that he has never denied help to anyone, and that he has acted like a father or brother to many citizens who needed a wise advice. If a philosopher truly believes in what he says but does not use his position to achieve benefits in society, he should prefer death to disgrace of refusing from his ideals.
However, the specifics of his approach are that he avoids using direct denial in his defense speech and chooses ways to make his opponents look ridiculous and ignorant. The same dilemma in which the ancient philosophers found themselves in resembles some moral issues in the society today. Socrates had to worry about one thing only i. In this defense, Socrates explains that his language is by what he is used to and that he had no experience in the law courts. On the contrary, he believes that his personal freedom, and even his own life, are not so important compared to the importance of higher goals. He proves his allegiance to the gods of Athens through consultation of the Oracle to find if there is any individual that is wiser than him in Athens Plato, 2017.
Plato’s Apology of Socrates essay Essay — Free college essays
Plato uses his favorite character based on the personality of his respected teacher Socrates, to convey his ideas about honesty and justice. The Socrates shows dedication to his philosophy despite the majority opposition. What a pity that the speech won over the hearts of the readers for over two millennia, did not succeed in winning Socrates his acquittal. In the end, he says that only God knows what life is better: the present one or the one after death. Socrates makes clear that it was his duty as a philosopher to examine himself and others as given by God. To conclude his defense, Socrates states his beliefs about death and his view on his punishment. In addition, he integrates his reading of the apology with a sophisticated discussion of Socrates' philosophy.
Socrates in the Apology: An Essay on Plato's Apology of Socrates
The charge of misleading the youth or corrupting them he rejected altogether by claiming that he had never been a teacher in the sense of imparting knowledge to others. He defends his attitude from the perspective that his enemies are envious and malicious to him. Right from the beginning, Socrates is confronting his accusers by declaring that they are lying. A PLATO READER: Eight Essential Dialogues — Apology. The narrative proves that in the society, knowledge, and wisdom is not necessarily held by great personalities in the society such as politicians, poets, and craftsmen Siegel, 2009.
Analysis Of Apology by Plato: [Essay Example], 1013 words GradesFixer
You can search by Subject e. This is a telling fact that he meant that he was not lying throughout and hence the accusations are false. He achieves that by visiting the oracle of Delphi to inquire of the presence of another individual wiser than him Siegel, 2009. This principle is one of the two fundamental principles needed for a city to function properly. That what other people believed in the world did not matter in his decisions and behavior. By remaining loyal to this stance in his own defense, he not only emphasized this importance to those who came after him, but also ensured his words would somehow be immortalized as the only way in which he might be able to reach future generations. The Socrates Apology refers to the account of self-defense that was rendered against the allegations of corruption and immorality Plato, 2017.
A crowd is meant to bring light to a matter of importance, but what is the significance of a crowd if it's used to escape from reality and to just fall into the loophole of others? Socrates also tells the jury how he will not give up his beliefs just to survive. And his legacy lives on. Plato chose not to relate his philosophy directly with his name. Through his application of his style of diction it swayed into his more sophisticated tone. If he was breaking the law and harming Athens it would be wrong and immoral, but because god sent him to do this duty, he must overcome every obstacle in his way to do so. Socrates then went ahead to question Meletus, the man who had brought him to the jury.
Socrates as we know talks a lot, his difference from others is emphasized because of his sophisticated but indulging accounts with individuals. It is clear from the summary that the state did not appreciate change because the people could rise and demand their rights. Having known that he was the wisest individual, he felt proud of his personality and would not hesitate to interrogate prophets, seers, politician, poets and other personalities to determine whether they were impostors Plato, 2017. The fact that Socrates would rather stay in Athens and die rather than flee and love proves that he is an apostle of reason. Philosophy plays a major role in education as it is the backbone of disciplines such as politics, epistemology, metaphysics and mind and language philosophy Siegel, 2009. Indeed, Socrates chooses to die as an argument in defense of his ideas, which he believes should be the main test for all true philosophers.
Moreover, they find it difficult to relate between the authority of the institutions that exist in the society and that they have over their students Siegel, 2009. As far as impiety is concerned, Socrates says that since he believes in a divine thing, he also believes in divinity. However, even if we grant that the gods have always been correct in their guidance of Socrates, it does not follow that Socrates is innocent of all the charges against him. THE APOLOGY The Apology opens with the account of charges against Socrates, and he begins by acknowledging and restating some other criticisms that have been made against him in Athens. Socrates is concerned with only justice. Socrates in his behavior focuses more on embarrassing Meletus than speaking out the truth of the matter.
The Oracle had the reputation for ALWAYS TELLING THE TRUTH. It was the above-mentioned tour of the country, his meeting the people and questioning them that gave Socrates the reputation of a busybody and an annoying presence, a pest. After cross-examining, it is only the transformation of philosophical beliefs that can alter the behavior and not a punishment or threat. In the Apology, he first clears the claims that he is a wise man Plato, 2017. That is exactly how Socrates approached his defense in the court.
