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The trial and death of socrates plato
The trial and death of socrates plato
Essay on Greek philosopher socrates
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INTRODUCTION
“The death of Socrates has had a huge and almost continuous impact on western culture” (Wilson 1). Socrates life, trial, and death are all important parts of history. Socrates was a philosopher in Athens who believed in using reason to explain different aspects of life. During his lifetime, he not only tried to help develop his own mind and understanding of life, but also those around him. He often tried to teach the adolescence and get them to use their minds. Socrates enjoyed teaching children because their minds were still open and they were willing to learn. However, his views varied from most of other people around him. He was put on trial because others did not care for his methods. He was eventually executed. Socrates had the courage to be different and marked the beginning of Western Philosophy. His trial was one of the first of its kind and it is the first recorded trial in which someone was sentenced to death as a result of their beliefs.
“Plato tells us that Socrates compared himself to a gadfly, whose stings are necessary to keep a sleepy horse awake” (Wilson 3). Socrates wanted himself, along with the people around him, to always be aware of life and to better understand what it has to offer. Socrates may have been killed for his beliefs, but his ideas and his life have not been forgotten. They still serve as a source of learning for us today.
THE LIFE OF SOCRATES
Socrates was a philosopher in Athens. Throughout his entire life, to the moment he died, he did his best to help the people around him. He wanted them to think and make correct moral decisions. “Athens, one of the world’s earliest democracies, raised Socrates, educated him and finally sentenced him to death, having found him guilty of reli...
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...the youth of Athens and not properly venerating the gods of Athens. His trail and death not only set examples for those who lived 2,400 years ago, but also those who live in the present. He is an important figure in history. “The death of Socrates has had a huge and almost continuous impact on western culture” (Wilson 11). “We rely upon the sun in order to see and live. Just as life is impossible without it, says Socrates, so we cannot live without goodness” (Usher 17). Socrates still serves as a great example for us today. Although he wrote nothing himself, he is still viewed as arguably the greatest philosopher in the history of the world. His ideas and understandings of life and its aspects are unique. Despite not being supported by his piers, he still stood up for what he believed was right. Socrates was confident in his beliefs right until the end of his life.
... them to acknowledge the unjust state of affairs that persists in the deteriorating city-state. Socrates believed it was better to die, than to live untrue to oneself, and live unable to practice philosophy, by asking people his questions. Thus, we can see Socrates was a nonconformist in Ancient Greek society, as he laid down his life in the hopes of saving his state, by opening the eyes of the jury to the corruptness and evils of society. Socrates also laid down the framework for a paradigm shift to occur in his city, as his acquired a formidable fan group, or following, of individuals, who, began to preach his philosophy and continue his Socratic method of questioning and teaching. Socrates philosophy is still influential and studied today, thus his ways of thinking about life, truth and knowledge, changed the way western society perceives the world.
In today’s society, no man can be sentence to die because he speaks out his mind, everyone is entitle to freedom of speech. If Socrates were alive today, he would have being able to express his mind with out being sentence to die.
Socrates lived such a private life that it lead to the most important revelation of his entire life. He would go about his life doing nothing but self-examination. In examining his life so strenuously others would come to him to be taught, or to have their children be taught by Socrates. They would offer him money and he would refuse. They would do whatever they could to learn anything Socrates had to teach. What they did not know is that Socrates was not teaching anyone he was simply going about his usual life and people just happened to learn from it. This was also why Socrates was put on trial. He was brought up on two charges, one of impiety and the other of corrupting the youth. These two charges set the course for the last month of his life.
In conclusion, Socrates was guilty of inventing his own deity, which violated the Athenian laws and the general moral principle held by Athenians, though his main purpose was to improve the society and educate the youth through questioning. However, he was a great citizen and thinker in ancient Athens, since he developed a new value system which did guide the people to the truth and rightness, despite the fact that some part of defense was not convincing and involved sophistry. In addition, the legal system of Athens had some defects for it let the majority rather than professional judges or lawmakers make judgment, leading to the tragedy of Socrates’ death.
Socrates is faced with a death sentence after getting accused of devaluing the Athens religion through his practice of philosophy. Most people will feel outraged and betrayed, but not Socrates. He accepts his punishment and takes it on as faith.
Socrates, according to Plato challenged the norms of society by questioning life and having others question it as well. He was labeled of “corrupting the youth” and for not believing in the Athenians gods. “Socrates is guilty of corrupting the young, and of not acknowledging the gods the city acknowledges, but new daimonic activities instead.” (The Apology, pp 654) Although, he was cast by being “corrupt”, Socrates had many followers that saw him as a wise man. Socrates trial was made up of thirty jurors, who were later known as “The Thirty.” The “Thirty” really wanted was to silence Socrates, rather than taking his life. However, Socrates did not want to disobey the laws, he did not want to be violated of his right to freedom of speech, nor did he did he want to be undermine his moral position. (The Apology, pp. 647) He stood against injustice acts several times while he was in counsel. “I was the sort...
Socrates reaches a conclusion that defies a common-sense understanding of justice. Nothing about his death sentence “seems” just, but after further consideration, we find that his escape would be as fruitless as his death, and that in some sense, Socrates owes his obedience to whatever orders Athens gives him since he has benefited from his citizenship.
(37) The problem is that many of the citizens of Athens who wanted Socrates dead, lacked that emotional intelligence and thought highly of themselves. So of course they become defensive when Socrates sheds light on the idea that they may be wrong. As someone who cared most about the improvement of the soul, Socrates would have made a constructive role model to the criminals of Athens, as he would go on saying, “virtue is not given by money, but that from virtue comes money and every other good of man…”(35) Socrates was able to benefit everyone alike as he had human wisdom- something that all the Athenians could relate
Imagine the time just after the death of Socrates. The people of Athens were filled with questions about the final judgment of this well-known, long-time citizen of Athens. Socrates was accused at the end of his life of impiety and corruption of youth. Rumors, prejudices, and questions flew about the town. Plato experienced this situation when Socrates, his teacher and friend, accepted the ruling of death from an Athenian court. In The Last Days of Socrates, Plato uses Socrates’ own voice to explain the reasons that Socrates, though innocent in Plato’s view, was convicted and why Socrates did not escape his punishment as offered by the court. The writings, “Euthyphro,” “The Apology,” “Crito,” and “Pheado” not only helped the general population of Athens and the friends and followers of Socrates understand his death, but also showed Socrates in the best possible light. They are connected by their common theme of a memoriam to Socrates and the discussion of virtues. By studying these texts, researchers can see into the culture of Athens, but most important are the discussions about relationships in the book. The relationships between the religion and state and individual and society have impacted the past and are still concerns that are with us today.
Socrates discusses that people should not fear death because we do not know the qualities of death. Even though we do not know what death is, he makes some suggestions for the possibilities after death. He suggests that maybe death is just an endless sleep without dreaming, it is where we can finally come to peace with ourselves. He also suggest that maybe in the afterlife he will be able to meet heroic people in the past, where he can share his experience and question people to see whether they are wise. Even in death Socrates is still going to practice philosophy even if the place is bad. Even if he did not live a just life that he thought he did, he can examine what he did wrong and fix the problems in the after life. I agree with Socrates
Whether Socrates is portrayed correctly or not, he certainly was a great man. His contribution to western thought cannot be denied. For even if his teachings were different from what they are known to be at present, his influence on Plato is immense. And so, it is no small matter to describe the tragic passing of such a man as Socrates was and remains for philosophy today. Yet in all the indignation which is expected to arise at the death of Socrates, the panache with which he departs is captured excellently in Plato's “Apology.” Specifically, at the end of the "Apology," Socrates makes a very important statement that has had great impact on philosophy ever since its original proclamation. The Stoics in particular have taken this to be the cornerstone of their ideology. The statement made is that "you must regard one thing at least as certain—that no harm can come to a good man either in his life or after his death,” (Plato 100). The following examination focuses therefore on a brief explanation of the circumstances which lead to this statement being made by Socrates, as well as a closer look at why he thinks this to be the case. It is assumed that this statement is true, and validation for that assumption is to be sought as well.
In Plato’s Apology Socrates’ was on trial for corrupting the youth and for spreading atheism. Socrates defended himself in the trial saying that he was just performing a service to the god that complimented him saying that he was wiser than anyone else. Ultimately this defense did not work, therefore he lost the trial. He was sentenced to death. Most people would be sad, scared, or distraught over this sentencing, but not Socrates. He didn’t view death as a bad thing, he almost welcomed death. Socrates welcomes death in a different way than Christians. Indeed people should welcome death, but not the way Socrates did. People should welcome death the way that Christians do, the right way. I believe that the Christians have the correct view of death, and that Socrates view of death is flawed. Socrates says that we should believe that death is the biggest blessing to man. He also says that we should not fear what we do not know. I find that hard to believe because I believe that the opposite to be true as well.
Socrates was an insightful philosopher who had an opinion on all the basic fundamental questions. He had very strong beliefs that he willed others into believing through questioning and proving ignorance in others beliefs. He has particular views on every fundamental question and particular views on how people should live their lives. He says God has spoken to him about philosophy and says that it is his destiny and it is his calling in life. Through philosophy he searches for answers to the fundamental questions and gains wisdom and knowledge. The fundamental question of condition is the question of what, if anything, has gone wrong with the world? The question of solution is what can fix the problem? Then there is Death which asks what happens
wise for he was always in the pursuit of knowledge. Unfortunately, Socrates was put to death late in his
Socrates was considered by many to be the wisest man in ancient Greece. While he was eventually condemned for his wisdom, his spoken words are still listened to and followed today. When, during his trial, Socrates stated that, “the unexamined life is not worth living” (Plato 45), people began to question his theory. They began to wonder what Socrates meant with his statement, why he would feel that a life would not be worth living. To them, life was above all else, and choosing to give up life would be out of the picture. They did not understand how one would choose not to live life just because he would be unable to examine it.