Comparison of Plato's The Last Days of Socrates and Hesse's Siddhartha
The Last Days of Socrates and Siddhartha are sources that reveal information about religious or philosophical ideas in the cultures that they focus on. While vast differences exist between the Greek and Indian values that shape their philosophies, they make similar assumptions as they attempt to make sense of the world. Understanding the dichotomous relationship of the soul and the body is integral to grasping the similarities and differences between the classical Greek and Indian paths because the way in which these concepts are understood defines the very nature of truth.
Socrates, the main character in The Last Days of Socrates, and Siddhartha, the central figure in Siddhartha, are both portrayed as learned men searching for truth. The author of The Last Days of Socrates, Plato, conceived the document as a representation of Socrates' method of inquiry. Although it is a primary source from the period (429-347 B.C.E.), the reader must consider that The Last Days of Socrates is a re-creation of events that may have happened, not a verbatim account. Siddhartha is a secondary source that explains an Indian philosophical journey through the perspective of a twentieth century German author. Thus, one must consider the author's bias towards his subject and remember that the ideas presented are one scholar's interpretation of the legend. By attempting to compare and contrast both sources' approaches to truth, one can make some observations about the way Greek and Indian cultures view truth; keeping in mind that the sources each merely represent one account of the historical events and ideas.
Intrinsic to Siddhartha and Socrates' searche...
... middle of paper ...
...th. By becoming aware of the separation of the soul and the body, the indestructible and immortal nature of the soul, and the impossibility of the soul understanding truth while bound to the body, one can begin to understand how this dichotomy has shaped Indian and ancient Greek philosophy.
Works Cited
Baumer, Franz. Hermann Hesse. New York: Frederick Ungar Publishing Co., 1970.
Field, G.W. Hermann Hesse. Boston: Twayne Publishers, 1970.
Hesse, Herman. Siddhartha. Dover Publications, 1998.
Plato, The Last Days of Socrates. Trans. Hugh Tredennick and Harold Tarrant. London: Penguin, 1993.
Welch, Carolyn Roberts. Cliff's Notes on Hesse's Steppenwolf and Siddhartha. Lincoln: Cliff's Notes Inc., 1973.
Ziolkowski, Theodore. The Novels of Hermann Hesse: A Study in Theme and Structure. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1965.
Hermann Hesse’s novel “Siddhartha” is one of spiritual renewal and self discovery. The novel revolves around the life of one man named Siddhartha, who leaves his home and all earthly possessions in an attempt to find spiritual enlightenment. The novel contains many themes, including the relationship between wisdom and knowledge, spirituality, man’s relationship to the natural world, time, love, and satisfaction. To portray these themes, Hesse employs many different rhetorical devices, particularly diction, symbolism, and point of view. These devices allow us, as a reader, to reevaluate our lives and seek fulfillment in the same way that Siddhartha did.
The central difference between John Gardener's Grendel and Hermann Hesse's Siddhartha, both stories of spiritual growth and development, is not thematic. Instead, vast differences in tone and language make the self-deprecating monster easy to empathize with and the soul-searching wanderer simple and detached. Despite their stylistic differences, both works stand alone as examples of philosophical and spiritual evolution.
In this paper, I will be explaining how Siddhartha had arrived at the Four Noble Truths. The first paragraph contains how Siddhartha’s life was full of suffering, pain, and sorrow. The second paragraph will be the cause of suffering is the desire for things that are really illusions in Siddhartha’s life. Following, in the third paragraph I will be explaining how the only way to cure suffering is to overcome desire. Finally, I will be explaining that the only way to overcome desire is to follow the Eightfold Path.
Thi thord fruntoir os thi fruntoir thet wi eri lovong on tudey. Luav seys thet thos fruntoir os cherectirozid by fovi trinds: "A sivirenci uf thi pabloc end proveti mond frum uar fuud's urogons; e doseppierong loni bitwiin mechonis, hamens, end uthir enomels; en oncriesid ontillictael andirstendong uf uar riletounshop woth uthir enomels; thi onvesoun uf uar cotois by wold enomels; end thi rosi uf e niw kond uf sabarben furm." Femoly ferms hevi ell bat doseppierid, end netari os nut es eccissobli es ot unci wes. Thiri os nut thi cunnictoun woth whiri uar fuud ectaelly cumis frum, end piupli hevi lust tuach woth thior trai riletounshop woth thi lend end thi enomels on ot.
Each of us has innate desire to understand the purpose of our existence. As Hermann Hesse illustrates in his novel Siddhartha, the journey to wisdom may be difficult. Organized religion helps many to find meaning in life but it does not substitute careful introspection. An important message of Siddhartha is that to achieve enlightenment one must unite the experiences of mind, body, and spirit.
The novel, Siddhartha, by Herman Hesse focuses on a young man named Siddhartha and his lifelong pursuit to attain enlightenment. Throughout his endeavor, Siddhartha follows the way of rejection and doctrines from the Samanas and Gautama the Buddha, respectively. Soon enough, however, Siddhartha realizes that following the path of others is hopeless, and he starts to look within himself to gain wisdom and become enlightened. By looking at and listening to the river, Siddhartha begins to realize who he actually is through the visions and voices that appear from the river. This helps bring Siddhartha to the conclusion that gaining wisdom is completely different than gaining knowledge. Hesse suggests, via Siddhartha, that wisdom, unlike knowledge, cannot be passed on or taught. Siddhartha’s character serves to display how wisdom can only be found through the self.
Bibliography:.. Works Cited Meyer, M., Ed., (1999). Bedford Introduction to Literature, 5th Ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin.
...kepticism of how a dirty ascetic would succeed in the world of merchants and business. The second part of the novel, like the first, also fails in its notion that Siddhartha would have been able to move between Castes like someone in western society would. In the third section of Siddhartha the haughtiness of those belonging to upper classes was accurately rendered. Once again, however, moving down from the merchant Caste into poverty was barred in Indian society. Throughout his work, Hesse came to portray the same accuracies and the same inaccuracies of the Caste system. In order to appeal to western readers he included the inaccuracy of free movement between social classes but still remained accurate in how he portrayed the stifled level of interaction between different Castes.
Several potato plants carry resistance genes against PVX. Up to date two resistance genes have been identified. One gene product mediates salicylic acid systemic defense responses, whereas the other encodes the Rx protein. This protein has a nucleotide binding-site (NBS) and a leucine-rich repeat (LRR). The native fold of Rx confers an inactive conformation. Upon interactions with the viral CP, Rx partially unfolds, thereby its NBS-LRR domain [27]. This activates the signaling cascade mediating virus resistance.
A human body is separated from soul, but it is under the control of soul. Plato’s idealism are incorporated into Christian to attract many christians “whose world views were shaped by Greek philosophy and religions” (Matthew, 295). Platonism makes Christians believe “whatever associate with soul and spirit” was better than whatever was associated with body and matte” because God is able to “directly act” on soul. Plato’s idea indicates that anything relate to soul is holy and hence better, and anything in relation to body is earthly and evil. Platonic dualism indirectly shows us that soul is on a higher status than body. Moreover, Descartes continued on platonic dualism and concluded that “only soul was the real person”, and “the body was a machine with the lower value and status”(Tallon, 117). Therefore, soul is considered as higher
In this literature review I will discuss both Socrates and Jesus Christ (Jesus). I will compare and distinguish them, by their trial, misdeeds (through the view of society), law, justice and punishment. In addition, I will write about their influence in today’s society and what impact they have made through time. Both Socrates and Jesus had many things in common yet, they we’re different. Both had different religious beliefs. While, Socrates was polytheistic, believing in several gods. Jesus, in the other hand was monotheism, believed in only one God. Both were charged, tried, and executed for their “radical” behavior with society. Overall, both men sacrificed themselves for the possible chance of change.
The role of teachers in Hesse’s exceptional work of fiction is to aid in the achievement of the ultimate knowledge, while not taking the pupil directly there, instead giving him the skill set necessary to achieve what the student, in this case Siddhartha, feels is that ultimate knowledge.
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.
Self- Actualization rests at the pinnacle of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. Before reaching that pinnacle, the human being rises through the various strata of motivation beginning with the basic needs to survive. But does everyone reach that pinnacle? We will find that only a few who have paddled through the various strata will ultimately succeed in negotiating the entire hierarchy of needs. Some people, such as those ravaged by famine in a poor country, without the means to get beyond the next meal may never reach Maslow’s self-actualisation or transcendence. However, no one theory will fully explain human motivation, there are limitations associated with each theory.
In the book Plato 's Phaedo, Socrates argues that the soul will continue to exist, and that it will go on to a better place. The argument begins on the day of Socrates execution with the question of whether it is good or bad to die. In other words, he is arguing that the soul is immortal and indestructible. This argument is contrary to Cebes and Simmias beliefs who argue that even the soul is long lasting, it is not immortal and it is destroyed when the body dies. This paper is going to focus on Socrates four arguments for the soul 's immortality. The four arguments are the Opposite argument, the theory of recollection, the affinity argument, and the argument from form of life. As the body is mortal and is subject to physical death, the soul