Socrates spent the entirety of his life practicing philosophy. He questions everyone who claims to have wisdom and eventually comes to either aggravate those he made to look foolish or inspired those who kept an open mind. At one point Socrates claims that his life has been no less heroic than the heroes who fought at Troy. Considering how vital heroism is to Athenian culture, this claim can be unfavorable. Most Athenians when prompted about what is a hero, will picture Achilles, or one of Homer’s other heroes, not a man who “Corrupts the youth”, or “Is an Atheist”. So when asking whether or not his claim is plausible, we can see from the Apology and Crito that his enemies would say no, while his friends would say yes. In this paper, I argue that Socrates had lived a life no …show more content…
Heroism is a concept that was essential to the ancient Greeks, heroes were what people looked to, to model their lives after. A majority of people believed in a God, it is essentially illegal to not believe in a GOd, hence one of the charges brought upon Socrates. If you believe in a God, most likely you will believe that God is benevolent and that to gain eternal life after death, you must strive to live a good/benevolent life. Since, throughout greek mythology we can see the Gods favoring heroes. We can assume that heroes are pious and will most likely reach eternal life. This can be seen through Socrates argument of whether something is pious because the Gods love it or because the Gods love it, it is pious. Regardless, of whether the heroes are pious and the gods love them because they are pious or the gods love them therefore they are pious, the fact that they favor them at all, means they must be pious. Since heroes are pious, they are someone we should strive to be. Since they are someone we should strive to be they must be considered a good man. With being a good man, comes caring about the well-being and improvement of others, and as well doing no evil to
What makes someone a hero? Most people would say someone who saves the day or has super powers or even characters in books are heroes. Antigone is a young woman in the play Antigone by Sophocles, Antigone is considered a hero by many for giving up her life for her brother and going against the law in 44 B.C. While Terry Malloy is considered a hero in the movie On the Waterfront for also going against rules. Malloy would be considered a rough kid who got into a bad situation with a group of mugs while working on the dock, not only does he save the day for himself but for others that are working on the docks as well. Antigone and Terry both go against rules for what they believe is right and become heroes.
A hero can be defined as a person who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities. Odysseus from Homer’s “The Odyssey” exemplifies this heroic definition. During his twenty year adventure fighting in the Trojan war and his ill-fated struggle to return home to his loving wife and son, he is given an opportunity to demonstrate this heroic character. What noble qualities does Odysseus display that prove his heroism?
In Plato's Gorgias, it is apparent that Socrates has no desire to be a good statesman as it is defined in the eyes of the Athenians. His calculation is that Athenian rhetoricians place no reliance on facts or truth, nor are these their aim. Instead, they rely on the illusion of knowledge, and this morally weakens both themselves and their audiences. It is clear however, that if he wishes, Socrates is able to match most or all of the other statesmen in Athens, as is clearly indicated by his very eloquent speech which ends the dialogue. Additionally, under his own definition of a good statesman, it is evident that Socrates is more than qualified.
Metelus accuses him for corrupting the minds of the young and for not believing in the gods. Socrates defends himself against the charges very efficiently. He is a wise man. When he proves himself innocent; he completely deconstructs the basis of the offenses. In they play by Aristophanes, Socrates is portrayed as a man who is “proclaiming that he is walking on air, and uttering a great deal of other nonsense” [19c].
(Modus Ponens) Socrates is like Jesus: both of them did not believe in gods of that time and both were just speaking to society, but in those speeches were hidden the great idea. Like Jesus, Socrates chose to die for his idea, not surrender norms of the society. Both men had their students, who recorded their words during their life or after death. (Analogy) Rejection of civic life in democratic
Looking back on the myths a hero did not have it easy. They faced a lot of tough challenges and had to sacrifice many things to gain their status. Also look at one Hero that is highly idolized and used to day, the American solider. Little kids dream of being them and do pretend battles while lacking to see the true meaning behind them. That heroic meaning is them risking their lives, that they walk away from their families knowing they might not come back.
In Greek mythology there are heroes who are are courageous, smart, and strong. They fight for the people and for the gods. Most of Greek mythology is based on those stories. Nowadays heroes are rare and uncommon. For example, Martin Luther King Jr. who was a hero down to the bone.
Socrates is quoted as stating, “An unexamined life is a life not worth living” (38 a). Socrates was a founding figure of western philosophy, and a stable for many ideas. He lived in Athens, Greece teaching his students, like Plato, questioning politics, ethical choices, and many other things in Greek society. In the Trial and death of Socrates: Four Dialogues by Plato, it explores the abstract questioning Socrates had towards many of the normal social properties, which led to his trial, resulting in his death. The most important aspects discussed in the dialogues is the questioning of what is pious and impious, what it means to be wise, and good life.
Here is my first piece of evidence to support my point. “I happen to be a gift of the god to the city; and this is how you can tell: Unlike most people, I have neglected all my own interests, and I’ve put up with this private neglect for so many years, while always attending to your business.” (Lines 108-111) In the quote stated above, Socrates claims that even with the annoyance people found in him, he pursued in his mission to help the people. Even though he had to give up his interests and hobbies, he did not give up his mission and focused on his work with the people all those years.
His personal defense is described in works two of his students: Xenophon and Plato. Both of them wrote papers called Apology, which is the Greek word for “defense”. In this essay I used Apology by Plato as the main resource, since it contents a more full account of the trial of Socrates and his words. Despite the fact that the philosopher attempted to defend himself and explain the reasons for saying and doing the things he did, it did not do any good for his justification. On the contrary, Socrates’ words seemed to make the jury harden their hearts and condemn him.
Socrates’s official new charge “asserts that Socrates does injustice by corrupting the young, and by not believing in the gods in whom the city believes, but in other daimonia that are novel” (24b, p. 73). By looking deeper into the dialogue of The Apology and Euthyphro, one can see how passionately Socrates strives to express to the Athenian people his innocence in teaching the youth and worshiping of the gods. Socrates maintains his innocence in teaching the youth for three reasons. Primarily, there is no proof or evidence from past examples in which Socrates has taught the youth because no one has come out and said so. Socrates brings up a valid point that his so-called ‘teachings’ haven’t changed over time and therefore if he is accused
Making enemies and becoming the topic of conversation, the Athenians began to view Socrates as a threat to their beliefs and way of life and sought to end it. In order to end this, Socrates was accused of blasphemy (Mod1SlideC7). Socrates’s accusers took him to court and after Socrates did not play their game by asking to be sent into exile, and in the end, he was sentenced to death. After reading the textbook and Plato’s writing influenced by Socrates, I realized that in the period of his life Socrates was indeed truly a threat to the Athens society, because he looked for answers that no one else bothered to find which challenged their culture.
Heroes in Ancient Greece were exalted and looked at as eminent individuals within their own society. Heroes in modern society often appear supernatural or extremely skilled like Superman or Batman, but for the Greeks heroicness was often displayed through mundane deeds like fighting in war or having rational, common sense that affected the way certain these heroes completed certain tasks. The term “hero” for the Greeks was a appellation only bestowed upon those who protected and fought for others through selfless acts. Resulting in those men being truly influential within their culture and society abroad.
Socrates advised people to think critically and express themselves, since at the time Athens allowed for free speech. He also created what is now referred to as the Socratic Method, a form of critical thinking based off of a question and answer form of teaching. Socrates “taught people to question their beliefs about such issues as the proper role of government.” Socrates’ take on free expression and methods of questioning authority are ultimately what led to his demise.
1.2 The essay below discusses the requirements to be deemed a hero in Greek culture and the role of heroism in Greek culture The first requirement was the outrageousness of what the heroes did and suffer. This meant that the hero had to go through some test and hardships before attaining success. Almost all the Greek heroes went through trials before achieving their goals. For example, according to R Buxton (p, 114,121) Herakles was Zeus’s son with a mortal woman .This made Hera to persecute Herakles throughout his life including making him to perform 12 labours.