Socrates is known as one of the most eminent Greek philosophers, but history has also told that the man was primarily infuriating. Born in 471 B.C.E, Socrates followed the life of a traditional Greek citizen by working as a mason and a hoplite until he became a popular instructor of philosophy. The man was not fond of traditional religion, and began questioning concepts of life, such as justice, knowledge, and wisdom. This incessant questioning eventually led to his execution by the Athenian government in 399 B.C.E. Socrates gained many followers before his death, and the most renowned example is Plato.
The "Apology" by Plato is a story about Socrates, who defended himself against accusers. Socrates was one of the greatest thinkers in ancient Greece and one of the few whose wisdom was noticed. From this story we can learn who Socrates was and what kind of life he had lived. To understand why Socrates deserved to be executed, we should have a view of times before execution. I will provide a brief opening statement.
The two men are regarded as being responsible for the founding of western philosophy. Socrates did not leave any of his own writings and was noted as saying that living was more important than recording for posterity. However, Plato and others wrote enough of his teachings that it is not difficult to reconstruct most of his life. Plato refers to Socrates in a lot of his own writings and sometimes wrote down entire debates between Socrates and his students. Due to the fact that most of Socrates teaching came through Plato’s teachings many modern philosophers are unsure if Plato may have used Socrates as a representative of his own views.
He wanted people to work in a well-balanced environment to make world an exceptional place to live. Plato and Aristotle both established their theories mainly on knowledge. Plato was the pioneer of the written conversation and combative forms in philosophy, which emerge with him. He proposed that the soul of every creature is confined in his body. Basically soul bears the knowledge since birth but it comes out with due course.
His family had a history in politics, and Plato was destined to a life in keeping with this history. He studied at a gymnasium owned by Dionysios, and at the palaistra of Ariston of Argos. When he was young he studied music and poetry. According to Aristotle, Plato developed the foundations of his metaphysics and epistemology by studying the doctrines of Cratylus, and the work of Pythagoras and
A very influential student of Socrates named Plato received and gain a lot of information about Socrates. Prior to Plato receiving this information, according to the page (131), he came up with two words the theory impermanent and external. Living at virtuous life comes from the intending perfect forum and this was another belief that Plato believed in. Knowing that Plato
Great philosophers like Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle were all brilliant philosophers, but their works were not truly appreciated until the Renaissance where a look on past works was emphasized. This ideal was called humanism and during this time, works from Ancient Greece and Rome were restored and referenced to create new, crucial writings. In particular, in ancient times Socrates ' beliefs were passed on through his pupils. One of his main ideals was that one should always be aware of the consequences of one 's actions. This can be highlighted in a quote by him stating, "the unexamined life is not worth living".
He ended up believing and teaching things to other people, whether it went against the way the Athen government or not, he still continued his work. 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.
Plato was living in a slave society, at that time, people are poor and they do not have enough money to enjoy the lives. The primary task for the society at that time was to keep the stability of the country. Therefore, he held the view that art should serve foe the society in order to keep it harmony and stable. Plato favored that some literatures, or poems should be maintained and promoted which could benefit the development of the adolescents. As for the identity of a poet, the patriotism of Plato is apparent.
If he was forbidden to practice philosophy, he showed his preference to rather search for truths in the afterlife as compared to remaining ignorant in the world. Ultimately, Socrates claimed he held no grudge against his accusers. Upon death, he simply asked his accusers to disrupt future sons whom are consumed by selfish mentalities, the same way he had disrupted them. Up until the end of his life, Socrates was a man who showed great value toward living a life of virtuosity, and gave significance in putting virtue before selfish