History 2
Leilani Melenciano
November 18, 2014
One of the most famous Greek philosophers was named Socrates. His students, named, Plato and Xenophon revealed how his way of thought exerted a philosophical influence on ancient and modern philosophy. One of Plato’s works, Apology, depicts Socrates insight, integrity, and argumentative skill. Just as Socrates had believers, he also had non-believers. One of his foes went by the name of Aristophanes. Aristophanes' Clouds, is a comedy that was intended to make people laugh by making a mockery of Socrates’ characteristics and philosophy. Although Socrates’ skepticism presented a real threat to Athenian traditional way of life, I argue that his skepticism was genuine and not hypocritical. Socrates lived in Athens during a time of transition, when Athens' was defeated by Sparta in the Peloponnesian War around 431 B.C. which ended the Golden Age of Athenian civilization. This transformation had tremendous influence on the Athenian youth and society. However, Socrates himself never recorded his thoughts; the only record of his life and thoughts came from his students, one in particular named Plato. According to his records, Socrates was not a typical Athenian. His rejection to the normal concerns of life such as money and success made him seem abnormal. Socrates spent most of his life searching for universal truth. Due to this skepticism, Socrates was brought before a jury on charges of not recognizing the Gods accepted by the state, and of “corrupting” the youth of Athens. According to Wikipedia, Plato then published a dialogue named Apology, which comes from the Greek word "apologia", meaning defense. Thus, in Apology, Socrates attempts to defend himself and not apologize for his behavior. The Clouds, by Aristophanes, is a play about social change, which becomes evident in Athens in the mid-fifth century BC. It contains several themes and one of the most obvious is the mockery of Socrates. The plot of the play consist of a
November 18, 2014
One of the most famous Greek philosophers was named Socrates. His students, named, Plato and Xenophon revealed how his way of thought exerted a philosophical influence on ancient and modern philosophy. One of Plato’s works, Apology, depicts Socrates insight, integrity, and argumentative skill. Just as Socrates had believers, he also had non-believers. One of his foes went by the name of Aristophanes. Aristophanes' Clouds, is a comedy that was intended to make people laugh by making a mockery of Socrates’ characteristics and philosophy. Although Socrates’ skepticism presented a real threat to Athenian traditional way of life, I argue that his skepticism was genuine and not hypocritical. Socrates lived in Athens during a time of transition, when Athens' was defeated by Sparta in the Peloponnesian War around 431 B.C. which ended the Golden Age of Athenian civilization. This transformation had tremendous influence on the Athenian youth and society. However, Socrates himself never recorded his thoughts; the only record of his life and thoughts came from his students, one in particular named Plato. According to his records, Socrates was not a typical Athenian. His rejection to the normal concerns of life such as money and success made him seem abnormal. Socrates spent most of his life searching for universal truth. Due to this skepticism, Socrates was brought before a jury on charges of not recognizing the Gods accepted by the state, and of “corrupting” the youth of Athens. According to Wikipedia, Plato then published a dialogue named Apology, which comes from the Greek word "apologia", meaning defense. Thus, in Apology, Socrates attempts to defend himself and not apologize for his behavior. The Clouds, by Aristophanes, is a play about social change, which becomes evident in Athens in the mid-fifth century BC. It contains several themes and one of the most obvious is the mockery of Socrates. The plot of the play consist of a