1. The similarity between the two lie in their belief to fight an unjust law through persuasion and to do so in a peaceful way. He also claims “In any nonviolent campaign there are four basic steps: collection of the facts to determine whether injustices are alive, negotiation, self-purification and direct action,” and Socrates does participate in the several of these actions to further his point. They both agree that in cases of unjust law, they should fight it (despite that one was willing to go further than another) but still respect the laws in place. King knew that disobeying the law would only bring chaos and reflect badly on the idea of change they wanted and to get the desired results he needed to act in a way that would properly show what he desired.…
I believe Socrates would agree with what President Clinton stated in his speech, if these people where so disgusted and disturbed by the government why did they not leave? This was an idea that Socrates expressed in the Crito. They had the freedom to live anywhere else, and yet they still decided to live in a country in which they believed was being suppressed by the government. Not only that, but they wrongly splattered the word patriot to justify their actions, which according to Socrates completely contradicted themselves he states, “It is never right to commit injustice or return injustice or defend one’s self against injury by retaliation.” Socrates does not justify retaliation through the use of violence.…
After all this, Socrates goes on to the story about a man returning from the afterlife and describing it. At the end of the story, he says that because he and his companions have established that the soul is immortal, and because this story speaks about the immortality of the soul, it is even more important for people to be just and seek good and true knowledge in their life. This, in turn, will bring them much happiness in both this life and the…
Socrates doesn’t make himself out to be any more than he actually is. This humble attribute is largely what creates such a large following for him. Nevertheless, while the victors fight their battle in combat, Socrates continues to fight his fight in the streets. A man who spreads enlightening knowledge is worth just as much, if not more, than a man that spreads victory in sports. So, logically, it simply doesn’t make sense for Socrates to be treated any different than those victors.…
Socrates was a man of very distinct descriptions. He believed that we all would meet in a place in the afterlife. We would follow a guide down our chosen path according to the life we lived. Socrates didn’t have a fear of death or the path he would travel in the afterlife. He had a very detailed idea of how the terrain would be. He envisioned in exquisite detail of the beauty of the afterlife. He spoke of the path that people would take based on the type of person they were and the acts they committed. He is a man that doesn’t have a fear for death. He is a man that believes that there is life after death.…
In the Gorgias1, Socrates says, “I think that I am the only or almost the only Athenian living who practices the true art of politics; I am the only politician of my time”, while in the Apology2, he claims that “he who will really fight for the right, if he would live even for a little while, must have a private station and not a public one.” As we know, Socrates did manage to live for over 70 years, and did indeed confine himself to a private stance; but how can one be a politician without being a public figure? Or was Socrates not a true champion of justice, as he maintained to be?…
In response from a Socrates’ being calm and cheerful, reason was that was just popular opinion, which I believe means that would be the best decision if Socrates’ wanted to escape death and be exiled from Athens all together. And then said “My escape would not help my children”, by which at that time period in human history, if Socrates’ was to escape from prison and was to never return to Athens. His children would go through life being called names, their father would be called names, they would go through town with everybody showing no love towards them like before their father escaped, and may even have rocks thrown at them as a punishment for their father’s cowardly mistake in eluding death.…
Socrates was one of the most influential philosophers of all time. This amazing man was known only in the words of his students Plato and Xenophon. He fought in the Athenian army, he was a stone statuary, he was in the Athens assembly, and most of all he was a teacher of philosophy. Socrates was brave and fearless in the face of war and death; he was willing to fight for things he believed in. His words are still referenced today.…
Plato, an ancient Greek philosopher, mathematician, and pupil of the philosopher Socrates, relays his interpretation of Socrates’ defence against the Athenian council in, An Excerpt from Plato’s Apology. In the writings, (which may be biased being as Plato was an admirer of Socrates), Socrates attempts to dispel the charges laid against him. Throughout the excerpt, there is much acknowledgement surronding the scuttlebut in cirulation emcompassing Socrates, why and how he earned he vile names, his everlasting support of philosophical studies, and the importance of finding and improving the sole. All developing the thesis of Socrates’ attempt to prove that he is not a conceited, boastful philosopher but in reality there is a method to his madness.…
Socrates lived during a time period where the transition from the height of the Athenian empire to its decline took place. Such a decline took place at the hands of Sparta where Athenians faced defeat in the Peloponnesian war (2006). Thus this was a time period where the Athenians were recovering from the humiliating defeat from Sparta. This was also a time in culture where Greeks believed and thought of gods and goddesses as being associated with protecting particular cities. They believed that Athens was protected by the Greek goddess Athena (2006). These aspects have great significance in shaping up the death of Socrates. Because most of the teachings and beliefs of Socrates went against the belief of Athena and her godly existence, the people of Athens became quite irritated and frustrated with Socrates. The last thing they desired was to have one man in the form of Socrates questioning Athena and subjecting all Athenians to yet another painful punishment at her hands. Thus the entire false accusations were built around this aspect and Socrates was brought to trial. (2006). Even though Socrates had strong valid arguments against the accusers it all fell in deaf ears and the unfortunate, wrong verdict was brought forward declaring that Socrates is guilty and that he was to be sentenced to death by drinking a cup of hemlock. The court stated that Socrates was…
Even though Socrates is proven guilty he has no regrets. He believes he did nothing wrong and is happy to share his knowledge with people. Socrates says, “is not to avoid death but to avoid unrighteousness.”(168-169) In this he is saying he is not upset about dying and he did the right in life. Again he shows this is true when he says, “I would rather die having spoken after my manner, than speak in your manner of life.”(163) He’s saying again he did the right thing and rather die than not have shared his knowledge and be a wise man. Socrates makes it clear he did the right thing in life, at least what he thinks the right thing is. He wants to help people in his life and succeeded in doing so, so he is not afraid of death. He is smart and wise and wants to keep teaching his knowledge. He states this when he says “ You will not easily find another like me, and therefore I advise you to spare me.”(110-111) Socrates makes it clear teaching his believes was obviously not a crime and has no regrets of doing so.…
For the majority of his life, Socrates spent a good deal of his time asking questions of the people of Athens. His goal was to arrive at a set of political and ethical truths. Contrary to many people at the time, Socrates did not lecture about the things he knew; he actually claimed to be rather ignorant. He claimed he was wise only because he recognized his ignorance and did not claim to know what he did not know (Grube 26). The questions Socrates asked forced his audiences to think through a problem and arrive at a logical conclusion. At times, the answers seemed so obvious his opponents often looked foolish. His “Socratic Method” of questioning as it came to be called later, was adored by Socrates’ followers but despised by others throughout Athens (“Socrates Biography.”).…
Socrates, one of the greatest minds go Ancient Greece’s was no exception. As a sophist, Socrates was considered a teacher of the noble. Sophist of Greed taught young men ’arete’: excellence or virtue for a price. However, Socrates wasn’t a regular sophist, he never accepted any monetary reward for his ’teachings“ (b316,p813) and he never actually taught anything but rather trained minds to think. Socrates states at the trail that he doesn’t have any true knowledge and he believed that in order to have any true knowledge one must be able to produce a single, clear definition of a subject without any exclusions to the rule, something that he was never able believed that he couldn’t do.Rather than use he own opinions to teach his pupils what to think, Socrates used ”systematic questioning“ (b136p813) to help clear their own minds and reach their own conclusions just by thinking. A skill that they could carry forward, into their lives as Athenian citizens. With this in mind, it is nearly impossible for the Athenians government to find Socrates guilty of…
* Socrates is considered by many to be a martyr for truth and integrity because of his courage and adherence to traditional beliefs. He was charged with charges of atheism, treason, and corrupting the youth of Athens – all death penalties, just for trying to question tradition. In spite of all the powerful people he offended, no one seemed that eager to kill him and his cell door pretty much remained open for him to escape. Yet, when his execution day arrived, he drank his cup of poison and died. Socrates was determined to force the people of Athens to accept responsibility for their choice of comfortable superstition over logic and reason.…
Even though this reading is old it still carries great value and importance because it shows that knowledge as Socrates argues is not ours but it belongs to God. Hence, Socrates’ work will continue even after his death “For the word which I will speak is not mine.” It reminds me of Jesus Christ, which story is similar to Socrates’. They both followed a divined forced rather than their own interests and hence both didn’t have a sign of this divine force until the very end. However, their end, death, might seem a negative end to others but the opposite was for both Socrates’ and Jesus’ point of view. Furthermore, their deaths didn’t stop the work they were doing and were accused of but it rather intensified it, making other to seek same path or belief.…