Socrates (469-399 BCE) lived during the time of transition from the height of the Athenian hegemony to its decline with the defeat by Sparta and its allies in the Peloponnesian War. This was a time when Athens sought to stabilize and recover from its defeat. The Athenian public had started to contemplate the effectiveness of democracy as a governmental system. At the latter end of his life he was charged with teaching the youth to “disrespect” the gods of the city. Socrates was convicted of these
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Had Socrates the right to flee‚ or‚ hat Socrates the duty to die? Socrates faced a life ending death penalty‚ although having a well prepared opportunity to escape; nevertheless‚ he decided to die. Is this cruel decision to justify? In Socrates’ eyes one has as a mature citizen a contract with the state where one lives. This contract contains duties for both sides. The state has to take care for his citizen whereas the citizen has not only to obey and protect the rules that the state determines
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Confucius and Socrates both have a very definite perspective of an person and how he/she should live their life. However these perspectives do differ in specific areas and that is what brings me to compare and contrast on both philosophers. "He acts before he speaks‚ and afterwards speaks according to his actions" (Confucius 2-13). Confucius says that we shouldn’t speak about what we don’t know‚ just as Socrates is known for saying "I am wise because I know nothing." Both of them seem to imply
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worshiping the gods of the city was once sentenced to death‚ not because he actually did those things which he was accused of‚ but because 501 citizens of Athens acting as jury for his trial had been convinced he deserved death. This philosopher‚ Socrates‚ considered to be the wisest man of his time‚ was humble and knew that his purpose as a philosopher was to express‚ share‚ and not compromise the truth. Recorded in the ancient works of Plato‚ he expressed through Socrates’s example that the wisdom
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In the story of Crito‚ Socrates is in a prison cell and is waiting to be executed. His wealthy friend Crito is trying to convince him to escape because he believes Socrates is innocent and is being wrongly accused of impiety and corruption of the young. Socrates refuses to run away‚ although Crito offers to care for him. He instead chooses to face the city because the city needs philosophy. His submission to the unjust conviction‚ emphasizes this relationship between the philosopher and the city
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John Stuart Mills explains‚ “In the golden rule of Jesus of Nazareth‚ we read the complete spirit of the ethics of utility. To do as one would be done by‚ and to love one’s neighbor as oneself‚ constitute the ideal perfection of utilitarian morality.” (Mills 17) As individuals we all unknowingly seem to maximize the satisfaction of our own choices when we act. If one chooses to perfect activity A rather than activity B‚ we are then revealing that we as individual prefer performing activity A to performing
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One could argue that Socrates examined life‚ and yet what does that mean? From my understanding of the Apology‚ Socrates did not just live the life of the ordinary Greek he questioned life. What did he mean by “the unexamined life is not worth living?” I believe he meant that we must question everything around us. That the answer “things have always been this way” wasn’t a good enough answer. If we look at Sparta‚ they lived their lives as dictated by the government. There was no “I” in Sparta‚ Sparta
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According to Socrates‚ an unjust person is an unhappy person. Why do you believe Socrates made this analogy? How does one become a balanced individual? Furthermore‚ Plato also has an opinion of what a well-balanced person is. Show how Plato’s understanding of a well-balanced person is necessary to a society in harmony with itself‚ and how that ties in with Socrates’ preceding analogy. Socrates believed a unjust person could not be happy that only the just person could be happy. The unjust person
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Socrates‚ the father of philosophy‚ and teacher: Is he corrupt? Did this man‚ who still teaches students thousands of years after his life ended‚ earn capital punishment? Was it fair to receive such severe punishment for teaching the youth to ask questions? Was an innocent person murdered? Despite it being the unpopular answer to the question‚ Socrates did deserve his penalty‚ but only through the perspective of the Athenians. The reasons are simple: Socrates really seemed to have committed the crime
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Sophocles’ play "Antigone" illustrates the conflict between obeying human and divine law. The play opens after Oedipus’ two sons Eteocles and Polyneices have killed each other in a civil war for the throne of Thebes. Oedipus’ brother in law Creon then assumes the throne. He dictates that Eteocles shall receive a state funeral and honors‚ while Polyneices shall be left in the streets to rot away. Creon believes that Polyneices’ body shall be condemned to this because of his civil disobedience and
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