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Plato's Apology
Discuss the main points of Plato's the Apology
The Apology is based upon series of speeches that were made by Socrates in 39 BC. He was standing trial for corrupting the youth of Athens by not believing in the gods of the city. This is because he would often question various ideas in order to have a greater sense of understand and enlightenment. As a result, there were several main points that he argued in his defense to include: showing his accusers as self-righteous hypocrites, he is obeying the laws of a higher power and the jury / judges was overly influenced by his opponents. ("The Apology")
In the case of showing his accusers as self-righteous hypocrites, Socrates directly questions Meletus (the primary witness) by demonstrating that they are not helping the youth of Athens with these proceedings. Instead, the trial and the charges levied against him are based upon jealousy and half-truths. He then questions their true motivations and the benefits they receive by going after him. ("The Apology")
Moreover, Socrates believes that he has not broken any laws by following the ideas of a higher power. According to him, everyone must follow the various rules and regulations. However, when there is a conflict between human laws and those of the gods, the moral person will chose the deities. This is because they are of a higher authority. These views led Socrates to claim that under this philosophy he has not breached any of the various legal provisions. ("The Apology")
Evidence of this can be seen with Socrates saying, "Gentlemen, I am your grateful and devoted servant, but I owe a greater obedience to God than to you; and as long as I draw breath and have my faculties I shall never stop practicing philosophy. Are you not ashamed that you give your attention to acquiring as much money as possible, and similarly with reputation and of the judges and the sense of vengeance is a sign of the pressure they felt from his opponents. This is when Socrates questions the validity of the trial and the charges against him. ("The Apology")
What were the charges brought against Socrates?
There were three charges that were brought against Socrates to include: refusing to recognize the gods of the city, being a pagan / practicing his own religion and corrupting the youth of Athens. Evidence of this can be seen with Xenophon (an observer) saying, "Socrates is guilty of crime in refusing to recognize the gods acknowledged by the state, and importing strange divinities of his own; he is further guilty of corrupting the young. Whereupon, in spite of the bitter resentment of the people, and the menaces of several influential citizens, he refused to put the question, esteeming it of greater importance faithfully to abide by the oath which he had taken, than to gratify the people wrongfully, or to screen himself from the menaces of the mighty. The fact being, that with regard to the care bestowed by the gods upon men, his belief differed widely from that of the multitude. Whereas most people seem to imagine that the gods know in part, and are ignorant in part, Socrates believed firmly that the gods know all things -- both the things that are said and the things that are done, and the things that are counseled in the silent chambers of the heart. Moreover, they are present everywhere, and bestow signs upon man concerning all the things of man. Socrates caused his…
References
"Analysis of Plato's Apology." CMU, n.d. Web. 7 Oct. 2012 <http://caae.phil.cmu.edu/cavalier/80250/part2/ApologyAnalysis.html>
"The Apology." Spark Notes, 2012. Web. 7 Oct. 2012 <http://www.sparknotes.com/philosophy/apology/summary.html>
Gill, N. "What was the Charge against Socrates?"About.com, 2012. Web. 7 Oct. 2012 <http://ancienthistory.about.com/od/socratestrial/f/SocratesCharge.htm>
Plato. The Apology. Wauconda, IL: Bolchzy, 1997. Print.
They have done so ever since he made them public, and while a lot of things about society have changed, the fundamental truth of how society handles its problems, its differences, and its dissenters have not. The conclusions that Plato reached in his works have held up because they are honest and true. They also hold because human nature has not really changed very much since Plato's time (Nails, 2006).
Argument and law are merely art forms in the mind of Socrates and picking a side and arguing for it is much like doing a crossword puzzle or any other exercise in modeling thought patterns. Purpose and intent mean so much more than the act itself according to Socrates. Disagreements are merely examples of rhythms in thought patterns much like music. Debate and discourse for Socrates was practiced to achieve
Plato, The Apology of Socrates The charges against Socrates, as given in Plato's Apology, are twofold. This is how Socrates himself phrases it: And now I will try to defend myself against them: these new accusers must also have their affidavit read. What do they say? Something of this sort: - That Socrates is a doer of evil, and corrupter of the youth, and he does not believe in the gods of
One of the points clarified in this way is then, as mentioned above, Socrates' apparent stubborn foolhardiness in refusing to refute the court's decision. Xenophon notes that Socrates found death desirable over life. This is a point that Socrates himself also addresses in Plato's work, when he considers the possibilities of life after death. Socrates appears to consider both complete annihilation and the migration of the soul as preferable to
In short, Socrates saw the elimination of ignorance as the first step that would lead people to become virtuous. As a result, he created a technique for testing knowledge by argument and questioning that became known as "the Socratic method." Basically, through an ironic mockery of words, Socrates mocks everyone present by mocking himself. He was the wisest man, he says, because he was the only one who understood he
Plato and Socrates -- Human Soul There are a number of philosophical tenets that have been the subject of intense scrutiny since humans coalesced into formal societies. Who are we as a species? Where do we fit in with the universe? What is morality? Do the ends justify the means? Moreover, most of all, why are we here and are we free to act as individuals toward greater good? Free will,