Analysis Of Plato s The Apology - 1198 Words

â€Å"The Apology† by Plato is a work written as a speech-like monologue, which later turns dialectic. Socrates, who has been brought upon the courts, proceeds with his defense which is by no means an apology. He believed in practicing and teaching philosophy even if that meant going against the Athenian law. He believed above all that he should not go against his own beliefs. In his defense, Socrates claims that an â€Å"unexamined† life is not worth living. What he means by this is that living an unexamined life means living a life without any knowledge and wisdom. Plato’s â€Å"The Apology† emphasizes the importance of asking questions and seeking for the truth. â€Å"The greatest good of man is daily to converse about virtue, and all that concerning which you hear me examining myself and others, and that the life which is unexamined is not worth living† (Plato, trans. 1871). Socrates believes that the best thing men can do is to talk to one anot her about virtue. Though many see doubt as something negative, Socrates believes otherwise, he believes that to doubt is to ask questions. Asking questions will lead to seeking answers which will then lead to truth. To live a life in which we know nothing about means that we are not truly living. Without knowledge and wisdom we can never achieve truth, therefore it is not worth to live an â€Å"unexamined† life. Socrates also believes that one should never go against what we believe to be right, our self judgment is more important than what is imposedShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of Benjamin And Plato s Apology872 Words   |  4 PagesIt is arguable that anything and everything can be critiqued and protested. Anything that involves critical reasoning or analysis can fall under this discourse. To dissect and restructure a debatable topic is much more than just arguing about it, there must be a well thought out discourse that convinces the audiences to their specific view point. Th is is where logo, ethos, and pathos take center stage in a discussion, which essential evolves it into a term of rhetoric. The combinations of those threeRead MoreAnalysis Of Plato s Apology And Crito Essay1857 Words   |  8 Pages Final Paper The word â€Å"philosophy† can be defined as someone’s theory as to how one should live their life. For Socrates, in Plato’s Apology and Crito, the concept of the human soul drives the actions in which he lives his life. His view of the purpose for one’s actions differs from that of his fellow Athenians, who viewed physical pleasures – money, status, power – as the most important objectives in life. Within his own argument to the Athenian jury against the importance of bodily pleasuresRead MoreAnalysis of Socrates in Aristhphane ´s Clouds and Plato ´s Apology1081 Words   |  5 Pagesby an oracle that he was the wisest of men and spent a great deal of time trying to prove it false, he decided that he was considered wise for accepting that he knew nothing, and never claimed to know anything that he questioned. In Plato’s text â€Å"Apology† Socrates is depicted as a man who was arrogant, hypercritical of others, and fixed on his ways no matter the consequences. He had the qualities of a man who saw no error in what he was doing because he thought he was above average men, and thoughtRead MoreWhat Are The Charges Against Socrates?1019 Words   |  5 Pagesagainst Socrates as recorded in the Apology. Is he guilty of them? Why or why not? The Apology is assumed to be the most realistic account that has been conserved of Socrates defense of himself as it was presented before the Athenian Council. It is in essential agreement with the references to the trial that occur in Plato s other dialogs. We may determine that Apology is not written by Socrates and only contains the words of Socrates that were memorized by Plato, since he was present at the timeRead MoreThe Body And The Soul1153 Words   |  5 PagesAn Analysis of the Distinctions of the Body and the Soul in the Philosophy of Socrates This philosophical study will define the distinctions of the body and the soul as defined in the philosophy of Socrates. In the Phaedo, Socrates defines the important distinction between the †visible† body and the â€Å"invisible† substance of the soul. Socrates defines the temporal and changing nature of the visible body, which is impermanent. In contrast to this view, the soul is a higher form of incomposite energyRead MoreGreek Philosophers Bible On The Ancient World And English I2969 Words   |  12 Pages Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle s early lives affected their careers and Greek society, and their deaths and works of literature affected today s society. Socrates started out as a stone mason who eventually devoted most of his time to philosophy. Socrates works of literature reflect his world views and opinions. These opinions had a fatal consequence; he was persecuted for corrupting the youth of Athens. Socrates was Plato s teacher and instructor. Plato used his works of literatureRead MoreComparing Twentieth Century Political Thought Leo Strauss And Richard Rorty1421 Words   |  6 PagesIntroduction When it comes to an analysis of twentieth century political thought Leo Strauss and Richard Rorty are two indispensable figures. Rorty was a pupil of Strauss at the University of Chicago, and was always quick to acknowledge the influence that his former teacher had on his writing. In the following paper I will briefly highlight and critique the fundamental arguments presented by the duo. Certainly, Rorty and Strauss share a degree of commonality in their critique of the EnlightenmentRead MoreThe Verdict Of 500 Jurymen Judged Socrates Essay2005 Words   |  9 Pagesmost arrogant human being ever to have existed in Athens. Socrates’ trial was written in the Apology of Socrates with exaggerations by his student, Plato, who was there at the trial. In the Apology Socrates diligently tried to prove his innocence and wished to guide the jurymen away from a deciding on a guilty verdict that would result in sleepless nights because they had lost a great philosopher (Apology 38c). How ever, many would agree that the loss or the tragedy may not be of the jurymen or evenRead MoreThe Trial of Socrates: an Analysis and Construction of Socrates Defense2369 Words   |  10 PagesThe Trial of Socrates: An Analysis and Construction of Socrates Defense Understanding the decisions made by the jurymen in Socrates trial will always be a mystery, but one can perceive why some would have voted the way that they did. Politically and historically Athens was a thriving place of innovation and philosophical advancements. Athens could very well be divided, morally on various aspects, one of them being which â€Å"political† affiliation Athenians related themselves with. Some choicesRead MoreSocrates Summary2196 Words   |  9 Pagesengaging his fellow citizens in philosophical discussions and urging them to greater self-analysis. Socrates s iconoclastic attitude didn t sit well with everyone, and at age 70 he was charged with heresy and corruption of local youth. Convicted, he carried out the death sentence by drinking hemlock, becoming one of history s earliest martyrs of conscience. There was a strong religious side to Socrates s character and thought which constantly revealed itself in spite of his penchant for exposing