Defense of socrates summary. "Apology of Socrates" by Plato: Socrates' Defense 2022-12-24

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The "Apology" of Socrates is one of the most famous and influential works of philosophy in the Western tradition. In this text, Plato, one of Socrates' students, relates the story of Socrates' defense of himself at his trial for heresy and corrupting the youth of Athens.

Socrates was put on trial in 399 BCE, after a long career as a philosopher and teacher in Athens. He was accused of not believing in the gods of the city and of corrupting the youth of Athens by teaching them to question authority and tradition. Socrates was found guilty and sentenced to death by drinking hemlock, a poisonous plant.

In the "Apology," Socrates defends himself against these charges by explaining his philosophy and the reasons for his actions. He begins by stating that he is not afraid of death, because he believes that the soul is immortal and will live on after the body has died. He then goes on to explain that he has always been motivated by a desire to understand the truth and to live a good life.

Socrates argues that he has always been interested in moral questions and has sought to understand what it means to be a good person. He has spent his life asking questions and engaging in dialogue with others in order to understand their beliefs and to see if they can be justified. He has never claimed to have all the answers, but rather has sought to challenge others to think for themselves and to question their own assumptions.

Socrates believes that this questioning and dialogue is important for the health of the city and its citizens. He argues that it is only through this process of questioning and seeking the truth that people can truly live a good life and contribute to the well-being of the community. He claims that he has never sought to corrupt the youth of Athens, but rather has tried to help them think for themselves and to live a virtuous life.

In the end, Socrates is found guilty and sentenced to death. However, he remains unrepentant and proud of the life he has lived. He maintains that he has always acted in accordance with his principles and has never compromised his values in order to please others. He believes that he has lived a life of integrity and that he has nothing to be ashamed of.

In summary, the "Apology" of Socrates is a defense of the philosopher's life and philosophy. Socrates argues that he has always sought to understand the truth and to live a good life, and that he has never sought to corrupt the youth of Athens. He maintains that his questioning and dialogue are essential for the health of the city and its citizens, and that he has always acted in accordance with his principles. Despite being found guilty and sentenced to death, Socrates remains unrepentant and proud of the life he has lived.

Plato, Defense of Socrates

defense of socrates summary

I say that Sparta is made up of a bunch of meatheads who were not able to overtake us because they were an oligarchy. When this was reported to Socrates, he was amazed, for he had never considered himself to be a wise person. Socrates explained that he must be wiser than other men because he knew perfectly well that he knew that he knew nothing. By speaking out this claim, he implies that if the wisest man of earth is totally ignorant, than his critics and opponents are probably much more foolish. Plato was born into a wealthy family around the last days of the Athenian Empire 427-347 B.

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Crito: Summary

defense of socrates summary

After his encounter with the politician, Socrates went to one man after another, trying desperately to determine whether the statement made by the oracle was indeed the truth. For if you think that by killing men you can avoid the accuser censuring your lives, you are mistaken; that is not a way of escape which is either possible or honorable; the easiest and the noblest way is not to be crushing others, but to be improving yourselves. Socrates then reminds Meletus that he was not the one who taught these things about the sun and moon. His personal defense is described in works two of his students: Xenophon and Plato. As individuals, living in a society, we have internalized views about what these things are.

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Xenophon's Defense of Socrates

defense of socrates summary

During the reign of the Thirty, many prominent Athenians who were opposed to the new government left Athens. . Even in jest, then, Socrates demonstrates the strength of his moral integrity. Anyone who was well informed would not have attributed theories about the sun and moon to Socrates, whose interests had always been along other lines. Therefore, to disobey this command in order to save his own life would be a disgraceful thing to do. He is accused of corrupting the youth mind and not believing in the god of the state, but in other new divinities.

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Socrates' Defense

defense of socrates summary

However, in questioning politicians, poets, and artisans, he found that they claimed to know of matters they did not know about. According to Socrates, his bad reputation is due to the wisdom he possesses. Except at Delphi, there was no caste of priestly interpreters. Instead, it was considered wiser than those who boasted of it, because he recognized their ignorance to know the issues, that is, cosmological, which did not confess presumptuous. This may have been true, for these persons were all free moral agents and, therefore, responsible for whatever they might do. He categorically attributed their false behavior to ignorance.

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Socrates’ Defence in Plato’s Apology Literature Essay Sample

defense of socrates summary

In fact, he had good reasons for refusing to take money for what he was doing. Studying or philosophizing, too, can appear as a duty, or demand of virtue. This definition represents a vexing philosophical issue, how can we attempt to answer these questions in a definite manner? Socrates tries to prove the oracle wrong by going to those who are allegedly wise and examines them to prove that they are indeed wiser than him. Words: 897 - Pages: 4 Premium Essay Plato. This is the only instance in The Apology of the elenchus, or cross-examination, which is so central to most Platonic dialogues. So Socrates sets the example of a philosopher to society.

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Socrates’ life and contributions to philosophy

defense of socrates summary

Why Socrates Died: Dispelling the Myths. Socrates thought that Athens was in a pathetic state and it was only through his actions that the city was going to come out of the sick condition. He demonstrated his ignorance in most of the worldly affairs. . Don't all of us suppose that we know, if only imperfectly, the difference between a virtuous or good man and a wicked or bad one? In fact, he was ready to summon the parents and elder brothers of the young men who have been associated with him as witnesses that none of them have been made worse by his companionship. Socrates believed the gods were good.

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Summarize Socrates’ main points of defense.

defense of socrates summary

However, in doing so, he reveals to the audience what kind of a person he is: a haughty, gadfly kind of man with an undesirable temperament. In keeping with this, his only concern is that his fellow Athenians make sure his sons embody this kind of virtue. Plato provides examples of stories to help one wrap their brain around a concept due to their own involvement in the learning. Socrates then asks Meletus to state how it is that he is corrupting the youth. . Socrates was found guilty of these charges and sentenced to Phaedo relates his last day and execution by drinking hemlock. Socrates had accepted it as good fun and even appeared to be amused by it.

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The summary of defense of blog.sigma-systems.com

defense of socrates summary

In each case, the reputation of the individual was an ill-founded one, for upon being questioned and examined by Socrates it became evident that they did not possess the wisdom attributed to them. . Again, the account appears to have been written shortly after the trial, in which case any in-accuracies or falsifications would have been detected by others who were familiar with the circumstances. As the leader of Athens, Pericles gave the citizens the power to participate directly- as opposed to representation through representatives- in all matters of legislation and policy. Socrates is able to achieve what he feels is the most imperative knowledge of morality for all present in the court to understand.

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"Apology of Socrates" by Plato: Socrates' Defense

defense of socrates summary

If he feared death. Plato was recognized for his most famous doctrine known as the Doctrine of Forms, even though there was never a clear explanation for its existence; but his student Aristotle did offer various arguments for it. Despite the fact that the philosopher attempted to defend himself and explain the reasons for saying and doing the things he did, it did not do any good for his justification. The only fault in his reasoning is the immediate assumption that he will be rewarded, in the case that there is an afterlife. The charges brought against the philosopher had nothing to do with true crime like we understand it today. He ought only to consider whether what he is doing is right or wrong.

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Defense of Socrates

defense of socrates summary

His prosecutors claim that through prophecy, there is no man wiser than Socrates himself. At this point in his defense, Socrates shows the jury the strength of his moral integrity, something to which he remains faithful regardless of what other people think. He is found guilty by a very small margin that he is asked to give a proposal on the penalty. Socrates Research Paper Socrates is by far, one of the most recognized names of Greek Philosophy. This is because he believed in honesty and not beating around the bush. Interestingly enough, this is the same kind of conversational behavior that got him in trouble in the first place, since it is only through questioning important men that he has gained an unseemly reputation in Athens. Socrates believes that he is the one who improves.

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