Analysis Of Plato s Apology And Crito Essay - 1857 Words

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 pleasures, Socrates relates himself to Achilleus, a warrior in Homer’s Iliad, whose philosophies heavily coincide with the Homeric era: honor and glory are the motivating factors for how people should live their lives. For both groups of Greeks, the motivation for their actions heavily revolved around their self-interest; however, their reasoning is what differentiates them from each other. For the Homeric Greeks, honor centered as their motivation; though, men co uld not fulfil their desires without the justification from others. For Socrates, only through reason and rational investigation can one achieve their individual goal of preserving the soul. Even though each belief system differs in objective, and the avenue in which it is obtained, both philosophies center around the same thing: self-benefit. Classic Greek cities such as Athens greatly developed and altered their philosophies of life from the that of the Homeric age and the Trojan war depicted in the Iliad. For the men at theShow MoreRelatedWhat 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 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 exposingRead 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 MoreThucydide vs Plato on The Good Life Essay1927 Words   |  8 Pagesï » ¿ Thucydides Versus Plato: Differing Views of the Good Life What is the true nature of the Good Life? Is it living life with concern for only oneself despite the possible consequences of ones action on others? Or might it involve self-sacrifice in effort to do what one feels is right or just? Is it descriptive, or perhaps prescriptive? Two prominent Greeks, Thucydides and Plato, began providing answers to these questions over 25 centuries ago as they analyzed and wrote critically aboutRead More Justice and Moderation of the Soul in The Republic, by Plato3036 Words   |  13 PagesIn his philosophical text, The Republic, Plato argues that justice can only be realized by the moderation of the soul, which he claims reflects as the moderation of the city. He engages in a debate, via the persona of Socrates, with Ademantus and Gaucon on the benefit, or lack thereof, for the man who leads a just life. I shall argue that this analogy reflecting the governing of forces in the soul and in city serves as a sufficient device in proving that justice is beneficial to those who believeRead MoreSocrates s Philosophy On Moral Life1960 Words   |  8 PagesSocrates makes a profound impact in our minds through his wisdom, his power of critical thinking, moral strength and intelligence. In the end it is Plato who immortalizes Socrates in the popular imagination as a man of profound knowledge. Socrates’ effectiveness as a philosopher depended as much on the strength and interest of his personality as on the power of his mind. Socrates’ philosophy was based on discovering the truth, understanding moral life and talking about the elements that make up aRead MoreEssay about Ethical Decision Making3074 Words   |  13 Pagesnot quite say that the new is more valuable because it fits in; but its fitting in is a test of its value--a test, it is true, which can only be slowly and cautiously applied, for we are none of us infallible judges of conformity., the famous poet T. S. Elliot once said. Ethics and conformity go hand in hand; it is hard to talk about one subject without involving the other. The past two weeks of this humanities course has been centered around the relationship which ex ists between these two subjects