Person Versus The State In Plato's Apology

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Plato’s Apology is a story of Socrates being accused of disobeying the state and not acknowledging the deities that they recognize. Socrates is brought to trial, he claims, because of the false wise men of Athens. According to Socrates, these men know that Socrates is the wisest of them all and can easily embarrass them, therefore he is a threat that they must eliminate. After much reasoning to the jury by Socrates, he is found guilty and is sentenced to death.
I find it interesting that this piece places such an emphasis on person versus the state. It is apparent through the text that this issue has plagued society since ancient times. This theme reminded me of the multiple times that challenging the state has worked out to the benefit of humanity. …show more content…

Even dating back to colonial times and Thomas Paine’s Common Sense Pamphlet, which sought to create an America free of Britain’s grasp. However, the text also reminded me of several times that challenging the state in malicious ways has turned out disastrous. For example, Edward Snowden and his leaking of classified information that the United States government trusted him to keep classified, ultimately resulting in his exile from the United States. This, along with the significance of the corruptness of the Athenian state I think cause the reader to take this piece for more than face value. Instead of brushing the story off as a simple court trial, this piece of literature is significant in that it causes us to question things. Instead of moving along with our normal day to day activities, this piece teaches us to debate whether or not things are just. Furthermore, I think that history supports the idea that it is human nature to question things, such as authority in society. Though Socrates was sentenced to death in the end, I don’t think this discredits his argument of questioning those that we believe are “wise.” After all, many iconic figures throughout history in America have been assassinated,

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