Similarities Between Socrates And Virginia Woolf

703 Words2 Pages

Born into completely different situations at completely different times in history you may think that Socrates and Virginia Woolf may have a very different idea about the concept of freedom. Socrates was never able to experience freedom of religion which every American knows as a basic right given by the constitution. Woolf on the other hand was given just a glance at women’s equality and only because of her financial stability. While both Socrates and Woolf knew that they weren’t given a fair chance at freedom they both wanted to let others understand what they were going through so that when change happened, which they both knew it would, people could look back on the past and conceptualize about how far the world has come. So really the question
Socrates was never allowed to believe in what he thought was right. The Athenian democracy wouldn’t allow that. He was confined to the religious beliefs that the gods who created everything within the city of Athens, as well as around Greece, were the only mighty beings and that believing in any other spirits was completely wrong. However, Socrates believed that a person shouldn’t be held to a strict set of rules and that by doing so they are just conforming to the regular belief held by

Show More
Related

  • Similarities Between A & P And Harrison Bergeron

    668 Words  | 2 Pages

    The theme of the “meaning of freedom” is a common theme between the two stories “A&P” by Updike, and Harrison Bergeron by Vonnegut. In both stories, the characters are take different routes to rebel from the standards of society. In A&P, gender roles are heavy, and Sammy is expected to conform, but he does otherwise by leaving his job. Harrison Bergeron takes place during a time where the human population is expected to be equal, but Harrison steps beyond these limits. These characters show that conforming to society truly does not make you free, in fact it holds you back from your full potential.

    Read More

  • The Book 1776 by David McCullough

    1315 Words  | 3 Pages

    ...hile African Americans went through journeys to escape the restrictions of their masters, women went through similar journeys to escape the restrictions of the men around them. Immigrants further strived to fit in with the American lifestyle and receive recognition as an American. All three groups seemed to shape up an American lifestyle. Today, all three of these perceptions of freedom have made an appearance in our lives. As we can see, the transition of freedom from race equality to gender equality shows that freedom has been on a constant change. Everyone acquires their own definition of freedom but the reality of it is still unknown; people can merely have different perceptions of freedom. Nevertheless, in today’s society, African Americans live freely, women are independent, and immigrants are accepted in society. What more freedom can one possibly ask for?

    Read More

  • The Importance of Freedom Exposed in Anthem

    877 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Importance of Freedom Exposed in Anthem & nbsp; In the novel Anthem, Ayn Rand writes about the future of the dark ages. Anthem takes place in a technologically backwards totalitarian society, where mankind is born in the home of the infants and dies in the home of the useless. Just imagine, being born into a life of slavery, having no freedom, no way of self expression, no ego. The city represents slavery. When in the city, Equality was guilty of many transgressions.

    Read More

  • Is Socrates Not Guilty Of Treason?

    1008 Words  | 3 Pages

    Here, I would like to ask you, the men of Athens, firstly, why at all should Socrates have mentioned everything I just said, if he really does not believe in god as some of you accused? Moreover, how dare you to accuse such a man, who serves the gods at all expenses and even risks his life for it? Doesn’t such a man deserve our respect? Furthermore, as we believe in our gods, how dare we put such terrible charges upon the wisest man of Athens, who is sent by the gods to awake us Athenians?

    Read More

  • The Apology: A Philosophical Way Of Life

    1001 Words  | 3 Pages

    Many people have gone through their lives conforming their beliefs and practices for the sake of fitting in or for the happiness of others, but Socrates was not one of these people. In “The Apology” Plato shows Socrates unwillingness to conform through a speech given by Socrates while on trial for supposedly corrupting the youth of Athens and believing in false gods. Although the title of the dialogue was labeled “The Apology,” Socrates’ speech was anything but that, it was a defense of himself and his content along his philosophical journey. At no time during the trial was Socrates willing to change his ways in order to avoid punishment, two reasons being his loyalty to his God and his philosophical way of life.

    Read More

  • Similarities Between Woolf And Virginia Woolf

    1745 Words  | 4 Pages

    Insects may be the bane of some people’s existence, but the creatures are truly strong globes of energy, going about their lives, flitting to and fro. Thoreau and Woolf both captured this essential spirit in their writing. In “Battle of the Ants” and “The Death of the Moth,” both writers observe other life forms, but the way in which they perceive the insects struggles vastly differs. According to an online biography, Thoreau’s exposure to transcendentalism as well as his friend and mentor Ralph Waldo Emerson both shaped his writing to emphasize “the importance of empirical thinking and of spiritual matters over the physical world,” whereas Virginia Woolf’s parents raised her to be free thinking which resulted

    Read More

  • Who Is Socrates A Gift To Athens

    1128 Words  | 3 Pages

    It takes one person to begin expanding a thought, eventually dilating over a city, gaining power through perceived power. This is why Socrates would be able to eventually benefit everyone, those indifferent to philosophy, criminals, and even those who do not like him. Socrates, through his knowledge of self, was able to understand others. He was emotionally intelligent, and this enabled him to live as a “gadfly,” speaking out of curiosity and asking honest questions. For someone who possesses this emotional intelligence, a conversation with Socrates should not have been an issue-people such as Crito, Nicostratus, and Plato who he calls out during his speech. (37) The problem is that many of the citizens of Athens who wanted Socrates dead, lacked that emotional intelligence and thought highly of themselves. So of course they become defensive when Socrates sheds light on the idea that they may be wrong. As someone who cared most about the improvement of the soul, Socrates would have made a constructive role model to the criminals of Athens, as he would go on saying, “virtue is not given by money, but that from virtue comes money and every other good of man…”(35) Socrates was able to benefit everyone alike as he had human wisdom- something that all the Athenians could relate

    Read More

  • Fixation Of Belief Analysis

    799 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the book, The Trial and Death of Socrates, Socrates is testing the authority method. He tests this by questioning authority. Although the priests and statesmen have no real knowledge of what they claim to know, people of Athens still do as they say because the authority of the past have imposed false knowledge that seemed true to them. The government had an impact of what they believed, and through words and actions, it helped sway people beliefs to listen to the authority regardless of their lack of knowledge.

    Read More

  • Socrates was a Wise and Harmless Man

    1122 Words  | 3 Pages

    Socrates was a traveling teacher and talked and challenged everyone he met. Socrates taught the art of persuasive speaking. He did not charge people money like most of the other Sophists did, but he did have similar beliefs as the Sophists. Sophists thought that our minds are cut off from reality and that we are stuck in our own opinions of what the world was like. Socrates believed that reason or nature could not tell us why the world is the way it appears. The Sophists' point of view is best summed up as this: we can never step out of the way things appear.

    Read More

  • Plato's Apology

    807 Words  | 2 Pages

    Socrates was accused of bringing false gods into the polis and corrupting the youth. The only false god was himself. For he might have presented himself in such a way to his many followers. These followers were mostly, as he says, wealthy young men with not much to do. This I could imagine is where a good deal of his conceitedness comes from, being almost worshipped be others. These men followed all of his teachings and practices, including the condescending cross-examinations, which were probably the worst of his acts.

    Read More

  • Socrates´ Death

    1792 Words  | 4 Pages

    In conclusion, Socrates was guilty of inventing his own deity, which violated the Athenian laws and the general moral principle held by Athenians, though his main purpose was to improve the society and educate the youth through questioning. However, he was a great citizen and thinker in ancient Athens, since he developed a new value system which did guide the people to the truth and rightness, despite the fact that some part of defense was not convincing and involved sophistry. In addition, the legal system of Athens had some defects for it let the majority rather than professional judges or lawmakers make judgment, leading to the tragedy of Socrates’ death.

    Read More

  • Socrates's Argument Of Pious Being Loved By The Gods

    852 Words  | 2 Pages

    In other words, Socrates was using this as analogy between what is holy and what is approved of by the gods as holy, he is saying that it is approved because it got approved by yourself and not that it is approved because it has already been approved by the gods. He used this analogy because it was a perfect argument to defend his claim, he is simply stating that you approve of what is holy and not believe something is holy because it has already been approved. What you approve of as holy is what should be holy and not what someone else approves of holy should define what you consider holy. Everyone has their own opinion and has the right to believe what they think is best for them. If they don’t agree with what you believe, then why should they believe in what you approve

    Read More

  • Perspectives on Freedom in Poetry by Emily Dickinson and Harriet Jabos

    1481 Words  | 3 Pages

    Nothing in life is guaranteed, but the one thing that humans demand is freedom. Throughout history, there are countless cases where groups of people fought for their freedom. They fought their battles in strongly heated debates, protests, and at its worst, war. Under the assumption that the oppressors live in complete power, the oppressed continuously try to escape from their oppressors in order to claim what is rightfully theirs: the freedom of choice. In Emily Dickinson’s poems #280, #435, and #732 and Harriet Jacobs’s Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, freedom is represented by an individual’s ability to make their own decisions without the guidance, consultation, or outside opinion of others in order to find their true sense of self. Once an individual is physically and spiritually free, they can find their true sense of self.

    Read More

  • An Analysis Of Virginia Woolf's Response To Aristotle, Pope, And Wordsworth

    1009 Words  | 3 Pages

    There are many different ways to be creative. There is not one right or wrong way to write a poem, sing a song, or paint a picture. However, you can always improve any of these things. Virginia Woolf is a strong supporter of self-improvement, and she believes that a little advice on a matter can go a long way. During her time, Virginia Woolf was one of the most gifted of the modernist writers. In 1932, she wrote an essay in the form of a letter called, Letter to a Young Poet. Here, she documented her thoughts on poetry for a large audience to read. Ironically, she would never consider herself a poet, but she was very educated in rhythmic

    Read More

  • The Reflection Of Socrates's Journey Of Life

    1492 Words  | 3 Pages

    Socrates says that God determines what is right and wrong. “I owe a greater obedience to God then to you and so long as I draw breath and have my faculties, I shall never stop practicing philosophy and exhorting you and indicating truth to everyone I meet” (Apology, 29d). God’s rules and commandments are what you need to follow in order to assure a good life after death. God and his commandments come first over everything else. Socrates believes in the divine command theory and how you must listen to Gods commandments. God decides what is moral and obedience to God is how you live justly. Socrates also says he will never stop practicing philosophy because in his eyes philosophy is the way to live life. He has said that living without examining life is a life not worth living. Questioning and indicating truth to others by pointing out their ignorance is what he saw as an essential part of being moral. Morality ties in to the question of solution by asking questions and seeking wisdom you are doing what is just and fixing the condition of humanity. Morality also relates to condition because the soul must be more important than material objects in order to be moral. He says you must follow cities laws and obedience to Gods laws as well in order to be just. On top of that you should be self-examining yourself so that you can better the soul as much as

    Read More

More about Similarities Between Socrates And Virginia Woolf

Open Document