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The three arguments in the Apology
Analysis of Plato's apology
Plato's education development
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Plato’s Apology,(by Plato) and the words of Socrates, are considered the most important works of literature by many distinguished universities. It seems that Socrates continues to teach students from beyond the grave. Plato uses the Apology to show readers the importance of Socrates teachings, and how students should examine themselves and the world around them. Those who do not ask questions are unable to educate themselves about the world, and it leaves them at a loss. Pride can prevent the admittance of not knowing certain things in life, which stalls learning. One must know what they do not in order to become knowledgeable. Socrates also teaches that There are three sections of text in Plato’s Apology that make readers think critically about life, but more specifically, learning in life. Plato quotes Socrates when he says “ the life unexamined is the life not worth living,” (page 526) this quote allows readers to look at life from a new perspective. His whole life Socrates is focused on figuring out what people know and what they don’t know. He also asks himself these questions. When he says that “the life unexamined is the life not worth living” he means to say that people who don’t ask questions don’t understand the meaning of life. This …show more content…
Socrates plainly states in this section that he knows that he doesn’t know everything. That he embraces learning, and the discovery of new information. This sends a message to his students that they should practice the same methods, and be humble. Students in the modern world should also hear these words of wisdom, and take them to heart. Many kids these days struggle with the idea of humility, and the reading of Plato’s Apology might give them the chance of understanding it. The importance of the Apology in the modern world cannot be expressed in
Plato's The Apology is an account of the speech. Socrates makes at the trial in which he is charged with not recognizing the gods recognized by the state, inventing new gods, and corrupting the youth of Athens. For the most part, Socrates speaks in a very plain, conversational manner. He explains that he has no experience with the law courts and that he will instead speak in the manner to which he is accustomed with honesty and directness. Socrates then proceeds to interrogate Meletus, the man primarily responsible for bringing Socrates before the jury. He strongly attacks Meletus for wasting the court¡¦s time on such absurd charges. He then argues that if he corrupted the young he did so unknowingly since Socrates believes that one never deliberately acts wrongly. If Socrates neither did not corrupt the young nor did so unknowingly, then in both cases he should not be brought to trial. The other charge is the charge of impiety. This is when Socrates finds an inconsistency in Meletus¡¦ belief that Socrates is impious. If he didn¡¦t believe in any gods then it would be inconsistent to say that he believed in spiritual things, as gods are a form of a spiritual thing. He continues to argue against the charges, often asking and answering his own questions as if he were speaking in a conversation with one of his friends. He says that once a man has found his passion in life it would be wrong of him to take into account the risk of life or death that such a passion might involve.
Plato’s "Apology" gives the substance of the defense made by Socrates to the Athenians at his trial. Meletus, Anytus and Lyncon brought Socrates to court on charges of corrupting the morals of the youth, leading the youth away from the principals of democracy, neglecting the Gods of the State and introducing new divinities.
In Plato’s Apology, when Socrates is pleading his defence, he makes a good argument against the charges of corrupting the youth of Athens. This is evident when he states that, firstly, Meletus, the man who is trying to get Socrates executed, has never cared about the youth of Athens and has no real knowledge on the subject. Secondly, Socrates states that if he was in some way corrupting the youth, then he was doing it unintentionally or unwillingly, in which case he was brought to court for no reason. Finally, Socrates brings to light the fact that Meletus doesn’t have a single witness to attest to Socrates’ corruption. This is how Socrates proves his argument that he isn’t responsible for corrupting the youth of Athens.
According to Aristotle, a virtue is a state that makes something good, and in order for something to be good, it must fulfill its function well. The proper function of a human soul is to reason well. Aristotle says that there are two parts of the soul that correspond to different types of virtues: the appetitive part of the soul involves character virtues, while the rational part involves intellectual virtues. The character virtues allow one to deliberate and find the “golden mean” in a specific situation, while the intellectual virtues allow one to contemplate and seek the truth. A virtuous person is someone who maintains an appropriate balance of these two parts of the soul, which allows them to reason well in different types of situations.
The Apology is Socrates' defense at his trial. As the dialogue begins, Socrates notes that his accusers have cautioned the jury against Socrates' eloquence, according to Socrates, the difference between him and his accusers is that Socrates speaks the truth. Socrates distinguished two groups of accusers: the earlier and the later accusers. The earlier group is the hardest to defend against, since they do not appear in court. He is all so accused of being a Sophist: that he is a teacher and takes money for his teaching. He attempts to explain why he has attracted such a reputation. The oracle was asked if anyone was wiser than Socrates was. The answer was no, there was no man wiser. Socrates cannot believe this oracle, so he sets out to disprove it by finding someone who is wiser. He goes to a politician, who is thought wise by him self and others. Socrates does not think this man to be wise and tells him so. As a consequence, the politician hated Socrates, as did others who heard the questioning. "I am better off, because while he knows nothing but thinks that he knows, I neither know nor think that I know" (Socrates). He questioned politicians, poets, and artisans. He finds that the poets do not write from wisdom, but by genius and inspiration. Meletus charges Socrates with being "a doer of evil, and corrupter of the youth, and he does not believe in the gods of the State, and has other new divinities of his own."
In Plato’s Apology it seems that overall Socrates did an effective job using the 3 acts of the mind. The three acts of the mind are: Understanding, Judgment, and Reasoning. These acts are stragically used to rebut the charges made against him during trial. The two charges that are formed against Socrates are corrupting the youth and not believing in the gods. The first act of the mind that we will be looking at is, understanding. The question that needs to be asked is what does corruption mean? The accuser believe that Socrates in corrupting the minds of the children by introducing new concepts. Socrates is trying to teach and involve the minds of the youth by getting them to ask question. It is very important that people are always asking questions about why things are. The next question that needs to be address is what does not believe in the gods mean? Socrates believes in God but that is one god that rules the world, not multiple gods who together rule. They are mad that he has “created” his own god.
Plato. "Apology." The Longman Anthology of World Literature. Ed. David Damrosch and David L. Pike. Compact ed. New York: Pearson, 2008. 559-75. Print.
In the retelling of his trial by his associate, Plato, entitled “The Apology”; Socrates claims in his defense that he only wishes to do good for the polis. I believe that Socrates was innocent of the accusations that were made against him, but he possessed contempt for the court and displayed that in his conceitedness and these actions led to his death.
Plato. "Apology." Ancient Philosophy. 3rd Ed. Philosophic Classics, vols. 1. Baird, Forrest E., and Walter Kaufman. Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall, 2000. 82-100.
In the passage from The Apology Plato reflects on what happens to individuals after they die. His argument 's first premise entails that death is one of two things, either a dreamless sleep with no perceptions, or a relocation of the individual 's soul to a different place. His second premise asserts that both these options are acceptable and equally attractive offers. He therefore concludes that death is not a tragic event, but rather an appealing one. Plato 's argument is not cogent in that he does not completely evaluate the situation and all its implications. This essay will use false dichotomy, refutation, abduction, and thought experiment to show that Plato 's argument is flawed.
Kishlansky, Mark A.. "Plato, The Apology." Sources of World History: readings for world civilization. 5th ed. Boston, MA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning, 2012. 52. Print.
The portrayal of Socrates, through the book “the trial and death of Socrates” is one that has created a fairly controversial character in Western history. In many ways, Socrates changed the idea of common philosophy in ancient Greece; he transformed their view on philosophy from a study of why the way things are, into a consideration man. Specifically, he analyzed the virtue and health of the human soul. Along side commending Socrates for his strong beliefs, and having the courage to stand by those convictions, Socrates can be commended for many other desirable characteristics. Some of those can include being the first martyr to die for his philosophical beliefs and having the courage to challenge indoctrinated cultural norms is part of what made Socrates exceptional. His refusal to compromise his intellectual integrity in the face of a death sentence has set an example for the entire world to follow. It is these concepts in combination that contribute to the tragedy in the trail and death of Socrates. Although, the trial and death of Socrates has many components that are thought provoking and important to the tale of Socrates, it is the apology that is my own favorite in capturing Plato’s true character and therefore the impending paper is mainly evaluating the events and occurrences of that particular section of the trial and death of Socrates.
“The unexamined life is not worth living” was spoken by Socrates itself the statement packs a unique punch. Additionally, Socrates said, “in order to live life to the fullest one must analyze and explore the mind itself.” Socrates realized the emphasis his ancestors made on the study of the substantial world and came to the conviction that in order to truly understand the nature of the world we must focus our attention within our souls. The observation of our souls gives us the capacity to not only accept ourselves more fully, but our relationship within the universe. Analyzing our core values and the desires behind our actions, in turn allows for careful examination of the way we live our lives. Subsequently, for Socrates staying on a path of uncovering truth, and inquiry allows the mind room to appreciate the unseen differences in life, and provokes mental and spiritual growth, leading to a productive and more meaningful existence. As for Socrates leading the life of a philosopher the quest for knowledge and wisdom makes life worth living, thus, according to Socrates, having an unexamined life would be juxtaposed with a life, which had no purpose or inherent value at all.
Socrates was considered by many to be the wisest man in ancient Greece. While he was eventually condemned for his wisdom, his spoken words are still listened to and followed today. When, during his trial, Socrates stated that, “the unexamined life is not worth living” (Plato 45), people began to question his theory. They began to wonder what Socrates meant with his statement, why he would feel that a life would not be worth living. To them, life was above all else, and choosing to give up life would be out of the picture. They did not understand how one would choose not to live life just because he would be unable to examine it.
I think it’s important to first examine the circumstances of what was going on when Socrates stated “the unexamined life is not worth living.” To really get a sense of how critical the situation