This aspect of the work also confirmed a clear belief that Socrates held, that nothing bad could happen to a good man. Socrates believed this to be a fundamental truth and he believed that he was a good man. As such he was at peace with whatever was going to happen to him as a result of the trial. In this particular passage it is also clear that Socrates believed that death would be a better reality for him because he would not have to be uncomfortable any longer or have to deal with being misunderstood. The third dialogue Crito involves a conversation with a loyal pupil who visits Socrates in prison the night prior to the day he died; the pupil attempted to convince him to escape the confines of the prison which had already been arranged by a group of friends (Rexroth, 1986).. When Crito attempts to get his teacher to escape the jail, Socrates again emphasizes that he is prepared to die and to obey the laws of the state. In this particular dialogue Socrates also scolds Crito for worrying about the opinion of others. Crito asserted that if Socrates died people would believe that he could have saved Socrates if he would have paid money. However Socrates contents that "Good men, and they are the only persons who are worth considering, will think of these things truly as they happened." Again Socrates returns...
During this dialogue the pupils explain that they spoke with Socrates about death and the differences between the soul and the body. During this dialogue it is apparent that Socrates was still teaching his student as he examined the merit of each argument. It seemed that a certain consensus was drawn and it asserted that the soul would probably outlive the body. However, the pupils also contended that it would be impossible to know if this was indeed true unless one was already dead. This seemed to be an argument that Socrates was at peace with.
Socrates: A Just Life Socrates' view on man's search for justice is one of the great guiding lights provided by the Ancient Greek civilization. Provided for civilization through the writings of his student, Plato, Socrates lays the framework for the idea that justice is good and that every man seeks to find through self-examination what good is. From this basic concept, the Socratic method of teaching, which has been passed down
Plato -- Life and Works Plato was born in Athens circa 425 BC, just after the onset of the Peloponnesian War between Athens and Sparta. He lost his father at an early age, but through his mother's marriage to a friend of the leading statesman and general of Athens at the time, Plato became affiliated with some of the most influential circles of a city enjoying a Golden Age. The early
Socrates asked them to come forward with their thoughts if they were "still doubtful about the argument." The two proceed to make a sophisticated argument, contrary to Socrates' points, that were counterexamples to the points about the body and the soul that Socrates had been making with such eloquence. It was cross-examination, but it was also a series of new hypotheses that Cebes and Simmias presented to the philosopher
For instance Plato believed that rulers should only rule based on truth and reason and that the way to best live life itself was also based on truth and reason. This is something I agree with very strongly. When it comes to the Iraq war, for example, I feel that America's current leaders decided to start the war based not on truthfulness and reason, but for baser motives, such
Education then is necessary to help prevent the failures of government - for Socrates, an aristocracy represents a rule by the "best" citizens whose educations have centered upon training the warrior-guardians to be swift, philosophic, spirited and strong. This education is significant because in order to prevent the corruption that power so often has upon those who wield it - it is the broadly educated, self-aware, and community-driven individual who
To wit, in Socrates' day, there were no official government prosecutors (commonly referred to in modern America as "District Attorneys"); in effect, any citizen could bring an indictment against any other citizen, and call for a trial. And that's basically what happened to Socrates. Here in America, in 2006, notwithstanding what Vice President Cheney said, President George W. Bush stated, "I will never question the patriotism of somebody who disagrees
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