Socrates and the Apology One of the main charges against Socrates revolved around the fact that he was a natural philosopher. This was so problematic as it was in opposition with the views set forth by this early society: these views believed that the society was created via the gods and a great many narratives were developed around the idea of the gods, and what they were capable of and how they impacted the natural world and how it was viewed. Philosophy, particularly Socrates' variety of natural philosophy, was viewed as being in direct opposition to these traditional viewpoints. Another charge against Socrates was one which aligned him with the Sophists. The sophists were a group of public speakers who had uncovered certain methods of persuading others that permitted them to adopt a particular viewpoint even if that viewpoint was not the best or truest one. These individuals travelled, often helping those who wanted to gain political power. They were not at all trusted, and Socrates was viewed as being a member of their ranks: thus, he was essentially charged with being a manipulative orator. These were the earliest charges against Socrates which had developed throughout the years and were the results of a general prejudice against him. As Socrates summarizes, these accusers...
For instance, Socrates has been quoted as saying that the sun was a hot rock, expressly denying that Apollo, and thus negating the legitimacy of anyone who claimed to rule the Greek metropolis as a result of tracing their lineage back to Apollo. As a result of all of these charges, Socrates was accused of corrupting the young. Finally, Socrates was charged with impiety.
The fact that he believes in the gods differently than some of his neighbors seems to cause them to view his teachings as atheism. In the "Apology," Socrates says: "Some one will say: And are you not ashamed, Socrates, of a course of life which is likely to bring you to an untimely end? To him I may fairly answer: There you are mistaken: a man who is good
Socrates argues that the accusation is absurd, as the accusation implies that he is solely responsible for the state of the youth. Socrates uses the allegory of a horse trainer to explain that he is a trainer, rather than corruptor, of the youth (Cavalier, "Ancient Philosophy"). Socrates' second argument in his defense is that, had harmed the youth, the philosophy that evil begets evil would dictate that the youth would
He even goes so far as to say that if in death he can talk with Orpheus, Musaeus, Homer and Hesiod, death will be worth it. He says, "Nay, if this be true, let me die again and again." One of the most profound statements that Socrates offers to his true "judges" is that nothing bad can happen to a good man, so they should not worry about him. "…no
Socrates and the Apology Socrates and Death in the Apology In The Apology, Socrates contrasts his ability to address the crowd against more skillful speakers stating that he offers truth over eloquence (17b). In essence, he infers that others use the power of persuasion and slick words to sway others vs. The truth. He postulates that there are others who will always present a skewed depiction of the facts in order to
Socrates is one of the most renowned philosophers of all times. His dialectic method is used in a number of ways and has vital importance in literature and deliberation. In the contemporary era, Socratic or Dialectic Method is the term that is used to point out a conversation between two or more people who might have opposing views about an issue but they come to a conclusion after trying to
Argument and law are merely art forms in the mind of Socrates and picking a side and arguing for it is much like doing a crossword puzzle or any other exercise in modeling thought patterns. Purpose and intent mean so much more than the act itself according to Socrates. Disagreements are merely examples of rhythms in thought patterns much like music. Debate and discourse for Socrates was practiced to achieve
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