¶ … Good Life / the Good Death:
Ideas of the Greater Good and Highest Pursuit in Plato's Death of Socrates / Apology
When Plato was still a boy, he witnessed the trial and execution of Socrates. Historians tell us that during the trial he attempted to speak out in defense of the great philosopher. "Plato mounted the platform and began: 'Though I am the youngest, men of Athens, of all who ever rose to address you' -- whereupon the judges shouted out, 'Get down! Get down!' " (Laertius) Perhaps in his youth Plato would indeed have known very little, and had no great wisdom to add to the debate. If this is true, then according to Socratic ideas he would certainly have been the best advocate of all, for Socrates' entire defense lay upon the point that the truest wisdom lay in recognizing one's ignorance, and that the ultimate truth in life could only be found when one first acknowledged that nothing was known. In childhood then, perhaps Plato was closer to an understanding of Socrates than he ever would be again, and it is not surprising that the Apology (also titled Death of Socrates) as Plato's earliest writing would have been his clearest. In this book, far more so than in more esoteric writings such as The Republic, Plato (summarizing Socrates' words) makes a powerful case for the idea that the highest good is to live a thoroughly examined life -- to question everything so that the true wellsprings of virtue may be found, and to humbly accept one's ignorance before the faces of the gods, so that one might most ably accept the fate which they grant.
If one were to ask Socrates what the greatest good might be, he would no doubt respond with a question and the conversation would inevitably walk in circles for hours as the definition of virtue was hopelessly sought. Yet in the end, if one...
Socrates and Virtue Comparing and Contrasting Virtue in Taoism and Socrates' Philosophy The idea of virtue in Taoism may be compared and contrasted to the idea of virtue in the teachings of Socrates. For Socrates, virtue is related to the pursuit of wisdom through philosophy, and is ordered to that which is true and good. Taoism similarly calls upon the practitioner to devote himself to the Way, which is the order that
Socrates and Knowledge:Dealing with the Existence of Unconscious and Conscious ThoughtsIntroductionSocrates held the view that one must engage in self-examination if one is to thwart ignorance. Ignorance�a lack of knowledge of truth and of one�s self�prevents men from reaching the good and the beautiful. Those who live in ignorance persist in a state of self-deception and false contentment, for within they harbor bitterness, envy, hatred, and all other manner of
Trial and Death of Socrates Several of Plato's works explicate the details of Socrates life, especially his trial, sentence and execution. The novel, Trial and Death of Socrates too work around the same ideals, and present to the audience a man of great integrity and honor. Socrates was a man who valued his decisions and had great regards for self-respect, as well as respect for others. He was a man who
Socrates and the Republic The Republic represents Socrates' true apology, as this is the only work in which he has effectively handled the subject he was coerced into facing, following the allegations of Athens against him; the subject is his relationship with the political realm (Bloom, ). The great philosopher of Athens was blamed for being unjust in his actions -- firstly, by disbelieving in the people's gods, and secondly, for corrupting
Symposium is one of the most critically analyzed pieces of ancient literature, because it expresses in a fascinating format the lifestyle of the Athenian elite, as well as the intellectual maturity of the philosopher Socrates. While studying the nature of love may be a discussion of low importance to modern philosophers, an emotional reaction so strong as love is to human nature has always been a remarkable aspect of human
The power of Socrates' technique is that it forces him to investigate many of his centrally held beliefs simultaneously with the person he is communicating; any questions that arise from his audience, or possible objections to his line of reasoning, must be addressed. This capacity is necessarily lacking when it is placed upon paper because any questions or objections that might be evoked in the reader inevitably go unanswered.
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