We argued that that the imprisonment of an innocent man has already undermined the Laws of Athens and so his escape would be just, in reversing the damage to the state. However, Socrates believes that one should ever wrong someone else, and he believes that his escape would undermine the Laws of Athens, and so under this justification, Socrates is justified in not escaping. We considered the idea that perhaps for Socrates his not escaping is not about political obligation but is instead a matter of maintaining his character, and if this is his true justification then he is justified in his…
The purpose of this paper is to critically evaluate how Socrates replied to the main charge he was…
We can empathise with our protagonist, and would likely respond in the same manner if put in the same situation. However, Socrates is not an ordinary man. By giving up on trying to convince his…
Socrates attaches virtue, good, and morality to justice in a way to make it seem like it is good for its own sake. The entire Republic is made to reason why justice is good for its own sake—that there is something intrinsically good about it. Within book I of the Republic, Socrates and Thrasymachus have come to an agreement that there are certain virtues that allow things to work well for the better, a vice being the opposite and causing anything to make something preform for the worse. In the end of book I’s dialogue, both Socrates and Thrasymachus have some to agree that justice is allows a person to be more profitable and live well (Plato, 353c-354b). This is important in the foundation of the Republic.…
By appearing earnestly truthful and purely motivated, his audience and opponents will have an easier time accepting the rest of his argument – especially the reason for why Socrates engages in his inquiries. The reason for his practice is presented in the Apology as an “investigation in the service of the god” in which he finds “that those who had the highest reputation were nearly the most deficient, while those who were thought to be inferior were more knowledgeable” (Apology 22a). Assuming this is true, then it makes a great deal of sense as to why Socrates would engage with Thrasymachus. From his presence in Cephalus’s house, one can discern that Thrasymachus is a relatively influential man, since he is clearly not a slave, or else he would not speak so freely, nor would he have demanded a fee. He is known by name amongst the other attendants, as well, furthering the claim that he is of a high reputation.…
In Plato’s dialogue Apology, Socrates stands trail to defend himself from the accusations of “corrupting the youth” and disregarding the Gods of the state. In his speech he tells the jury that an oracle at Delphi told Chaerephon a friend of Socrates that Socrates is a man of wisdom and no man is wiser than he is. To prove this cannot be true Socrates conducts cross examinations to find someone who is wiser than he is. Through these examinations Socrates mission and main points are to help people by exposing their ignorance to find wisdom, to find virtue, to find truth and to improve the soul.…
From the perspective of an Athenian on the day of trial, Socrates was guilty as charged. However, Socrates was rather a thorn in the flesh to politicians and the aristocrats and charges of impiety and corrupting the youth was meant to tame his philosophical influence to the younger aristocrats including Plato-the writer of apology. However, through Plato, the writer of apology, the effect of Socrates’ philosophical thoughts reveals the rot in the Greek democracy. His…
Socrates expresses that,“…is it because of the spirited part…that we call a single individual courageous (Plato 99).” It can be found if one has courage in the spirited part. In the state, the soldiers represent courage. They fight and defend for their city.…
To prove Justice is best and not a compromise, Socrates must find a definition of Justice that nobody has ever heard…
In the Meno, Socrates puts forward for testing a candidate proposition, namely, “virtue is teachable”. Meno himself supplied such proposition in the form of a question. Likewise, in the Republic, Socrates puts forward for testing the candidate proposition “justice in the soul is a matter of each part performing its own function”. The next stage, in both dialogues, begins when a second proposition is examined, the truth of which is necessary for the truth of the original candidate proposition.…
The Socratic dialogue is a cooperation based system for discovering the answer to a quandry. Relying on a question and answer format, the method normally utilizes a proof by reduction in a cyclical manner in order to slowly narrow down the possibilities until a “truth”, or solution, has been discovered. While seemingly reasonable at a glance, as two individuals are working together to solve a mutual problem, numerous issues have surfaced in relation to the nature of the method. Throughout Book I of Plato’s Republic, the Socratic dialogue is utilized heavily in Socrates’ search for the definition of justice within his discussions with both Polemarchus and Thrasymachus, and both cases illustrate the need of a critical, yet cooperative engagement.…
In order to establish the premise that the philosopher kings should rule because they are just, Socrates went into great lengths with his fellow Athenians on defining what justice is. The first definition proposed by Cephalus is that justice means paying back one’s debt and being honest (331c). Both parts of his definition were refuted by Socrates after he showed instances where paying one’s debt and being honest…
He makes the argument that the happiest person is the just rather than the unjust. He does this in many ways by explaining; what is a just man, pleasure, tyranny, a city etc. Thus, in Plato’s Republic, Socrates demonstrates a successful…
Socrates defended him self by drawing attention to the fact that he has taught the anyone for many years that would listen with out fee. He even asked the court to excuse his simple mannerisms showing the fact he has never been I trouble with the law, and it was his first time ever being charged with a crime. He talks about how he has never sought public office (power) he talks about how it is society job to influence (work interest of the youth) the youth. He uses an analogy to describe how he is a horse trainer and the youth are horses and how other (society) benefit for his teachings like how to do serein tasks that benefit Athens. Socrates is sentenced to death and given multiple opportunities to escape to another county.…
In Plato’s Republic, the images of justice are perceived differently between several characters in this novel. Cephalus, Polemarchus, and Thrasymachus, all present contrasting ideals of justice compared to the one envisioned by Socrates. Using the art of rhetoric, Socrates utilizes argumentation to identify the faults in each individual’s vision of justice, and how his unconventional perception of justices can change their entire society. The first vision of justice discussed in The Republic was Cephalus. Cephalus describes justice as honesty.…