Socrates’ argument at the end of Apology is that death is a blessing in one of two ways. It is either a “state of nothingness” or it is a “migration of the soul.” If death is comprised of nothingness, then it should be looked forward to because it would be a peaceful and restful sleep. On the other hand, if death is a migration of his soul, then Socrates would be able to be in the presence of the great people that have died before him, so he would be able to enjoy the afterlife surrounded by great figures that he could question regarding their wisdom. Socrates’ argument that death is a “state of nothingness” is self-contradictory because something cannot become nothing if it was once something, so his argument that death would comprise…
Surely, he could not have always been as virtuous of a man as he is now. There must be some point that divides a man who is virtuous from a man who is not, and I wonder how this limit is determined. Socrates is, of course, confident that he has been loyal enough to the gods that he will be rewarded for his excellence in the afterlife. Essentially, he has no reason to fear death. By this logic, the only people who fear death are those who are not confident in the powers of the gods, or those who lack religion in their lives.…
Socrates makes a statement that if the jury kills him it will not be easy to find another like him. However once he is sentenced to death he states there will be more accusers after he is gone. Is he not contradicting himself? Was he trying to spare his life even though he claimed to not fear death? Another statement that leaves me with questions is, in the beginning of Socrates speech he says that his friend asked an oracle if there is anyone wiser than Socrates.…
how little does the common herd know of the nature of right and truth. A man must be an extraordinary man and have made great strides in wisdom, before he could have seen his way to this” (p. 3). This quote from Socrates comes after he asks Euthyphro what he is doing on the porch of King Archon. Euthyphro responds by telling Socrates that he is there to bring up a charge of murder against his father. When Socrates points out that, according to accepted beliefs, it is wicked to harm or bring disgrace on one’s father, Euthyphro counters that that makes no difference.…
The ideas, proceedings and ultimate judgement had a political hand all stemming from Socrates criticism to the political class, poets, and craftsmen through his philosophical engagements. Socrates was found guilty with a narrow margin, but his proposal for penalty added insult to injury. He also rejected prison and exile, offering perhaps instead to pay a fine. The judge rejected his suggestion and sentenced him to death and with a philosophical statement, Socrates accepted the judgement saying that only the gods know what happens after death and so it would be foolish to fear what one does not know. Further, is there a true measure of guilt or innocence in Socrates’ case?…
If Socrates was young, he should choose Kant’s model to confront hardships without fear of self-value destruction temporary in order to prove himself right and the decision made by juries that were wrong. However, the fact that he was old, if he still chooses to challenge the system, perhaps before his death still could not be able to complete the mission. Therefore, if he takes into account of his situation, accepts the judgment was the only possible choice to fulfill what he had taught to his followers, even though he would be executed. However, this was the best ending for him to preserve his dignity of identity, as well as meaning of his…
Socrates continues to explain how he can’t violate the verdict, which in this case is the death penalty therefore, it would be wrong because Socrates couldn’t go against his principles. Socrates states, “ Come then, if we destroy that which becomes better by the healthful and is corrupted by the distasteful, because we don’t obey the opinion of the experts, is life worth living for us when it has been corrupted? Surely this is the body, isn’t it?”(47e) Socrates is explaining how in his mind life is not worth living unless it is lived appropriately in this case being, that the ethical life is more important than life itself. Socrates continues his justification on why he can’t escape prison because by committing this action he would be doing what he considers as the unjust thing because he would’ve been seen as a dishonorable…
In the “Apology” Socrates is on trial for crimes he has not committed. Socrates ultimately does not fear death because of his innocence, he believes that death is not feared because it may be one of the greatest blessings of the soul. For a person such as Socrates that has lived virtuously there no reason for them to fear death. Socrates makes the argument that one should not fear death because only the gods know what is beyond death,because death could be a blessing. According to Socrates, “I had at the risk of death, like anyone else, remained at my post where those you had elected to command had ordered me, and then, when the god ordered me, as I thought and believed, to live the life as a philosopher, to examine myself and others,…
Socrates himself, however, did not believe that to be true. Socrates spent his whole life searching for a man wiser than he was. The only thing he ended discovering was that others who considered themselves wise, really were not. Socrates did not think of himself as wise and knew he was not. Socrates accepted the death penalty for corrupting the minds of the youth with his philosophies.…
I am Crito, a 66 year old farmer who lives just outside of Athens. I am a Socratic, and one of Socrates most influential followers (ROLE SHEET). Since the time Socrates has been put on trial for the charges of corrupting the youth and not believing in the God’s, scholars, professors, students of all kinds, and being charged of treason. Citizens have argued and debated the truth behind his sentence. I know there are some citizens out there who believe that Socrates is basically guilty.…
Socrates was the main cause of his own death while under trial. In the Athenian system, for this kind of trial, a defendant could suggest his own penalty. Instead of taking this opportunity seriously, Socrates first jokingly said that he should be rewarded instead and put into the same chambers as the Olympians. Obviously, his jurors did not see the humility in this and therefore, passed the death…
This essay will be discussing and analyzing two paintings, one by Jacques-Louis David called “The Death of Socrates” and the other by Eugene Delacroix called “The Death of Sardanapalus”. The analysis will include a discussion of the artworks content such as the historical factors and the two different styles that each painting represents. The Neoclassical style is represented by “The Death of Socrates” and the Romantic style is represented by “The Death of Sardanapalus”. The form of the painting will be discussed through the elements of design and principle of design which will be included when analyzing the two paintings. The elements of design will include line, shape, value, color, space, and texture on the two paintings.…
The fact that nobody knows what lies ahead after death, a person cannot involve rationale in the argument of fearing death without coming out as arrogant. When Socrates lost the trial he remains rebellious in the sentencing period to result in his death sentence and he had to deal with the analogy of mortality (Plato et al 2003). He did not view death as an evil thing. As such, the…
In Plato’s Apology, Socrates is put on trial for accusations of disruptive behavior. Some men in the community feel that his way of life goes against the will of the Gods and corrupts the youth. As he stands before a jury that will ultimately decide his fate, Socrates states that “the difficulty… is not in avoiding death, but in avoiding the unrighteousness” (Plato 38). Socrates knows that death is inevitable, and repeatedly claims he does not fear it. He believes that it is harder to run from the injustices and evils of the world than it is from death, so he defends his philosophy even after execution becomes the verdict.…
Socrates draws attention to the wrongly and unjustly convicted heroes such as Palamedes and Ajax that are in Hades (41.b). He says that it would bring him extraordinary happiness to be able to converse with these and many other men who died through an unjust conviction and compare his experience with theirs (41.b). He thinks that it would be an excellent opportunity to continue questioning, testing, and examining people in a place where he surely would not be convicted for doing so (41.c). In any form, death to Socrates is not a bad thing, death brings upon the capability of being able to pursue philosophy for the rest of eternity, something every philosopher strives and dreams for. Death to Socrates is something that should not be regarded to any sense of fear for the reasons that he abandoned his stand for fear when he was commanded by the god to pursue philosophy, that death cannot be claimed as a negative thing because it is unknown and doing so would claim he encapsulates wisdom in which he does…