A Twist on the Meaning of an Apology
(A discussion of the three most significant messages within Plato’s Apology) “ … the fact is that neither of us knows anything beautiful and good, but he thinks he does know when he doesn’t, and I don’t know and don’t think I do: so I am wiser than he is by only this trifle … “ (507). Plato is writing this famous dialogue called Apology, from within his teacher’s, Socrates, trial. Socrates is accused of corrupting the youth and being an atheist and in this dialogue he explains in a very sarcastic way why he is innocent, despite knowing his end fate remains unchanged. Socrates goes through this last trial speaking only because he wishes to teach until he reaches the inevitable fate of death. However, this …show more content…
It is true still today that many people who know something in one subject area will make claims about things they do not know. Knowledge is a way for people to feel superior to others and therefore, a majority of people will talk like they are experts in everything when in fact, they know very little. It is important to be humble and aware that there are other human beings with different knowledge and that it is okay to not be the most intelligent. Socrates will go on to say that no matter what field a person is working in, they more often than not will speak as if they are wise in more than one area. “The poets appeared to me to be in much the same case; and at the same time I perceived that because of their poetry they believed they were the wisest of mankind in other things as well, which they were not” (508). This assumption that humans have knowledge that they do not is another form of ignorance and is another reason why Socrates believes himself to be the wisest man. He knows that he does not know very much, and that is a true statement, therefore he is wise in saying so. Mankind would be much better if humans could grasp the concept of accepting that no one knows very much. Upon accepting that, humans become wiser and less hateful, as knowledge could no longer be used as a basis of power over other
(A discussion of the three most significant messages within Plato’s Apology) “ … the fact is that neither of us knows anything beautiful and good, but he thinks he does know when he doesn’t, and I don’t know and don’t think I do: so I am wiser than he is by only this trifle … “ (507). Plato is writing this famous dialogue called Apology, from within his teacher’s, Socrates, trial. Socrates is accused of corrupting the youth and being an atheist and in this dialogue he explains in a very sarcastic way why he is innocent, despite knowing his end fate remains unchanged. Socrates goes through this last trial speaking only because he wishes to teach until he reaches the inevitable fate of death. However, this …show more content…
It is true still today that many people who know something in one subject area will make claims about things they do not know. Knowledge is a way for people to feel superior to others and therefore, a majority of people will talk like they are experts in everything when in fact, they know very little. It is important to be humble and aware that there are other human beings with different knowledge and that it is okay to not be the most intelligent. Socrates will go on to say that no matter what field a person is working in, they more often than not will speak as if they are wise in more than one area. “The poets appeared to me to be in much the same case; and at the same time I perceived that because of their poetry they believed they were the wisest of mankind in other things as well, which they were not” (508). This assumption that humans have knowledge that they do not is another form of ignorance and is another reason why Socrates believes himself to be the wisest man. He knows that he does not know very much, and that is a true statement, therefore he is wise in saying so. Mankind would be much better if humans could grasp the concept of accepting that no one knows very much. Upon accepting that, humans become wiser and less hateful, as knowledge could no longer be used as a basis of power over other