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The Credibility Of Death In Socrates The Apology

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Death: no one can escape it, only some get to cheat it, and everyone has to deal with it. One of the key things about being mortal is we all face death and as such we each try to cope with it the best way we can. Some choose to find solace in religion where quite a few (but not all) belief systems recognize some sort of afterlife. Some are afraid of death knowing its inevitability and there is nothing to stop it. Others try to defeat death using science and medicine. Looking through Socrates’ words regarding death from “The Apology” we can see how people approach death. Socrates view on death was one of socratic ignorance, and although he didn’t exactly know what was on the other side, he was curious and was not fearful of the end. Most people unfortunately would not share his viewpoints. …show more content…
For it is to seem to know what one does not know” (Apology, 29b). In this quote he describes knowing about death as not being wise because death is unknowable. Further on he says “no one knows whether death does not even happen to be the greatest of all goods for the human being; but people fear it as though they knew well it is the greatest of evils” (Apology, 29b). He expounds on the issue of knowing death by even describing that death could be the greatest good or the greatest evil of man. In these quotes he shows the enigma that is death. Although it is an end for us mortals in this life could there be something else after the end, maybe a “heaven” maybe a

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