The Types of Socrates
In The Trials of Socrates, we are shown different view points of the Greek philosopher, Socrates. However, none of these views come directly from the philosopher. Socrates had never published anything during his lifetime, therefore all his beliefs are recounted second hand. This is unreliable as it becomes ambiguous whether or not these views being written down are purely Socrates’ thoughts or if the authors bias has trickled into argument. These differing accounts have created multiplicities of the great philosopher and it becomes difficult to pin point what is true and what is not. When Socrates is charged with impiety and the corruption of youth, his innocence seems to differ whether or not one is reading through the …show more content…
Pheidippides and Strepsiades could have been prime examples, but unfortunately they are fictional and hold no actual evidence against Socrates.
Pheidippides corruption may be thought as corruption of youth by Aristophanes, but is dismissed by Plato’s Socrates. This Socrates states that “I cannot justly be held responsible for the good or bad conduct of these people, as I never promised to teach them anything and have not done so” (Plato, 33a-33b). What Socrates means by this is that he is not a teacher. People choose to come listen to him and he allows them to. He doesn’t accept any sort of payment in exchange. Therefore, he is free from any responsibility of the actions of a “student.”
Socrates is an enigmatic figure; who’s true opinion come in fragments to us through other authors. It’s difficult to pin down his true likeness while sifting through the bias. However, through these biases leaves figures of Socrates, each one not quite like the other. The figures give us a sort of rounded look at the philosopher’s trial, through the eyes of his followers and the eyes of his rivals allowing us to peer into the trial with both sides of the
In The Trials of Socrates, we are shown different view points of the Greek philosopher, Socrates. However, none of these views come directly from the philosopher. Socrates had never published anything during his lifetime, therefore all his beliefs are recounted second hand. This is unreliable as it becomes ambiguous whether or not these views being written down are purely Socrates’ thoughts or if the authors bias has trickled into argument. These differing accounts have created multiplicities of the great philosopher and it becomes difficult to pin point what is true and what is not. When Socrates is charged with impiety and the corruption of youth, his innocence seems to differ whether or not one is reading through the …show more content…
Pheidippides and Strepsiades could have been prime examples, but unfortunately they are fictional and hold no actual evidence against Socrates.
Pheidippides corruption may be thought as corruption of youth by Aristophanes, but is dismissed by Plato’s Socrates. This Socrates states that “I cannot justly be held responsible for the good or bad conduct of these people, as I never promised to teach them anything and have not done so” (Plato, 33a-33b). What Socrates means by this is that he is not a teacher. People choose to come listen to him and he allows them to. He doesn’t accept any sort of payment in exchange. Therefore, he is free from any responsibility of the actions of a “student.”
Socrates is an enigmatic figure; who’s true opinion come in fragments to us through other authors. It’s difficult to pin down his true likeness while sifting through the bias. However, through these biases leaves figures of Socrates, each one not quite like the other. The figures give us a sort of rounded look at the philosopher’s trial, through the eyes of his followers and the eyes of his rivals allowing us to peer into the trial with both sides of the