Socrates-Noble?
In this paper, I will be determining whether Socrates lived a noble life. Noble definition: Socrates lived in Athens (Ancient Greece) from 469-399 BCE, and philosophers consider him an ideal type of philosopher. The time period he was born in was considered the Golden Age of Greece because Athens had just won a war against Persia and they were wealthy as well as democratic. After the Peloponnesian War; a violent war with the Spartans that Athens lost, there was no democracy and various tyrants ruled until 403 BCE.
Socrates was a teacher of philosophy and he trained many young students. Although he himself was not a direct part of the anti-democratic movement led by the tyrannies who ruled Athens for a few years, two of the …show more content…
He was found guilty of his charges. Apparently, he was found guilty of corrupting the youth, which would be horrible and not noble. But, rather than corrupting them, according to Plato, he was educating them, which is noble. For the second charge, impiety, I think it is noble to fight conformity and not be afraid to have your own beliefs, but at the time this was far from noble. When arguing with Metelus, Socrates belittles him by picking apart his arguments and refuting the charges he is faced with. He finishes his argument with Metelus and then seems to dismiss him verbally, which is not a good idea considering that Metelus held power Socrates and would be a part of deciding his fate if he was found guilty. Socrates made Metelus look stupid in front of a large crowd of people that he would commonly associate himself with, normally I would say this is not noble. Metelus was trying to do the same to Socrates, I think it is noble for Socrates to stand up for …show more content…
Philosophy was carried on by his students, friends and other philosophers. The legacy that he left behind is powerful. People still teach about him and discuss his opinions today, over coffee or at a university lecture. His method of Socratic questioning (asking “why?” and not stopping until an acceptable answer is given) has been used by almost every human being. I think it is a noble legacy. He had a poor choice in students, and that played in part in an era that was a terrible time for many Athenians and even though everyone is entitled to their own opinion, he took his anti-democratic views too far with the tyrants. Insulting a whole population of people is poor form and rude, even if they are not intelligent he did not have to say so. His love for the pursuit of philosophy made him push aside important parts of life, such as his family and their wellbeing, that should not be forgotten. His pursuit of truth and stimulation of the people of Athens was noble, even though it brought death upon him. He chose to accept the democratic decision of the people and decline the opportunity to escape his death, something that he was not afraid of. Socrates had his flaws but overall he lived a noble
In this paper, I will be determining whether Socrates lived a noble life. Noble definition: Socrates lived in Athens (Ancient Greece) from 469-399 BCE, and philosophers consider him an ideal type of philosopher. The time period he was born in was considered the Golden Age of Greece because Athens had just won a war against Persia and they were wealthy as well as democratic. After the Peloponnesian War; a violent war with the Spartans that Athens lost, there was no democracy and various tyrants ruled until 403 BCE.
Socrates was a teacher of philosophy and he trained many young students. Although he himself was not a direct part of the anti-democratic movement led by the tyrannies who ruled Athens for a few years, two of the …show more content…
He was found guilty of his charges. Apparently, he was found guilty of corrupting the youth, which would be horrible and not noble. But, rather than corrupting them, according to Plato, he was educating them, which is noble. For the second charge, impiety, I think it is noble to fight conformity and not be afraid to have your own beliefs, but at the time this was far from noble. When arguing with Metelus, Socrates belittles him by picking apart his arguments and refuting the charges he is faced with. He finishes his argument with Metelus and then seems to dismiss him verbally, which is not a good idea considering that Metelus held power Socrates and would be a part of deciding his fate if he was found guilty. Socrates made Metelus look stupid in front of a large crowd of people that he would commonly associate himself with, normally I would say this is not noble. Metelus was trying to do the same to Socrates, I think it is noble for Socrates to stand up for …show more content…
Philosophy was carried on by his students, friends and other philosophers. The legacy that he left behind is powerful. People still teach about him and discuss his opinions today, over coffee or at a university lecture. His method of Socratic questioning (asking “why?” and not stopping until an acceptable answer is given) has been used by almost every human being. I think it is a noble legacy. He had a poor choice in students, and that played in part in an era that was a terrible time for many Athenians and even though everyone is entitled to their own opinion, he took his anti-democratic views too far with the tyrants. Insulting a whole population of people is poor form and rude, even if they are not intelligent he did not have to say so. His love for the pursuit of philosophy made him push aside important parts of life, such as his family and their wellbeing, that should not be forgotten. His pursuit of truth and stimulation of the people of Athens was noble, even though it brought death upon him. He chose to accept the democratic decision of the people and decline the opportunity to escape his death, something that he was not afraid of. Socrates had his flaws but overall he lived a noble